Our Dream Home Non-Negotiables

Happy Hump Day! How was your Valentine’s Day? I spent the day with my munchkins eating pink donuts for breakfast, burning them off later with a long power walk with Meg and her babes after Hadley and Jack got out of school, and then putting the calories right back in again with Olive Garden take-out for Hadley and me for dinner. Oy. We will eat healthy today to reset. 🙂

We finally (!) got a new (to us) double jogging stroller, and we’ve been enjoying it the last couple of days. A friend was selling her gently used Phil & Ted, and I scooped it up as soon as I saw her post it in a BST group.

Jamie and I decided a while ago that a brand new double BOB ($600ish) wasn’t something we wanted to splurge on for several reasons, but we also didn’t want a cheap, brand new double jogger that we would likely become frustrated with when it inevitably wasn’t as smooth or easy to use as the BOB we’re used to. I’d patiently been stalking tons of BST groups for months trying to find a great, used double jogging option, and I’m pumped about this Phil & Ted! Do any of you use this stroller brand? The girls and I love it already after just a couple of uses.

Jamie’s absence has me doing a lot of daydreaming lately about what the future will look like post-Army life once we’re settled down in a home longer than three years. 😉 One thing that I really appreciate about already having done several moves is that we are learning what we really like and don’t like in our homes. Jamie and I talk randomly about what the non-negotiables will be when we’re looking for a forever home (or at least a home we’ll plan to be in 10+ years), and thankfully we’re on the same page with almost everything. We like and dislike almost all of the same things.

Though we’re obviously not moving right now, here’s our top 10 list of non-negotiables that we’d want in a dream home at this point in our lives.

1. To live on a cul-de-sac. Both of us grew up living on a cul-de-sac and were able to play games in the street without worrying about a bunch of traffic. All of our houses that we’ve lived in together have been on long streets, and people drive ridiculously fast (too fast for our liking with small children).
2. A two (or three) car garage with extra storage space. We like being able to park both cars in the garage and still have room for the zillion other things that get stored in this space.
3. Double sinks in the master bath. Though we have plenty of counter space in our current bathroom, we only have one sink. This drives Jamie a little crazy when we’re both getting ready for bed at night together. He reminds me often that we’ll never live in another house again that doesn’t have two sinks. Jamie is super laid back, so it makes me laugh so hard every time I start hearing him huff and puff trying to get around me to brush his teeth while I’m washing my face or something. Ha!
4. A half bath on the main level. I don’t want the bathroom our guests use to be the one that our girls call theirs. I would like to have a powder room that is generally always clean and ready for visitors to use when they’re over so that I’m not constantly having to keep the girls’ bathroom spotless in case of spur-of-the-moment visitors.
5. A big, updated kitchen with a counter or a bar. We do so much life in the kitchen, and I want to purchase a home with a kitchen that is move-in ready. Tons of pretty cabinets, updated countertops, a backsplash, new appliances, updated flooring, and a counter or bar area to talk with family and friends casually while working in the kitchen. I know that I could do some of these updates on my own, but kitchen remodels are big bucks, and I’d love something that’s already done and useable.
6. Extra space for kids to play. Some kind of bonus room/gathering place for our girls to play with each other and their friends is high on our list of “must haves”.
7. A fireplace. We are completely enamored with having a fireplace and use it often in the winter. It makes the home feel so cozy, and we’ll always look for homes that have one.
8. A guest room. Because we really enjoy having a space to welcome our visitors for the night.
9. A lawn that can be mowed entirely in less than an hour. Pretty self-explanatory!
10. Room for a couple of rockers for comfortable front porch sittin’. We haven’t had this option in any of our three homes, and it’s starting to drive us crazy. We want to be able to rock outside in the evenings with a glass of wine, wave and talk with neighbors, and watch our kids play. Our dreams are simple!