Bean and the Stalk

A Lifestyle Blog

  • About
  • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
  • Adventures
  • Happenings
  • Contact

March 19, 2019

HONEY, I’M (IN OUR NEW) HOME

As if having a baby wasn’t a big enough life change, I’m currently writing this from our new home.

I guess 2019 really is about going big for us!

Last year around the time I got pregnant, we toyed with the idea of moving. When we bought our condo I was dead set on staying there forever until our next potential move out of the state. I thought we could easily have baby there, entertain, and still have enough room to have people comfortably stay with us.

And then I realized just how much shit babies need.

Sure, we could have made it work and there are people who raise kids perfectly fine in much smaller spaces, but we were already bursting at the seams in our old place. Not to mention we really wanted to live in an area with trees and other families – and we thought that Titan finally deserved to go to the bathroom on real grass rather than concrete. If it was up to my husband, we would have moved to the suburbs, but I was adamant that we stay in the city. Now having a kid, I understand the allure of the suburbs but we moved to Chicago for the city experience and we don’t know many people out in the burbs, so for us, it just didn’t make sense.

So we listed our place and the hunt began. We had a couple of neighborhoods in mind but we really had no idea where we wanted to end up. With the recommendation of Heidy, we used Izabela Sloma and I can’t rave about her enough. We really were all over the place with what we wanted, and she worked so hard with us to help narrow down our search.

In December we got a call with an offer on our condo and they wanted to move in right away. We had a two week close, which means we had two weeks to find a new place, which means this third trimester soon-to-be-mom was freaking out. Thankfully Heidy was more than kind to take us in (dogs and all!) while we finalized plans on a new place! (Side note: Her and her husband were one of our favorite roommates). I miss getting up in the morning and seeing Oliver’s face!

So where did we end up? We bought a townhouse in northwest Chicago, very, very close to Heidy’s house – like a couple of blocks away, close (I mean, are you shocked?). We stayed in an Airbnb while we had renovations done – we had new wood floors put in, had the kitchen cabinets painted, and had the entire house painted as well. When the hospital asked us for our home address, we didn’t really have one to give them since we took our son home to an Airbnb! I can almost look back and laugh (I’m sure I’ll get there someday). We still have many more updates to do, including new kitchen countertops, updating the bathrooms, adding in new light fixtures, and other various projects, but we’re finally moved in and unpacking boxes. I’ve always wanted to update a place and make it our own, so I’m so excited for this huge project!

We’ve had so many amazing memories in our little downtown condo. When we moved in we were boyfriend and girlfriend, and I had just graduated with my Masters. It’s the place where we got engaged, got married, adopted Olive, got pregnant, and had some of our best times in Chicago in. But it was time to say goodbye and it made me so happy that the person who bought the place seemed to love it as much as we did when we first saw it. I hope it brings them just as much luck and happiness as it did us.

Naturally I’ve been spending a lot of time on Pinterest, so you can check out some of my favorite images I’m using as inspiration below! And I can’t wait to share the updates to the home as we make them.

via
via
via
via
via

Filed Under: Lifestyle

Older
Newer
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Let's be besties,
(I'll go first...)

 

FOLLOW ALONG @jillbadlotto
Happy weekend. 🖤 Made it to the Van Gogh exhibi Happy weekend. 🖤 Made it to the Van Gogh exhibit in Miami yesterday. If it’s in your city, I highly recommend! #miami #darlingweekend #imaginevangogh #vangoghexperience
When I brought up driving to Florida with our two When I brought up driving to Florida with our two kids and two dogs to my husband, I was half kidding and half hoping he would say yes, because MY GOD did we need a change of scenery. We knew flying wasn’t an option, and we wanted to drive straight through in order to avoid people. Here are some things to make the journey easier on us:

- Organizing EVERYTHING with Amazon packing cubes. We packed things by category (one cube for small toys, one for snacks, one for pumping parts) so everything was easy to grab.

- We kept a ball in the car so when we stopped at rest stops, Jude could let out some energy and stretch his legs (Also, stopping at rest stops vs gas stations is ideal. There’s rarely any people and usually there’s outdoor space to run)

- We tried sticking to nap schedules by playing white noise via Spotify through the car. This helped the boys sleep!

- Investing in a good cooler was a MUST. Our @yeti cooler kept all the bottles cold, along with snacks like fruit and sandwiches. 

- To keep Jude busy, we raided the @target dollar section for new toys. I also binded flash cards together so they didn’t get lost in the car, and magic marker color books kept him entertained for awhile. 

