#thedailymoments || Week 6

#thedailymoments || Week 6

These days most of us are living busy over-scheduled lives.  It's easy to lose track of the moments that really matter, which can often be the most ordinary parts of our days.   In the midst of all the responsibilities of our day, we need to remember to check in with ourselves so that we don't lose sight of who we really are and what is really important to us.   This series, #TheDailyMoments was started by my good friend @steph.pollock and as soon as I saw her first post, and when she said, 

It's these small moments that make up a lifetime of beautiful ones,

I knew this was something I needed to join in on.

This weeks recap might sound a little scrambled because that's exactly how my brain feels currently.  Today was a day to just go slowly, breathe and do only what I was capable of doing at the moment.

I took these pictures on Wednesday.  We had our first fertility appt the day before and my best friend, Debi's funeral is on Saturday.   Needless to say, my brain has been working overtime.  I know i've been stressed to say the least but yesterday at the doctor, my blood pressure was higher than it's ever been, even when I was in labor with Finn.  It was 165/101.  That's ridiculously not normal.

I tried to not stress by having a super slow morning, just Finn and I.  Daddy wakes up at 4:30 to head to Orange Theory, and he comes home to shower around 6am.  Right about that time Finn wakes up ready to go, and I am positive [no matter what Jason claims is "quiet"] that he is woken up by the loudness that my husband is when he gets home.   You see, I am N O T a morning person.  Maybe it's because I never drank coffee, but I do not roll out of bed ready to go, so this 6am wake-up call usually doesn't work for me.

So basically, Finn runs into the kitchen demanding I get up and get him some "lunch."  I cuddle on the couch and hope he comes to cuddle me too.  Sometimes I win, and sometimes I find myself in the playroom at 7am.

We turn on music, we dance, we play outside and I usually get to make myself some tea and breakfast around 10am.  Today, we spent most of the morning outside, played in our "pool" and looked up at the sky as my ray of sunshine Debi shined down upon us until about 11:30 am when it was time for a mommy break [screen time].  

Today I was tired.  Mentally exhausted from my visit to the fertility clinic and the anxiousness about what is to come this weekend. I wanted to spend my nap time actually taking a nap, but Finn had other ideas.  He usually goes down at 1pm and today, he took one full hour to calm down and get to sleep.   

It was beautiful outside, the first day that I felt a little breeze and not like I was going to melt.  So, I went into the backyard, plopped my feet up and closed my eyes while soaking in all that vitamin D.  Just as I felt myself nod off, my phone rang.  It was my other best friend, Cara and we ended up talking for almost 2hrs. As much as I thought I needed sleep, I needed this girl talk more.  Feeling refreshed and motivated, I started the dishes just as Finn walked out from his nap, "hi mommy!"

Daddy called and asked us on a dinner date to Nordstrom because his alterations were ready to be picked up.  I scrambled to finish cleaning the kitchen and quickly showered [of course, not alone] and we were on our way only 15 minutes late.

We came home and I think we both needed a moment as a family to smile and play so we kept Finn up past his bedtime, drank wine, listened to music and enjoyed these last few warm moments of summer nights.

It's been almost two weeks since I lost my dearest Debi.  Since then, I have dedicated this weekly series to her.  Even though she isn't here with me, I can write these journals in her honor and hope that she's up there reading them with her signature eye roll and a smile.

Dear Debi, "I don't know when I will be able to function on a normal level again, I'm sure I will spend many more days looking up at the sky and talking to you and wishing you were here. But, I can promise you this, not a moment will be wasted on loving this oh so beautiful life in honor of the joy and happiness you brought into my life and to Finn's life.  We will honor you by truly loving every breath we take; the good, the bad and everything in between."

These are small moments of our day, exactly 2 weeks since you left us. I miss you and I love you. 

Just as Steph did, I am inviting you to do the same, join us in this movement of letting life be more enjoyable just by letting it be exactly what it is.  Tag your photos with #thedailymoments so we can all share in the joy of the simple moments that make up a lifetime of happiness.

