Like many of us, 2019 brought a lot of change, a lot of ups, downs, and in betweens. We tackled a few projects around the Beach House and made some pretty big decisions for our family. More on that soon as I kept pretty low key about most of it as we were navigating life.
What I CAN say, is that because we made the leap with some of those decisions and kicked fear to the curb, we are in a MUCH better place today and LOVING LIFE!. I don’t say that to braggy, but hopefully encourage you that there is so much power in the decisions you make for your life and you don’t have to feel “stuck”.
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That leads me straight into my Favorite Items of 2019!
Favorite Book.
The first half of the year, I had hours of time in the car and spent A LOT of time listening to business and personal development podcasts every day. Through one of these, I was introduced to what became one of my favorite books of the year, Atomic Habits by James Clear. I actually listened to it as an audiobook, because….well, the excessive driving. It’s on my list of books to to revisit in 2020. What I love about it is that it is clear, concise, engaging, and actionable. This book has the power to change your life and has much more depth to it than other books on the topic. A MUST READ!!
2. Favorite Home Items.
Since so much of what I blog about has to do with home decorating, this was a tough one to narrow down. We made a lot of functional upgrades this past year, but I’d have to say my favorite items revolve around updating mine and Michael’s master bedroom in the Spring. After going through some major low points as a couple and finally being on the upside, it meant a lot to me to put other projects on the back burner and give some deserved attention to make our room a retreat from the daily stresses of life.
It was my partnership with Serena & Lily at the time that really brought the finishing touches to the room, and I’m so thankful now for the timing of that. I love that the company values that living well begins at home, at the core of everyday. It truly does! While we incorporated quite a few items into the bedroom, the linen bedding (in white), linen quilt (in Pink Sand), and round seagrass tray were my favorite. I LOVE that tray so much!! I’ve used it all around our house, inside and out. :-) I'll link other items from the makeover below.
As we head into the new year, we have some bigger renovation ideas in the works at the Beach House involving the kids bedrooms. We laugh that this has been the home of “musical rooms” (versus “musical chairs”), but it’s so true. All of us have been in every room of the upper level!
The girls currently share a bedroom and Bubba’s bedroom is just through their bedroom. It seems as if the original floor plan was designed to be a small living room with an adjacent office or similar, but as a family of five we’ve made it work! We’re brainstorming how to reconfigure the upper level of the home into proper bedrooms and once we do, I’m planning to use Serena & Lily bedding and pillows for the kids. :-)
3. Favorite Trip.
Travel is definitely on my bucket list as the kids are getting older! We made it with the family to Maui for my husband’s 40th birthday,, but it was our local(ish) anniversary trip last June that was my favorite of 2019!
Michael surprised me with a trip to Snug Harbor Resort and Marina in Friday Harbor while the kids stayed home with Grandma. It was just such a relaxing trip and the most beautiful time of year hear in the Seattle area.
We had purchased and received our new Hewescraft boat just a few months before (one of our major decisions 2019!) and Michael was excited to test out boating to a grand adventure in the Puget Sound. It was so much fun!
The cabins are perfectly Pacific Northwest coastal style, cozy, comfortable, and quiet. We’d wake up and have a nice “home-cooked” breakfast before heading out in the boat for the day to explore the local islands. I’m hoping we can revisit Snug Harbor again and again over the years.
I think the kids would love it too!
