Late nights. Bright lights. White "nail polish"...all with this hard-workin' man. Everything is moving forward! The paint is done. We chose Benjamin Moore Simply White...to match the IKEA Lidingo cabinets. It's a much warmer, softer white than the Behr Ultra Pure White that we initially chose...and I love it. That warmer tone meshes well with the orange in the hallway, and it's crazy but it just feels different in there! I never knew white paint could evoke such emotion. When we first started dreaming of our new home, a white room flooded with light...and lots of color...that is what my heart desired. I'm so glad we made it back there...after a tiny detour.

Next up...FLOORS! Eeeeeeep! I am so excited for this step. I'm going to have REAL trees on my floor. Beautiful wide-plank circular-sawn douglas fir. *sigh* It will be our first time using unfinished wood, and doing the whole staining sha-bang. We are definitely going for a well-worn, distressed look...not a super shiny showroom floor. We like a medium-brown...not too light, not super dark. Tell me your stain color favorites!

I've been doing lots of research and gathering tips, but I would love to hear any input y'all have on how to make this process go smoothly! Matt is very confident already...but every little piece of wisdom helps!

And then there was this. A moment in the sunshine for mama (captured by sweet Bella). As I sat here today, drinking my afternoon latte...listening to woodpeckers above me and the breeze sifting through the trees...I remembered the healing power of sunshine and movement.

We've had a long couple of days 'round here. Big house decisions. Insurance adjuster excitement. My van is at the shop all week. And both Lucy and Emma had colds that magically morphed into stomach bugs. I was up all night cleaning up puke and poop and nursing nursing nursing. Mmmmmm. You're welcome for that visual. Be very glad that this isn't a scratch and sniff blog. I'm really hoping the rest of us dodged it this time around!

Living in the basement can have a not-so-happy effect on me. Especially when life is feeling hard. The clothing from 3 tiny fashionistas eating us alive. My sweet little kitchen is adorable, yes. But after a month of limited everything, I'm really feeling the temporary nature of it. Nothing seems to have a "place". And the dogs just ate my last bra. *why oh why?!*

I crave natural light, and it is minimal down here. I have to remember to get outside (or at least up to my big windows!) when I start to feel closed in and overwhelmed. The warmth of the sun and a quick jaunt up the rocks lessens the heaviness almost immediately. Today I ran in circles through the trees and over the rocks...around and around...in my pajamas as the dogs chased behind. It felt amazing. Like a reset button was pressed in my heart.

Some of my other favorite "reset" activities:

Spinning a hoop (scientifically proven to lift spirits!)
Turning on delicious music
Soaking in a hot hot hot bath
De-stressing with my oils (Balance and White Fir are my BFF's)
Caffeine goodness or a glass of wine (yes, artificial stimulants...but they have the power to change perspective in a wonderful way!)
Connecting with Matt (not in THAT way...ahem, well, that's awesome too...but just a hug and a quick reassurance does wonders for my spirit).
Reading scripture...Psalms especially.