The Daily Moments || Week 1

The Daily Moments || Week 2

The Daily Moments || Week 3

The Daily Moments || Week 4

10 Pictures you should take at home right now

When I scroll through my 70,000+ photos in my iPhone I think lots of things about where I'm currently at in life, where we used to be and how fast time moves.  I think, Finn's never going to be that small again.  Jason and I probably won't grow old in this home.  Our family may not always have just one baby to love and, we all know we may not look this young for long.  This is the exact reason, I take a million photos of simple things throughout the day.  So, the next time you find yourself hanging at home with your phone in your hand you should snap these photos and memories.

1. Simple moments of daily life in the space you spend most time in.

2. Pockets of your home that every time you walk by them, you feel like you're home

3. YOU, mama!  Just you, alone. We need to get out from behind that camera.  I'm talking to you, Husbands!

4. One good "framer."  you know, the one grandma wants to hang on the wall.  Faces closes and with big smiles

5. The one you think would never be the "framer."  the one where someone is possibly throwing a full on meltdown fit but, it's ok.  Cause it's real life.

6. Gadgets.  You know you'd give anything to have a picture of your walkman circa 1995.  Or your old answering machine!  Ha.  Get a couple snaps of the technology around your house because kids these days, don't even know what a CD is!  No, seriously.

7. Candid moment, one unplanned snapshot of what you home life is like right now

8. All the small details.  something around the house that will remind you of exactly what season you are in currently.  It could be your bedroom, your closet, or even your bathroom.  But just snap a quick photo of something material that will bring you back to this moment when you see it again in 10 years.

9. You and your love without the kids.  I know it's way easier to hide the belly roll or to those dang birthing hips with a baby in front of or on you but, you know you need one tiny little glimpse of who you two were before babies.

10. The "look how much he's grown" pic. For me, it's Finn's hair.  He's always been almost bald so when I see a photo with those little ringlets, I want to remember that moment.

When I was younger, every holiday when we would go back home I would want to look through old photo albums.  I loved seeing how people used to dress and really enjoyed laughing at the obscene floral print couches and orange shag rugs my grandma had.  One look at that stone staked fireplace and I would quickly remember all the times that I would sit in that recliner chair in the living room and share an apple with salt on it with my grandpa.  

These days its all too easy to get caught up in searching for that perfectly curated image.  You know, the one with a minimalist back ground, or one that says, I'm always on vacation!  I started a new weekly blog series called #thedailymoments, and it has completely changed the way I look at taking photos these days.  Yes, I want my feed to look pretty and inspire others but that doesn't mean I need to have a couch with perfectly placed pillows or a floor without toys laying around everywhere.  

I use my instagram and blog as a journal that hopefully one day when I'm old and grey and Finn brings his first girlfriend over to visit us for the holidays, I can pull out my blog posts (aka old photo albums) and show her all the embarrassing things he did when he was younger, his first bad haircut, and even how messy his room was.  I can't wait to look back and show him and her how we used to live and even give him a tiny glimpse into what his dad an I were usually doing on a week night in after he went to bed.

These pictures I post, they are a representation of me and my life.  They are what I will leave behind when I'm gone and they will be what my great grandchildren (hopefully) will have to cherish and learn more about who I was, what I did, and what kind of life I had.  It's sometimes messy, sometimes beautiful and most of the time somewhere in between.

A Big thank you to Alison Bernier, who took these photos for us.  She came to our home for an hour on a warm summer night and captured us just being us in our home.  When these pictures were taken we had only been in our new home for about a month, and only Finn's room was actually "done."  We ahd boxes in the hallway and in our bedroom, the bed was still on the floor and I won't even begin to tell you how crazy messy the garage was but it didn't even matter.  I highly recommend doing a session like this with your family at home. I'll hold these moments for years to come no matter how messy the scene behind them was.

