Making a House a Home

I had originally titled this post "Household Improvements", but I just wasn't sure that the few things that we've done around the house can be classified as "improvements". I know that the things I've done here I never would have classified that way in the States, but here where we have white wallpapered walls that we can't really do anything with, anything we do seems to be an improvement, just with a different definition.

To start, a few weeks ago our nanny brought some stickers for the kids to put on their walls. Now, I will admit this may be the reason I had to change the title of the post. Because while the kids were thrilled with the new additions to their rooms, I can't help but think they are absolutely hideous! They are so excited about them, though! It was a cheap addition (that we don't have to worry about bring back with us!) that made them feel a little more at home in their rooms. That's really all that matters.

Last week, she brought some materials to make them mobiles out of an art show program we had laying around. She let the kids pick out the pictures and then strung them up in their rooms. Again, they love it and it was really cheap. Me? I could take it or leave it.

This weekend, we were finally able to get a shelf for our kitchen to put the microwave on. We have two little countertops in the kitchen and one of them was nearly completely covered with the microwave. It was driving me crazy. So, we got this ridiculously plain metal shelf that looks like it belongs behind closed doors in a pantry or garage or something, but instead it's front and center in our kitchen with cords shooting out the side. But, I have now doubled my counter space and honestly that is all I care about! Well, that and not spending too much money on making life just a little bit easier.

It is extremely hard to try and make this little apartment a home we have found. A part of me just wants to dive in and buy window coverings, toy bins, bookshelves, and picture frames. I know that someone could be blessed by inheriting some things to make their place a little more homey when we leave here in a few years. But the other part of me, doesn't want to pay outrageous prices for things that we're just going to be giving away sometime soon. So I'm trying to balance. The good news is, the other day Kennedy ran into the house and said, "I love our apartment!" I was so happy to hear it; she's come so far in the last few months!