When you hear of military life, most think of packing up your things and moving every four years.
For us, the idea of moving into Residential Housing Units (RHUs) was an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. I needed to make this new house into our home to get over the initial shock of leaving our friends and family.
One thing you realize when you move into one of these RHUs is that they are small. If you have kids that space quickly gets taken over with all their toys and stuff. What do you do with it all?
Here are some of the tips I’ve have for decorating and organizing your home:
Find furniture the does double duty
An ottoman that opens up for storage or an entertainment center that has multiple compartments for books and storage bins goes a long way in keeping mess at a minimum.
Become a minimalist
We learned quickly that no matter how much we love our things not all of it was going to fit. We have a rule in our house, if something new comes into the house, an old item has to go. It's a great lesson for kids in making choices. When it comes to toys, designate an area where they belong and at the end of the day have the kids put the toys back in that spot.
Baskets!
The kids love the colors and it helps them learn to organize their toys. Plus they are great to gather toys and stash away seconds before company comes over.
Decals
You can paint your RHU but when you leave you have to paint it back. We found that too costly so we decorated our house with removable wall decals to take to the next posting.
Decorate the walls with personalized wall art
You don't need to spend a lot of money on artwork. There are many websites which will use your own photos or artwork and transfer it onto canvas for a great personalized look.
Keep your house clutter free
Keep counters or flat surfaces clear of paperwork, get rid of old magazines and donate old clothes. Keep bins at the front door for gloves and hats.
Rotate toys every couple of months
My kids get tired of playing with the same toys, rotating them keeps them interested and take more toys off the ground.
I love being posted to new places because I get the opportunity to try new things in the spaces we get assigned. Happy Decorating!
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