#thedailymoments || Week 4 [in honor of my dearest Debi]

It is with the heaviest heart and with the deepest sadness that I held my best friends hand and watched her take her last breaths August 1st at 1:37am.  

Today was the first full day without her.  It's been 18 days since your mom called me that Monday morning to tell me you were in ICU, and my life will never be the same.  I knew the moment the phone rang, it wasn't good.  

Debra, Deeb, Aunti, Debi, bestie, blondemaid, and Deb.  She was and is the most important person that has ever come into my life.  I know that's a strong statement, but it's one I will always stand by.  Without the love and constant support from her and her family, I would be a completely different person than I am today.

I spent most of my day trying to hold it together.  I spent most of my day scrolling old photos of us over and over and over.  Photos I've seen a million times but I could look at a million more.  I would look at the photos and wish that somehow we would be able to take more photos just like the ones I was holding so dear to my heart.  

I don't know when I will be able to function on a normal level again, I'm sure I will spend many more days looking up at the sky and talking to you and wishing you were here. But, I can promise you this, not a moment will be wasted on loving this oh so beautiful life in honor of the joy and happiness you brought into my life and to Finn's life.  We will honor you by truly loving every breath we take; the good, the bad and everything in between.

These are small moments of our day, the first day without you in it.  I miss you and I love you. #thedailymoments

It's like he knows.  He came up to me numerous times today, just for a tight squeeze and a kiss.

I was standing in the kitchen talking to my mom when he came in from playing outside with daddy. He ran up to me yelling, "mama, mama!"  I said, "yes baby boy, what is it?"  Before I could even finish my sentence, he looked up at me with a much quieter voice and said gently, "I promise.  Mama, big promise."  I smiled and said, "ok, that's sweet, what is it that you promise my love?"  He said, "I PROMISE, I'll make you all better." 

I glanced up with a tear in my eye at my husband who was coming in just as the whole conversation was over, and I said, "Did you tell him to say that?"  He looked at me confused and said, "Say what?"  I stopped in my tracks, picked him up, sat him on the counter and squeezed the living daylights out of my gentle and kind child.  And in that moment, I knew I would get through this.

This daddy has been more supportive than I could have imagined.  We don't usually lunch togetehr but today we carved out time for us.  It was so helpful for this broken heart of mine.

$1 carousel rides makes everything better, right?

He was such a pill today.  It's like he felt my pain.  Meet Mr. grumpapatamous

soccer practice before soccer practice

Toes in the grass.  I don't know why this reminds me of that country song, Toes in the water, ass in the sand...yada yada.  But my bestie loved country so, i guess it makes sense, right?

There's a whole other story I haven't shared with you all yet, but I'm sure I will soon.  Grandma is in town unexpectedly, and we're so happy she is here.

hiding my sadness behind all the hats and glasses today

Packing up all my feelings from the month and trying to move forward with smiles and grace

If you want to start from the beginning of this series, start here Week 1.  Then here Week 2. 

These days most of us are living busy over-scheduled lives.  It's easy to lose track of the moments that really matter, which can often be the most ordinary parts of our days.   In the midst of all the responsibilities of our day, we need to remember to check in with ourselves so that we don't lose sight of who we really are and what is really important to us.   This series, #TheDailyMoments was started by my good friend @steph.pollock and as soon as I saw her first post, and when she said, 

It's these small moments that make up a lifetime of beautiful ones,

I knew this was something I needed to join in on.

Just as Steph did, I am inviting you to do the same, join us in this movement of letting life be more enjoyable just by letting it be exactly what it is.  Tag your photos with #thedailymoments so we can all share in the joy of the simple moments that make up a lifetime of happiness.

