I think we've all had an experience of walking into a true home. The kind where you step over the threshold and feel instantly at ease; where books and papers are scattered on desks, a bowl of fruit rests in the kitchen, and a tall umbrella props in the corner of the porch. You get the feeling that this place has a life of it's own, that the house is somehow alive with a story to tell. I remember a home like this. It is on the Upper West Side, on the very edge of Central Park. Through various college and church acquaintances, some friends and I were able to visit a very old lady who was friends with Corrie ten Boom in World War II. Little notes and old photographs stuck out of the edges of a large oval mirror hung above the fireplace; a dog leash shared the bar cart with the champagne glasses; bright floral arm chairs cozied up to the stately leather chesterfield couch; newspapers crowded the dinning room table where snacks and tea cups were set out for us. It was as if I had stepped into Narnia and was having tea with Mr. Tumnus. And that's how I want my home to be: lived in, joyful, full of stories, warmth, and the many little details that take the place you live in from house to home. It's these little things--from tulips to teacups--that help cultivate a rich home life that makes people want to come on over, prop up their feet, and stay a while. But what are these little "details"? For this week's Nesting Series post I thought it would be fun to collect some of my favorite "tiny" home tips to share with everyone, courtesy of a life-long observation of my most amazing mother (and some other tremendous ladies). Thus in no particular order.... It's all in the details
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This post is a long time coming, and I mean a longggg time coming. So long I don’t really remember when we started thinking about, planning, or working toward it. I do remember junior-year-of-college Chris starting to doubt his plan of going to law school. I remember him feeling worried about a desk job, and feeling trapped. I remember a particular walk along Battery Park City on a cool evening where I asked him if he had ever thought about going into medicine. He said it was strange I should bring it up—our Dean of Students had recently asked him the same thing. To my great surprise—and I think his too—we both took the suggestion seriously, and started researching options. In the months that followed there were many serious talks about whether or not med school was doable at such a late point. Because he was so close to graduation and had never planned to go, med school would require not only taking the MCAT but also 2 years worth of extra classes (all the sciences Chris didn’t take in college). After much prayer, and countless talks with parents and friends, we decided to go for it. My dad, an ER doc, was our constant companion, and was able to help us navigate the many requirements needed for a successful application. Chris was even able to do his clinical hours in the ER where my dad works. We aren’t quite at the end of the road yet. Chris will finish his last semester of pre-requisite classes at the end of April and is slated to take the MCAT on June 18th, after which he will begin the official application process. But, we made a huge step forward this weekend! After a successful house-hunting trip in North Carolina we can say that we are officially moving to Chapel Hill in May!!! We signed a lease on this lovely little townhouse in a great location of Chapel Hill, and we could not be more excited. When we started our deep dive into medical school research it became pretty clear to us that while there were great schools across the country, we wanted to stay close to the East Coast and family. We also knew that we wanted to be in a small town rather than a big city; as much as we love New York, it’s time for a change! And, of course, Chris wants to get into a really good program. Those preferences basically narrowed it down to Virginia and North Carolina schools. There are a couple of really great options in N.C.(Duke, East Carolina, Wake Forest), apart from our top choice, UNC Chapel Hill. Even though Chris hasn’t been accepted yet, we really feel God moving us toward Chapel Hill this year. We know He has a plan for the perfect school for us. In the meantime, we are going to move to the area we love, establish N.C. residency (yay for cheaper schooling cost!), and trust the rest to Him. Risky? Maybe a little. But not really. The worst that could happen would be a move to a better place in a year, having saved money in 2016 by not living in the New York City metropolitan area. Exciting? So, so exciting. Last night as we drove down Franklin Street on our way to the Mediterranean Deli (which has changed our lives; so much delicious), we talked about how strangely comfortable we felt here. Like this is where we are supposed to be. Compared to looking for apartments in New York, this past weekend was a joy. After driving down late Thursday evening, we grabbed coffee Friday on the way to our first appointment of the day: a 10:00am total let down. But our spirits were high. We saw several apartment complexes, had lunch at a Mexican place, and showed up to our 4:30 appointment with our front-runner: the two bedroom townhome in a wooded setting about 10 minutes from downtown. It had everything we were looking for and more. The landlord was accommodating, jolly, and obviously cared for the home. It took about 30 minutes to decide on the place while lounging on the UNC quad sipping iced tea. And that was it. We had a celebratory dinner at a sushi place, and the landlord swung by our hotel the next morning so we could all sign the lease. That left us Saturday to chill out and explore the area. This included mural hunting, antique shopping, eating