Making a Home.

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I've moved a lot as an adult, and I've figured out the essentials I need to feel at home in a new place. I usually set these up before the move or make them my first priority during the move.

*Nice smells. For me, this means Bath and Body Works Wallflowers (using a different fragrance in each keeps me from getting used to them and not being able to smell them. I like to use fresh scents like Cucumber Melon, Sweet Pea, and Lemon in kitchens and bathrooms and cozy, yummy scents like Cinnamon Stick and Vanilla Shortbread in living rooms and bedrooms), candles, and sprays. These are especially important right before and during a move when the house smells unfamiliar or, if it's been empty for a while as the OLC has, stuffy and weird.

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*Good hand soap in the bathrooms and kitchen. I use B&BW moisturizing antibacterial. Warm Vanilla Sugar is a comforting scent, and I stock up on yummy ones like Twisted Peppermint (great for the kitchen) and Ginger Snaps during the holidays.

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*A dreamy bed. I've already written about mine. Moves are so exhausting, and once you're in the new house, it's all even more overwhelming. All you need that first day is a workable bathroom (so have the shower curtain, essential toiletries and cosmetics, bathmats, and towels on hand in a bag or box in the car) and a bed to crash on (again, keep all the bedding accessible).

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*Books. Books, crisp and never read or weathered and well-loved, are like breathing friends and memories. I unpack my old favorites and my journals first. Then, I can start to feel like I inhabit the space.

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*Blankets. I'm seriously cutting down on the number of throws I have this time--goodbye to anything ugly, scratchy, or just not my favorite. But I at least need pretty ones for the bed (white with multicolored snowflakes), the couch (knit hot pink), and some other random cuddle spot (blue with an Amy Brown moon fairy).

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*Photos. Josh and I have a lot of framed photos of ourselves. This may be weird, and I'm sure we'll have far more photos of Oliver once he comes. But we've each had so many "looks" over the nearly six years we've been together (plus the simple fact that we've started to look more like grown-ups) that it's fun to see evidence of how we've grown together.

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The first time I go to a new house (to clean or whatever), I bring a bag with cleaning supplies (broom, bleach, dusters, etc.), trash bags, paper towels, TP, Kleenex (dust happens), water bottles (and a couple of Dr. Peppers and diet sodas), and some instant homemakers like Wallflowers, room spray, and good hand soap. I'll do this for the OLC on Friday. If we manage to get the utilities turned on then, we'll open all the windows and run the AC to air the place out while we clean. I'll probably also bring my cupcake Wallies and green shelf paper, so I can cheer up that kitchen right away.

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