The Daily Moments || Week 1

The Daily Moments || Week 2

The Daily Moments || Week 3

The Daily Moments || Week 4

Finn's California Coastal Cool Big Boy Room Reveal

It's here its finally here, all the details on Finn's California Coastal Bohemian Big boy room.  For those of you who are new around here, I'm a born (almost, since I was two) and raised Southern California beach girl.  We spent the last 3 years in Silicon Valley in Northern California, until I finally convinced my husband to move back home to southern California.  And the best news we were able to buy our first home together in Costa Mesa!

At the bottom of this post are all the links I can think of, if I missed something please comment and let me know.  I literally put thought into every single detail in this room and I kinda wanna live in it myself.  I find Finn taking breaks throughout the day in his own space and it gives me the warmest fuzzy feeling knowing he loves it as much as I do.  

DHP Green Linen Upholstered Twin Bed | Rattan Storage seat/nightstand | Bedside Storage table | Tye Dye washable circle rug

Before the previous owners could hand over the keys to us, they needed a little more time and we had already made arrangements to move back down.  So, we ended up renting a cute little beach cottage for 6 weeks until we could move in to our first home.  During that time all the perfect sleep we'd had since Finn was a baby, was out the window.  We use to have a child who went down in minutes, slept 13hrs every night and took naps daily, but once we got in the temporary space, and had him in the pack-n-play, we lost it. All that sleep goodness was gone; he took hours to go down to sleep, he climbed out of the pack-n-play every night and only slept in the car for naps.  So, it became glaringly obvious that once we moved into our new home, the first room I was going to tackle was his.   He needed a space fit for a growing toddler, that was all his and it was time for a big boy room with a big boy bed.  

I wanted to transition him into a space that he could grow with for years to come, and I knew I wanted it to have all the so cal beachy vibes, but without being too literal.  I started thinking about what I wanted it to look like and I started pinning all the Chip and Joanna things but nothing seemed quite right.  I wanted a space that wasn't like anything else I had seen,  I had a few small things in mind but I needed it all to come together.  

This was our 5th move in 4 years, and the first time we actually more rooms than I needed.  We decided to make one of the rooms a playroom, so that's when Finn's room became more about individual playtime and family reading time.  We didn't need a ton of storage because I planned on making the playroom the main home for all his toys.

His room is actually the biggest and the brightest room in the house with this amazing asymmetrical wall.  When I found this whimsical vintage wave mural I knew this was the perfect thing to make this space feel like a bright and fun Hawaiian hideaway.  After I decided this was the anchor of the room I just started searching the world wide web for beds.  And man was that depressing.  How can a small child's bed be so dang pricey?!  They were either expensive and amazing or cheap and not at all what I wanted. Until I stumbled on this green linen bed and it's so perfect for his space and for him!

We read almost every single morning and night to Finn.  I often find him in his room on the floor with 5-6 books he's going through.  So, it was super important that I made a reading nook in his space.  One that was comfortable for him and us when we all piled in there.  I also didn't want it to be too cluttered or have a chair that took over the space.  Seriously, this chair and these bookshelves couldn't have been more perfect for that vision.

To be honest, my style can sometimes lack color.  I'm that neutral girl, but for his space, I felt like this was where I could let loose and really bring in some bright rainbow accents, alongside indigo and pops of sunshine with some yellow accessories.  We have two Lorena Canals rugs in our house and because they are washable I knew I needed one of this space.  

Lastly, the artwork was something I literally couldn't imagine this space without.  Max Wanger is a genius minimal photographer and I knew I needed to complete Finn's first room in our first home with one of his prints.  It took my husband and I days to agree on one and finally framed this one with Simply Framed and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't want to take it off his wall and put it in my bedroom.  So jelly of this one.