And when all else failed, we used the trusty iPad for some screen time. All screen time limits go out the window on a road trip. Just make sure you download an app beforehand that locks the screen so you don’t have to fix it 100 times in an hour. 🤪 You can check out my recent blog post on more tips/tricks, and some photos from out time here so far. 🚗🌴#linkinbio #heyjudeharrison
Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month bi Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month birthday. ❤️ Can not believe it’s been half a year but also can’t believe there was a time where he wasn’t a part of our family. Heath has such a peaceful presence and calming nature. I love the way he takes the world in, a little skeptical and curious but still always smiling. He is so happy to be out on adventures and admires everything that Jude does. He’s constantly laughing, rarely gets upset, loves when we play music, and is turning into a little water baby. But nothing makes him happier than putting him in his sleep sack and taking a nap (just like his mama 😂). He is truly an angel on earth and we are so lucky he is ours. ❤️ #heyheathjoseph #6monthsold #babyboy #childhoodunplugged
Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my fir Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my first shot that the second #covidvacccine would be fine. Yeah... 😂😂. Had body aches and a bad headache all day yesterday that kept me in bed, with a fever last night and chills. Feeling so much better today, especially sitting outside in this beautiful weather we’re having. So excited to be fully vaccinated and hopefully pass along some antibodies to my children! #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs #florida #darlingescapes
YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2n YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2nd dose of the #covidvaccine and it feels like Christmas in April. I know we still have a bit to go and it’s crucial to follow CDC guidelines, but this shot in the arm felt like that light at the end of the tunnel actually exists. This time last year I was sad that my job was put on hold (and eventually eliminated), we had all of our weddings for our coordination business postponed, and I had no idea when I’d see my family again. And now I can almost taste an overpriced glass of wine in a crowded bar with my friends. So grateful for science, doctors, nurses, essential workers, and all those who continue to carry our society through this pandemic. #WillSelfieForVaccines #covid_19 #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs
Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so fa Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so far and some tips for road tripping with two kids on the blog today! 🚗 🌴 #linkinbio

FOLLOW ALONG! @JILLBADLOTTO

Happy weekend. 🖤 Made it to the Van Gogh exhibi Happy weekend. 🖤 Made it to the Van Gogh exhibit in Miami yesterday. If it’s in your city, I highly recommend! #miami #darlingweekend #imaginevangogh #vangoghexperience
When I brought up driving to Florida with our two When I brought up driving to Florida with our two kids and two dogs to my husband, I was half kidding and half hoping he would say yes, because MY GOD did we need a change of scenery. We knew flying wasn’t an option, and we wanted to drive straight through in order to avoid people. Here are some things to make the journey easier on us:

- Organizing EVERYTHING with Amazon packing cubes. We packed things by category (one cube for small toys, one for snacks, one for pumping parts) so everything was easy to grab.

- We kept a ball in the car so when we stopped at rest stops, Jude could let out some energy and stretch his legs (Also, stopping at rest stops vs gas stations is ideal. There’s rarely any people and usually there’s outdoor space to run)

- We tried sticking to nap schedules by playing white noise via Spotify through the car. This helped the boys sleep!

- Investing in a good cooler was a MUST. Our @yeti cooler kept all the bottles cold, along with snacks like fruit and sandwiches. 

- To keep Jude busy, we raided the @target dollar section for new toys. I also binded flash cards together so they didn’t get lost in the car, and magic marker color books kept him entertained for awhile. 

And when all else failed, we used the trusty iPad for some screen time. All screen time limits go out the window on a road trip. Just make sure you download an app beforehand that locks the screen so you don’t have to fix it 100 times in an hour. 🤪 You can check out my recent blog post on more tips/tricks, and some photos from out time here so far. 🚗🌴#linkinbio #heyjudeharrison
Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month bi Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month birthday. ❤️ Can not believe it’s been half a year but also can’t believe there was a time where he wasn’t a part of our family. Heath has such a peaceful presence and calming nature. I love the way he takes the world in, a little skeptical and curious but still always smiling. He is so happy to be out on adventures and admires everything that Jude does. He’s constantly laughing, rarely gets upset, loves when we play music, and is turning into a little water baby. But nothing makes him happier than putting him in his sleep sack and taking a nap (just like his mama 😂). He is truly an angel on earth and we are so lucky he is ours. ❤️ #heyheathjoseph #6monthsold #babyboy #childhoodunplugged
Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my fir Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my first shot that the second #covidvacccine would be fine. Yeah... 😂😂. Had body aches and a bad headache all day yesterday that kept me in bed, with a fever last night and chills. Feeling so much better today, especially sitting outside in this beautiful weather we’re having. So excited to be fully vaccinated and hopefully pass along some antibodies to my children! #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs #florida #darlingescapes
YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2n YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2nd dose of the #covidvaccine and it feels like Christmas in April. I know we still have a bit to go and it’s crucial to follow CDC guidelines, but this shot in the arm felt like that light at the end of the tunnel actually exists. This time last year I was sad that my job was put on hold (and eventually eliminated), we had all of our weddings for our coordination business postponed, and I had no idea when I’d see my family again. And now I can almost taste an overpriced glass of wine in a crowded bar with my friends. So grateful for science, doctors, nurses, essential workers, and all those who continue to carry our society through this pandemic. #WillSelfieForVaccines #covid_19 #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs
Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so fa Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so far and some tips for road tripping with two kids on the blog today! 🚗 🌴 #linkinbio

The Links

  • Home
  • Contact

Categories

  • Home
  • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Happenings
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 · Bean and the Stalk · Hello You Designs