Summer is in full swing over here. And as a "Work From Home Mom," that means that I've attempted to write this post approximately 1,345,687 times. Whoever said working from home is glamorous, did not see the last ditch efforts of movie promising and hiding in different rooms with a lap top in attempts to get one more word, one more thought out on paper. We are surviving over here, people. But at least it's warm! And sunny! And at least this $30 blow up pool holds just the right of amount of class and respectability as my kids scream at the top of their lungs in pure excitement. Sorry neighbors, mama has to get things DONE.
But in all seriousness, I have attempted to find easy solutions to keep our family organized and put together this summer and well, life in general. Let me be honest with you, organization is not my strong suit. And therefore, the organizational gene has not been passed down to our beloved children. (yikes)
I hear people tell me it starts in the morning and it starts with making your bed. Bla bla bla, what do those people know, anyway.
However, I have seen so many posts about Beddys Zipper bedding. What intrigued me is the no hassle of a under sheet that separated from the comforter and the fact that my kids could easily make their bed on their own. And let's all note that, YES, it is possible that our kids can make their own beds without using a simpler zipper approach. However, the end result makes my eye twitch as it does not look like the picturesque, crisp lines that I prefer. Because obviously this ISN'T CONTRADICTORY to my unorganized lifestyle or my current unmade bed. I have issues.
Either way, you know what looks perfect right now? My kid's beds. Because after receiving Beddy's zipper bedding, it has become a game changer for our family. And not to mention, they are the CUTEST patterns i've ever seen.
My kids are 8 & 5 and they share a room. We have this crazy large room in the back of the house that would be absurd for one child, so we decided several years ago to put them together. For our family, it has been so fruitful. I truly believe that sharing a room not only brings humility, as they are required to share what they have, but also brings a bond over late night conversations and plotting for who is going to get out of the bed to interrupt mom and dad for the billionth time. These are the memories that will last forever and will no doubt be talked about in their adult years of "remember when mom would go NUTS on us when we would sneak out?" I will have PTSD, but they will more than likely laugh as the cycle of sibling-hood rights of passage evolve. And that, in it's own way, makes me so happy.
However, the challenges of making it their own space for a boy and a girl are quite challenging. How do we give our son , his own space while our daughter does not feel like she is in his world? They used to have bunk beds, which was so great for the time being but as they got older, they needed their own "sides."
So when I ordered their bedding, I bought it to match their little personalities, while also being aesthetically pleasing. Our family leans towards the neutrals. And by my family, I mean me. If it were left up to my daughter, her room would be filled with hot pink and sparkles. A cast of characters would plague every ounce of cotton and I would slowly die inside. JAY KAY.
Well, kind of. And before you begin to judge me for not allowing her the unicorn vomit of color, I for sure let her have it everywhere else. Just not in her bedding, that is adjacent to her 8 year old brother. We all make sacrifices...
For my daughter we chose THIS. I knew that we could EASILY put a feminine spin on it with some pillows from Target and a canopy from IKEA.
For my son, we chose THIS. I do love a log cabin, so really I just try to relay that to my kids as much as possible :) We also hung some pennants of places that we have traveled, and things we love over his bed. The ceiling is laced with planets and stars and his Tae Kwon Do Belts are hung on racks at the foot of his bed. I really do love being able to put individual touches on their sides. I want them to know and feel like they have their own, even though they share almost everything else.
Once I put their beds together, they were so excited. The quality of the bedding is amazing. Like, we are talking super soft. The whole bed zips from each side with an extra sheet flat that gives it the feel as though it is an actual sheet with comforter. But the best part? When they wake up in the morning, they can zip it up on their own, leaving the pristine look that my dreams are made of. Seriously, the next morning, my FIVE year old daughter made her bed exactly how I had put it together the day before. And why? Because all she had to do was zip up the sides and put her pillows back. What is not pictured is the approximate 1, 456, 568 stuffed animals that are currently on top of her bed.
Same goes for my son. Him and I speak the same language and are often distracted with the next thing. However, this has given him an easy discipline to accomplish every morning. It looks perfect at the end, because of the easy zipping, and it sets him up for success for the rest of the day. Because he is able to make his bed and make it look good, he is able to take more steps in the day with affirmation because he has seen what can happen when he sets out to accomplish something.
Yes kids could do this without a zip up bedding and can learn the old school way. But why not help our kids with an ally-oop ? Sometimes we just need to learn the basic art of discipline before we move on to specifics.
I cannot recommend THESE to you enough. While I have gotten to collaborate with Beddy's, I assure you that my thoughts and opinion of them are solely my own. Their price matches the quality. And the fact that they are all one piece, without having to buy the sheets, comforter, pillow cases, shams with every other bedding- the prices are comparable. Yet, Beddys, in my opinion has been the best avenue for our kids.
Here's to organized beds and fresh starts in the morning! Now I just need to figure out how to throw away all of the toys. Just kidding.
Kind of....
Sources:
Beds: Made by my husband
Bedding: Beddys
Canopy: IKEA
Flower crown: EE Teepees
Pennants: Oxford Pennant
Curtains: Target