Links to all the details:

SLEEP

DHP Green Linen Upholstered Twin Bed

Signature sleep Twin Mattress

Stripe Linen Duvet

Pillows: 
Pom Pom | Indigo [linked to similar cause one of kind vintage] | Sunshine [bought in when he was a babe from Paper Source]

---

WALLS

Vintage Wave wall mural 

Palms Wall art

Acrylic Floating Bookshelves

Tye dye wall hanging

Minted Vintage Bus + Surf Prints
Birth Poster

---

FURNITURE

Rattan Storage seat/nightstand

Bedside Storage table

Bohemian Teak Accent Chair

Tye Dye washable circle rug

---

TOYS

Two of my favorite places to shop for kids toys are Maisonette + Sprouts SF

Colorblock backpack

Magnetic Camper 

vintage woody car 

letter blocks 

Play Guitar
(both Little Cottonwood but they are sold out- linked to an even cuter versions)

Magnetic wood building sticks

Hand-drawn play-mat 
 

A Big thank you to Alison Bernier, who took these photos for us.  Your captured the space perfectly!

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How I got a Better night sleep | a Honest mattress review

How I got a better night sleep | Honest review of Tomorrow Sleep Mattress

Most people know how a good night sleep can change your life and although our daily health relies on it, people now days are consistently not getting enough sleep; including me.

[I received a Tomorrow Sleep hybrid mattress in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed here are my own.]  #ad #sponsored

To be honest, I've never gotten much sleep.  I'm always staying up way past a normal person bedtime, and I tend to be more of a night owl than a morning person.  But, my husband, on the other hand, he's that guy.  You know, the one who neeeedddss his beauty rest.  He needs at least 9hrs of good sleep or he's a cranky bear.  Ever since I've known him, he's been a morning person.  Always bright-eyed and ready for the day, before everyone else.  Even after a late night out, he's the guy whos going to grab coffee for everyone.  Not this girl.  I like to sleep in as late as possible.  I mean, I love that about him but that doesn't mean I want that.  I'm definitely staying in most mornings all snug under my 3 comforters in a cozy bed as long as I can.  

3 years ago we upgraded our mattress, and neither of us has slept well since.  We spent $2800 and 4 hours shopping for the perfect mattress, we waited days for it to be delivered, watched as 3 men came to deliver and assemble it, only to call the store back 2 weeks later and have them swap it out for another one.   It was a battle to get them to exchange it so when we still didn't like the replacement, we knew we were just stuck with it.  Stuck with poor restless nights, and stuck feeling stiffness and agitated in the morning.  3 years later, we've had enough.  We knew it was time to do something about our sleep and it started with finding a new, better mattress.

As an influencer, I thought let me reach out to my other blogger friends and see if they have a suggestion for a new mattress.  I was seeing all these ship in-a-box, direct-to-consumer mattress companies.  Casper, Tuft&Needle, Lucid and more.  I was skeptical about spending over $1000 on a mattress that was out of a box.  I mean how can something that was smooshed in an airtight space come our and still be that fluffy and comfy mattress I was excepting it to be?   I asked a lot of my GF's and they told me it was easy and painless but nobody really said, I LOVE my new mattress, I'm sleeping so much better!  So I still wasn't convinced.    

Then, Tomorrow Sleep reached out and promised me a better night sleep.  They are a branch of Simmons Serta, with a pretty large and experienced company behind them.  The husband of course quickly did some research and saw that they conducted decades of research to create a comprehensive system specifically intended to enable a more restful nights sleep.  I was just excited I didn't have to go back to the mattress store and do that whole process all over again.  So I had that going for me. 
Hassle free, I get fast and it's guaranteed to help me sleep better?  I'm in.

Research says it takes 30 days to break a bad habit.  So, I wanted to take some time before I gave you guys my honest review of the mattress.  We took these last 30 days to challenge ourselves to get more sleep, not just with our new mattress, but with new sheets, and with a few other steps into our nighttime routine.  Here's my honest opinion about our Tomorrow Sleep Mattress.

Let me say it really clearly, 
Since I've had my Tomorrow Sleep mattress, 
I've slept better!   And that is the entire point of this.  I can go on and on about the pro's and maybe one or two cons (like it's a little "louder" than a normal mattress) but the point is how do I sleep on it and both my husband and I are sleeping better.  We actually woke up numerous days after we first slept on it and looked and each other and said, "Man, I slept so good last night!"

