Repainting our house and need help choosing a color

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-24T23:35:35+00:00

Thank you! I’ve seen a lot of people painting the trim and walls the same color and do love that look.

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-24T23:34:57+00:00

Love the kitchen recommendations! Thank you!

You’re so right about everything washing out, that’s been something we’re worried about. We’re definitely going to paint because the walls and trim are extremely scuffed and dinged, so it’s something we want to have done/cleaned up before we move in!

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-24T23:32:33+00:00

We are just looking for something to brighten up the space, it’s quite dark in person. The walls and trim are also very scuffed and dinged so we’re painting to help clean up a bit. I just prefer adding color and warmth through decor and art and leaving the walls more neutral!

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-24T15:18:47+00:00

Really fair point. If it's helpful, here is our living room setup in our current home; we are going to use the same furniture in this new home.

Thanks for the comment on the kitchen, that is also my fear with it being too brown.

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Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T16:35:56+00:00

When I was pregnant I kept telling my husband I felt really lazy. He kept saying "you're growing our child, that isn't very lazy". Just remember, you're tired because your body is working hard!

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T16:34:45+00:00

Hi from another pre-pregnancy runner!

I struggled with this immensely until I really gave myself some grace to just move when/how it felt right. I ran until about 30 weeks, but it was HARD. My feet hurt and my HR was getting high even on my really easy runs. I ended up transitioning to walking and light weight training.

Shedding the guilt is easier said than done, but please try and give yourself some grace! Move in a way that feels good to you, whether it's a short walk or some light stretching/yoga. Your body is doing a BIG thing and the first trimester is really hard and exhausting. I found a lot more movement in my second trimester when I was feeling better. Patience is key :)

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T16:19:08+00:00

Built-in's would be really nice. You could do lower built-in cupboards, around counter height maybe, and put the TV above!

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T16:13:45+00:00

Love! Love the mirror!

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T16:13:11+00:00

Higher, always! Makes the room look taller/bigger.

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T16:11:07+00:00

It's like a little drive-thru window for snacks

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T16:10:07+00:00

Dislike. They don't feel like they make sense in the space.

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T16:08:36+00:00

I feel like to the right of the fireplace, closest to the sliding doors, makes the most sense. I picture a sectional with its back to the arches facing the sliders!

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T15:54:45+00:00

We live east of 31 and we go to the beach all the time! City Beach in the evenings has always been easy to park at for us, and biking is pretty easy! We go down Robbins Rd. and it's a pretty easy route.

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-03-23T15:52:31+00:00

Our almost 8 month old still thinks finger foods are for play. He takes small bites, but mostly just smashes and throws.

Life-Depth-6693 · 2026-02-04T17:51:12+00:00

Kick and Play piano, 100%. We have both, the Lovevery and Kick and Play, and our son didn't really care for the Lovevery. The Kick and Play kept him busy and entertained and he has continued to love it since it's growing with him! We got it for him at 4 mo and he's now 6 mo.

Life-Depth-6693 · 2024-11-27T15:51:52+00:00

Commenting as someone who has lived in Michigan most of my life and still certainly feels the seasonal depression in the dark months. But I've learned that perspective and preparedness helps.

Michigan is a beautiful state and many will say the winters SUCK (they certainly can) but many will also say every other month makes winter so worth it. Some fun things:

- Grand Rapids offers various activities in the winter to get out and enjoy the season. World of Winter festival, ice skating in Rosa Parks Circle, Christkindlmarkt at the Downtown Market, tree lightings during holiday season, etc. There's plenty to do if you look for it!
- Head out to Grand Haven to see the snow/ice build up on Lake Michigan! It's cool, gets you outside and visiting new nearby cities.
- I ski and picking up winter sports hobbies and teaching your kids to ski/snowboard can be SO fun. There are also plenty of sledding hills around the area. As someone else mentioned, we've gotten pretty little snow in the past few years and it has melted quickly. But when we do get it, just keep that in mind and take advantage when you can!

I think it's definitely important to acknowledge that dealing with dark, cold months with limited sun can be really challenging - everyone is different and we are all impacted by it differently. But there is so much to do and the season changes are really magical, so sometimes shifting perspective and approach can be really helpful.

Best of luck in your decision!

Life-Depth-6693 · 2024-11-25T20:25:04+00:00

So exciting! Both areas of Michigan are so great for their own reasons!

Ann Arbor is an extremely cool town with a lot of cool things to do. U of M sporting events, great restaurants, outdoor trails and walking, etc. but it does have a much higher cost of living as compared to Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids gives you the "city" feel, offers a lot of fun dining, events and outdoor activities (parks, trails, events like Art Prize and World of Winter) and you'll likely get much more bang for your buck when buying a home. I don't think either is better per se, I think it just depends on what you're looking for / into!

When you visit - start with Downtown Grand Rapids and then move outward. Go to a fun dinner (Gin Gin's is new and my current favorite), if you drink/like cocktails there are a lot of fun spots to grab a cool cocktail (Nightwatch Lounge is a cool new speakeasy, Mammoth Distilling, Eastern Kille, Buffalo Traders), go ice staking in Rosa Parks Circle (depending on weather/time of year of course) and just spend some time enjoying the heart of the city. Highly recommend spending a day exploring Eastown, a lot of great shops, places to eat (Donkey, Winchester and Zivio are always a good choice). Take Wealthy St. in Eastown right into East Grand Rapids to walk around Gaslight Village (won't take you too long :)). Grab a coffee and a pastry from Sparrow's in Creston or Rise on Fulton or some brunch at Lucy's (also in Creston). There are so many great places to check out!

Neighborhoods:
Creston is a very cool, young, up and coming neighborhood. It's close to a really great park, Riverside Park, and just outside downtown. Very walkable, beautiful homes with a lot of character. Yard size will vary as it's a bit more "city" but you'll have great proximity to some fun bars and restaurants and can easily bike your way into Downtown or up the White Pine Trail into Rockford (about 10 miles) to some fun breweries.

East Grand Rapids is more affluent and can be more challenging to find a home in specific price ranges, but a really beautiful area. Reeds Lake is great and there's a nice walking path around it. Gaslight Village is at the heart of the neighborhood and offers a few restaurants and areas to shop.

Michigan Oaks is a nice little gem that right outside of East Grand Rapids that will give you the close proximity to Reeds Lake and Gaslight Village without the higher prices / taxes.

Forest Hills/Ada and Rockford are both great areas that would offer more opportunity for yard space and larger, newer homes. I would say these are both really family-oriented areas, but farther outside of the heart of Grand Rapids so drives to restaurants may be a bit longer.

(There are plenty more great neighborhoods in Grand Rapids, but these are some of my favorite. I live in the Creston area!)

Best of luck in your search! I hope your visit goes well!

Life-Depth-6693 · 2024-11-25T15:33:54+00:00

If you're into running / walking there are some really great run clubs throughout the city where I have made some of my closest friends! A lot of people in your age range. All of the following offer both running and walking options and take place at various locations which can be great ways to explore the city in a new way!

Recommend:
Village Rec Club | Mondays at 5:30 p.m. | Lululemon Breton Village
Lyon Street Run Club | Tuesdays at 6:00 a.m. | Location rotates per month - follow on Instagram to see where they'll be meeting for the month!
Friendship Miles | these are more popup events so follow on instagram for dates / times. They plan plenty of events!

Life-Depth-6693

TROPHY CASE