at cafes, cartoon watching, gym exploring, tulips, sweet tea, baklava, biscuits, and lots and lots of walking around our new town. It’s a little surreal to be leaving our New York. I’m sure there will be lots of tears and some second-guessing. But we feel confident that this new stage will be worth it. We love that Chapel Hill has a small town feel combined the conveniences of a thriving University town. And we love that this thing Chris has been working for is finally coming to fruition! Thank you to everyone who has supported, prayed for, and encouraged us these past few years. You have helped make this new beginning possible! Of all the daily rhythms I've come to love about our married life, meal planning and grocery-shopping top the list. It's quite the phenomenon because this certainly wasn't the case for me a few years ago. I staunchly believe that cooking is only really good or worthwhile or fun when it's done for other people, because what used to be a chore has turned into one of our favorite dates. A typical Sunday night will find us meandering around the local Shop Rite, smelling tomatoes and trying to decide if ground turkey will suffice as a cheap substitute for beef. I am the determined shopper, the knowledgeable one you might say, in charge of The List, and willing to sacrifice a few extra pennies in order to choose more quickly between Generic Can of Black Beans and Brand Name Can of Black Beans. My husband, to put it lightly, is the slowest, least decisive, most endearingly annoying grocery shopper there ever was. I accomplish about 98% of the list, leaving Chris to get 1) cheese from the deli 2) Kaiser rolls for sandwiches 3) seltzer and 4) *insert whichever exotic ingredient has struck his fancy this week* (in the past this has included anchovies, canned sardines, and strange fruit cocktails from South America). I progress through the store in a calm, rational, organized manner, weaving in and out of aisles in order; Chris darts around picking up things and happily running errands around the store for things I forgot. "Toothpaste coming up!" "Pickles and Cheerios: got it." "Did you want mixed berry or strawberry yogurt?" Without fail the entire trip takes an hour on the dot, usually involves at least one Stop in the Middle of the Store for a Debrief about our Differences in Shopping, and ends with us feeling thirsty (shopping is hard) but proud of ourselves for providing food for ourselves like adults. I don't know about you, but succeeding at the "chores" in life is very satisfying to me. It's the icing on the cake of adulthood. I like being able to say: I ate well today; I have clean clothes; I washed the dishes; my bathroom isn't a disaster; the garbage is not stinking up the kitchen because I took it out; my bed is made; I read some words that weren't work related; I went on a walk on lunch break; I read my Bible; I thought. I believe that these types of simple acts are the basis of a life well lived. A full, meaningful, purpose-driven, and others-focused life. The trash isn't just trash: it's an opportunity not to inwardly (or outwardly!) grumble at your roommate/husband/family member! I have to remind myself of this all the time. And part of the purpose of this blog is to help me--and you--remember why these little things matter so much. So, then, meal planning. What is meal planning, even, you might ask? Good question. Meal planning is the way to make cooking not awful. It makes weekdays less stressful by saving time and ultimately money. It means taking stock of your pantry and picking out meals to make ahead of time, before it's the end of the day and you JUST CAN'T. Timing I typically meal plan about once every two weeks, on a Thursday or Friday so that I can have my list ready for the weekend, when I have time to actually shop. I make a list of meals on one sheet of paper and then use these adorable free printouts (go check it out!) from Emily Ley of the Simplified Planner to make my grocery list. I use one quadrant for each major category of the store: produce, meat, pantry (anything from paper towels to bread to BBQ sauce), and dairy. How many meals to plan? I like to plan 5 to 6 meals at a time. Between left overs, the obligatory pizza delivery night, a toast and omelets night, and one or two meals out, these 6 meals will last us about two weeks. I try to mix it up with a few produce based meals and some meat heavy meals. Meals that use a lot of fresh veggies or fruit will get eaten towards the beginning of the week so that the produce doesn't go bad. Meat, noddle, or potatoes dishes get eaten later. Balance When planning meals I try to balance several factors: health, flavor, cost, and variety. I'm all for healthy meals, but also don't want to sink $10 into 3 organic apples. As mentioned above, ground turkey is a money saver, but I so much more prefer the flavor of beef. And while it's easy to get stuck in rut with what you know, switch it up! I'm always trying to find new recipes. Variety is the spice of life, right? Resources So where to look for meal ideas? A few posts back I highlighted the Mad Hungry cookbooks, which are a staple in this house. If you are looking for simple, basic, delicious, fail-proof recipes, this is your book. When I don't have quite as much time my favorite go-to websites are Allrecipes and DamnDelicious. On both sites you can search for healthy, quick, easy options. There are also lots of crock pot and one-dish recipes. Be realistic Because honestly, there just isn't time sometimes. Be realistic about the types of meals you pick! Don't over do it or be too ambitious. If you choose 5 out of 5 gourmet, out of your comfort zone meals chances are you won't end of cooking many nights. Here's an example of a typical Svendsen menu: 1-2 large soup or noddle based dishes (spaghetti) with lots of left overs 1 nice meat-oriented meal (like steak or meatballs with a vegetable side) 1 hearty salad with bread 1-2 easy, quick meals: examples: chicken tacos, homemade pizza, chili, stir fry, etc. Shopping and Eating Smart Generally good advice that I try to follow: 1. Pick meals with leftovers! Yay for happy work-day lunches! 