ALL THE WAYS love is showing up
February always gets labeled as the month of love. Right now, for me, love shows up in acts of kindness and understanding. Entering parenthood and juggling with all that comes with it, having a steady village as you navigate makes all the difference. Having a home that can host that village of family, friends, and neighbors, has been such a blessing.
Buying a home is never just a financial decision. It’s where you’ll raise your kids, ask what do you want for dinner a hundred times, host friends, have the potty training kid pee on the kitchen floor, laugh way too hard, and build a life. Helping people find that place, their safe haven, is something I never take lightly.
WHAT DOES VALENTINE’S DAY LOOK LIKE AT YOUR HOUSE?
I’m curious how Valentine’s Day shows up in your home. Are you the big romantic dinner type, the low key stay in and order takeout crew, or knee deep in helping your kids make Valentine cards for their class? Maybe it’s a mix of all of it depending on the year.
Every season looks different and that’s part of the fun. This year I am already craving some take-out sushi at our favorite place and eating right on our living room floor by the fire. Hint hint if you are reading this, honey!!
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT being home
For me, home is all about warmth, character, and charm. I love my sunroom and how much natural light it brings in, especially for my plants. They all have names! Chavez is my star! She’s a beautiful Philodendron in a big ole lime green pot! I love the grasscloth in my den, the dental molding throughout the house, and real hardwood floors. Give me texture, history, and details that make a house feel lived in and loved!
FEBRUARY FOOD LOVE one of my favorites
I love chocolate, but not in a predictable way. One of my favorite treats this time of year is a dark chocolate bark with pistachios, dried cherries, and flaky sea salt. It feels indulgent without being over the top.
Melt good quality dark chocolate, spread it thin, sprinkle with nuts, dried fruit, and salt, then let it set. Break it into pieces and keep it in the fridge for when you want something sweet. It’s perfect for sharing or keeping all to yourself. Wallah!
PCS SEASON what matters and early planning
Every PCS is its own experience. No two moves are ever the same. Sometimes there are more kids than the last move, more pets, more stuff. Other times you’re downsizing everything for an OCONUS move and wondering how it will all work out.
One thing I can promise you is this: buyers are already looking. Even the ones who are not quite ready to write an offer yet are scrolling, saving homes, watching neighborhoods, and getting a feel for what’s out there. Summer moves start in the winter, whether people realize it or not, right when those orders start to drop.
That’s why the smartest sellers I work with don’t wait until orders are finalized or until the calendar says spring. They start gearing up now. Not rushing. Not panicking. Just planning. Decluttering a little at a time. Making a simple plan for landscaping and touch ups. Sitting down and talking through timing, pricing, and what will make their home stand out when the right buyer comes along.
Strategic planning of when to list and when to buy to act is a dance. I have been helping military families navigate this season going on my 8th year now!! Having a game plan in place takes so much pressure off later. Even if we don’t list right away, knowing you are prepared gives you options. And options are everything in a PCS move.
I had a client once send me a picture of their family of two adults, two kids, and two dogs squeezed into a tiny hotel room with two queen beds while they waited out the next step of their move. I felt their pain in that moment and also found myself chuckling a bit, because those are the moments you’ll look back on one day and say, can you believe we did that?!
While you’re in it, it feels chaotic and overwhelming. But later, those are the memories that stick. As long as you’re together, that’s what matters. That’s life. Messy, wild, stressful, and somehow beautiful all at once.
SELF LOVE NOTE self care that helps me
Lately, I’ve been spending time in Hilton Head running the pups on the beach and walking the golf course. Off season beach days are still my favorite. Fewer people, wide open sand, and dogs that are convinced that they own the beach and that they have a reserved seat at the beach bar, haha!
This doesn’t need to be a whole production. Sometimes self care is just a five minute shower that somehow feels like a reset. Parenthood is wild like that. Take the moment when you can!