So if you want to know if I would suggest this mattress to you:
Yes.  My answer is yes, a thousand times over.  Get this mattress and you will sleep better.  Here are a few reasons why:

The first thing I noticed about the mattress was that it was firm, like not like the sinking feeling you get from those old memory foam mattresses but firmer like it's supporting you.  Your body almost molds to the mattress.

Then I noticed that it's thinner, like way thinner than a normal mattress.  I kept thinking it was going to expand more, but eventually, it settled into its full form, and I kinda liked that it was a little lower to the ground.  It made the room feel a little bigger, but still had lots of space to starfish if I wanted to.

Being a side sleeper, I learned that I needed a mattress like this because it cradles my body and adapts to my positions in a way we side sleepers need.  We need some firmness with a little give and this mattress provides just that.

Let's talk about temperature.  I'm cold, he's hot.  Always.  One thing we could never agree on is our sheets, I want them soft, but not hot.  Have you ever gone to bed in nice cool sheets and midway through your sleep, you wake up sweating?  Me too!  One thing I was concerned about was how hot this hybrid- coil thing was going to be.  It's not!  One of the main selling points that got me on this mattress is that they combine temperature-regulating memory foam with a gently stabilizing coil system, which gives you the perfect mix of cool comfort and support each night.

I know you have a lot of choices when it comes to a new mattress, and if you think you don't need a new one, just try and remember what year it was when you got the one you're sleeping on.  If it was more than 7 years ago, it's time people.  Get a new one!  Tomorrow Sleep was just voted #1 hybrid mattress by Men's Health and in my opinion, I'm getting a far better night rest now than I've ever had.
 

Because I love you all so much, I asked Tomorrow Sleep to partner with me to giveaway a mattress to one lucky follower of mine.  The winner has been chosen, and I can't wait for you to also have a better nights rest too.  Holly Dixon, @mylifeasholly1, you are the winner!  Please email me to claim your prize.

It's ok if you didn't win, I've also got a special code for $100 off any purchase over $500.  Use this link and code 'PERFECT100' to get your own mattress today.  The code is good until the end of the year, so maybe put this on your Christmas List!

8 stylish ways to kid proof your home

I wouldn't say that Jason and I necessarily have the same decorating aesthetic, so our home is the kitchen sink of styles.  Modern bohemian, eclectic, mid-century, call it whatever you like, but one thing is for sure, this living room is where most of our family time is spent.  And since this is where we make most of our memories, the last thing I wanted was to make it so fancy or clean that Finn felt like he couldn't touch anything. At the same time, I tried to avoid the living room that was taken over by toys and turned playroom look.  I think we've done a pretty good job making sure it is equally our space and Finns and I think it still manages to have a sense of cohesiveness, charm, and coziness all at the same time.

[disclaimer: Thank you to Lorena Canal for sending us this rug in exchange for an honest review.  As always, all views expressed here are my own.] 

Here's what I thought about when decorating our favorite room in the house:

Stick to a color palette, and play with textures.  One thing that I love when decorating any room is to make it more about texture, and less about color.  Matchy-matchy has never been my jam.  I've never been a fan of the couch with 2-4 matching pillows on each side.  I like to mix a few of my favorite things in the same colors with a different texture that mesh well together.  My living room happens to be white and black with pops of natural, in the form of wood or greenery.  I do splash in some pops of brighter colors here and there but mainly try and keep true to black, white, tans or browns, and green.

When looking for toys for Finn, I try and stay in the same color palette or find things that have the same accent colors as the rest of the room.  This way they don't stand out when scattered across the room.    One thing that works well is to curate a stack of kids books in the same color palette.  That way the books become part of the decor vs an eye sore. 