2. Shop the sales and change the plan if necessary to accommodate a great deal. 3. Buy basics in large quantities: regardless of the meals I have planned for the week I stock up on things like butter, bread, chicken and ground beef (which I freeze), eggs, spices, and, of course, chocolate chips. The In-Between Trip While my typical 5-6 meals shopping trip usually lasts two weeks, that's just counting dinners. In between these "major" shopping trips we always have a the basic run for bread, eggs, milk, etc. So what? When all is said and done, meal planning is meant to help take stress out of your life, allowing you to eat better meals more regularly for so much cheaper than going out. If I don't have ingredients I know will make a meal I'm probably going to shrug my shoulders and buy a burger out. With just a little time, you can make a real difference in your weekly routine. And who knows? Maybe you'll end up loving it. So here's to happier and more effective nesting! The most shocking part of being an adult is how quickly time flies. I cannot believe we are already in the third month of the year and so soon moving away from New York. Nostalgia is kicking in hard core. The last few weeks have involved 1) Chris and I re-working the budget countless times to see if maybe we could afford to live in NYC as students after all (surprise: we can't); 2) deciding which neighborhood of the city we will move back to in 10 years, and 3) researching how to buy Bryant Park bistro tables and chairs to take with us. Back at Christmas it seemed like ages before we could actually get going with the move. Four dreary months of winter seemed intolerable. But, as always, being a pessimist has paid off when those four dreary months weren't so dreary after all. In fact, February was full of amazing fun, as per the usual, since both my birthday and Valentines Day are crammed into this wee little month. My birthday is February 5th, so that first weekend was full of cake. My mom surprised me with a spontaneous visit, and we ate at an amazing little restaurant in midtown east called Bea. Other than lovely conversation, cold walks, and pink presents, the visit also included funfetti cake baked by my chef hubby and a trip to the Bronx Zoo. Valentines Day marked the coldest day of the winter: 3 degrees. What we had envisioned as a day sauntering around the city turned into a hurried shuffle from one food establishment to the next. First stop: Starbucks. Second: M&M flagship store in Times Square. Third: Fossil, because, Fossil. Fourth: a casual Italian place in Hell's Kitchen: Bocca di Bacco. The food was excellent, but I was especially keen on the bold wall paper in the bathroom and am now considering it for a future home....Fifth: the Bank of America building indoor atrium. Sixth: back to Starbucks. Seventh: underground mall at Rockefeller Center and the amazing Masion du Chocolat. Seventh: back to Bocca di Bacco to retrieve the bag of Valentines M&Ms I bought in Times Square and inadvertently left under my seat. All in all, a fabulous albeit disgustingly cold day. The rest of February involved lots and lots of work. Every author in the world seems to want to submit his manuscript right now. However, despite the extra hours spent at the desk, I was still able to commute home in the daylight many days, as it is now light past 5:00 o'clock. It's a big deal, you guys. At least once a week Chris and I have a catharsis moment in which we marvel at the sun. To top the month of, I spent the lovliest weekend in Boston with some of my favorite girls in the world. This weekend involved lots of laughing, lots of walking in the cold, the movie Brooklyn (see it), history, sight seeing, coffee, Harvard, more coffee, car trips, Taylor Swift, talking about emotions, and words of affirmation. March is now in full swing, and it promises to be quite a busy few weeks. Apart from the regular day to day, I have some over-arching goals for the month that hopefully will help us as we move into the end of the semester and the move. Time runs away so quickly, and it's easy for me to waste it--by setting goals before the month even begins I can gauge and utilize my down time effectively. (****Otherwise I decide that every night I deserve to soak in the tub and watch Friends re-runs. Every. Night). So without further ado, our March goals are: 1. Register for the MCAT.----this goal is actually already completed! Chris is signed up for the test on June 18th, in Chapel Hill, NC. 2. Apartment hunt online. 3. Choose a date to go apartment hunting in Chapel Hill. 4. Book a hotel and GO visit! 5. Meet my March 15th deadlines at work. 6. Write some letters. 7. Research graphic design and blogging formats. 8. Win tickets to Hamilton. 9. Celebrate a special friend and her March birthday. 10.Enjoy my little brother's visit. 11. Keep cooking. Keep writing. I mean, where are you without ambition, am I right? Gotta keep on cooking. (But actually, I feel like it's a huge accomplishment to cook 5-7 dinners a week, just saying). So here's to baby steps towards success. Also, stay tuned this month for my Nesting Series here on the blog! I'll be sharing some of my best home recipes, organizing, spring-cleaning, and homification tips all month long. |
Authorwife to a med student and mama to three under three, seeking the joyful and learning to live by faith. Find me on Instagram and Pinterest or shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you!
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