Less is more. A home should feel lived in and not perfectly clean.  But with that being said, it shouldn't feel like you have 6 kids when you only have one.  Try and keep the toys in the living room to a minimum.  A few balls, a handful of books, and 1-2 toys.  I like to rotate his toys every couple of weeks and only keep a few favorites in the living room. Periodically, I'll go through a purge and donate some and I'll swap out the others for some toys in his room and retire some from the living room to his bedroom.

Create a defined space for him.  We don't have a play pen or baby gates, Finn has access to the whole living room.  The way we are able to achieve this without him getting hurt or drawing all over the furniture is to create smaller spaces within our space that are JUST for him. We use rugs, his gathre mat, and this tee pee to make the living room feel like a play area, but still like an adults live here.  He's able to play independently while I fold laundry, send an email, or just enjoy my coffee.  All in the same space. He loves reading his books in the morning in his tee pee and in the afternoons, I usually put down our Gathre mat with some crayons or toys on it and Finn knows that's his space to play.  

Rugs can make a space feel more like home.  Am I right?  I love hardwoods but I love the coziness a rug brings to a large space.  Nothing beats cuddling up on a cushy rug with some pillows and a fluffy blanket for family movie night or stepping barefoot on a soft cushy rug first thing in the morning.  But with a toddler, let's be real...things happen (Photo evidence attached).  Finding a bright white or cream rug that fit my aesthetic was purely a dream until I found Lorena Canal's machine washable rugs.  You heard me, they make rugs you fit into my own at home washer and dryer- GENIUS! Skip the stress and work of spot cleaning or the million dollar rug cleaning bill and stay home while you clean your rug! Finn can eat, play or just relax on the floor with his favorite snack without a worry from this mama because I know I can fix any stain with a quick stop to our laundry room.  Plus it doesn't hurt that they come in so many prints and solids, so you can add design to your living room,  no matter your style.  These rugs are the overachievers of home accessories and my favorite elements of my home.   We fell in love with the style of the Berber Beige and I linked it for you here.

I have a basket problem. (and maybe a Target problem too)  I'll admit it, I can't pass up a good basket.  We use them in all of our rooms, they have tons of uses; laundry hampers, blanket holders, pillow keepers, and toy wranglers.  The baskets can not only help keep things in their place and help your room feel more organized and clean, but they can also bring some style to your space.  Stop hiding things in drawers + closets, and go grab yourself some baskets!

Utilize all the rooms unused space.  Using your wall for organization clears up the clutter on the floors.  I found this awesome wall basket with hooks at target and it's hanging right by our front door and it's perfect.  It helps get Finn involved with daily tasks and when I tell him it's time to go somewhere, he goes to the basket, grabs his shoes, and hat and is ready to go!

Distract, distract, distract.  This is a tactic I often use when Finn is getting into something he is not supposed to.  I'm sure that most parents know this "hey look over here!" tactic all too well.  I purposely put things on the fireplace ledge to deter Finn from grabbing the fireplace screen.  If the screen was the only thing on the ledge, you know that would be exactly what those little hands would go straight for.  All the items on the ledge are kid friendly and if he gets into the poof or the pillows, it's all safe for him to play with.  

Lastly, IMHO, you can never have enough blankets pillows and throws.  Since my toddler is so mobile, I find myself either chasing him or trying to stop him in his tracks by getting on his level.  We spend a ton of time, actually most of our time, on the floor.  That's where a soft rug, these pillows and lots of blankets come in handy cause somersaults aren't that fun on hardwood floors, trust me.

Sources and links are below.

Lorena Canal : Washable Rug Berber Beige
Caco & kai : Mexican Blanket/indigo pillows 
Fireplace accessories: Similar pillows from Target:  here, here and here. 
T-nees T-pees: All natural Tee pee
Gathre Playmat:   Medium mat in Blanc midi
Toys:  Bla Bla kids knit dolls + Melissa & Doug wooden car toys
Target: Links for fireplace basket click here.  Links for hanging wall basket here.  Links for play area basket here.