It’s been one year since we bought our KIVIK sectional from Ikea. And, well, we still have it! In fact, I’m sitting in it right now as I type this up. I love our KIVIK, but was super concerned about how it would keep up over the years. “You get what you pay for” is an expression for a reason, and I think a lot of us have been conditioned to believe that Ikea and other affordable furniture is affordable because it’s cheaply made or not meant to last. If our couch only lasts another year, I would be okay with it because it was so affordable. But I don’t think that will be the case, the KIVIK is going strong.

We have since added like six additional pillows and two more blankets to the KIVIK

A Year in the Life of our KIVIK

I’m no skinny-mini, and I’m not very gentle with my couches. I love to plop on them, wiggle around on them, eat, sleep, and couch on them. So does my husband, and so does my dog. My sixty-some pound greyhound-beagle mix is allowed on our furniture, and her favorite place to chill is the KIVIK.

Living in Minnesota, our Spring season is super muddy. All the snow is melting, and the backyard is basically just one giant puddle. Lola runs outside and while we do wipe her paws off when she comes in, the couch is oftentimes her first pitstop. Here and there she gets dirt on the couch, but it always washes out.

Holding Shape (7 Points)

Holding shape is the one area that the KIVIK loses points. Because of how we slunk into the couch, the back pillows kind of end up looking slouchy with the seams sinking in towards the couch rather than being at the top of the pillow. One way I fix this is by flipping the pillows every time it gets like this and kind of smooshing the pillow around. I do this with each pillow about once every few weeks.

The other issue with shape is the corner seat cushion. You can clearly tell that that is the preferred spot to sit for both Ryan and myself, because it’s sunk in a little bit! Again, one way to counter this is to flip it over and massage the cushion for a while while whispering nice, encouraging words into it.

Comfort (8 Points)

The comfort of the KIVIK has not changed since the day we bought it. It might even be just slightly comfier, actually.

One of the reasons we got this couch as opposed to others was how stiff it is. Is that the right word? Hardy? No. Firm. Firm is the right word. The seat cushions are firm, and you don’t fall into anything you can’t get out of. Firm, yet comfortable. And the seats are deep, so you can lay down comfortably with your dog (hi, Lola) or significant other next to you. Plus the deep seats allow you to add a lot of pillows pretty comfortably, and I love me some throw pillows.

I love sleeping on this couch, couching on the couch, or sitting up doing work. Temen loves sitting in the corner with a few toys and hanging out. This is the definition of a family couch. My whole family, dog included, can be on it at the same time while we watch a movie or TV show.

Material / Stain Resistent (10 Points)

First, the color we have is Orrsta Light Gray. It’s the perfect color for our living room. The gray is both light enough to keep a space from feeling too crowded, and dark enough to conceal small stains here and there. So I acknowledge that the color could have a lot to do with why I gave it 10 points.

No material, no matter what it says, is totally stain resistant. That includes the KIVIK. But it’s damn close. After a year of daily use by me (a self identified sloppapotomus), my husband, and our dog, and I only know of just a few very small imperfections. One of those is actually on the matching ottoman, and is because I spilled Temen’s medicine on it. But there has been (warning: TMI) food, drink, urine, vomit, and poop on this couch that we have washed out successfully. All of the cushion covers, the seats and the backs, are removable so you can wash them. Holler.

Even with the cushions being removable, we’ve only washed them like twice. That’s because most things can be easily removed from this sturdy material with a damp cloth or wet sponge. (No, seriously, I spilled salsa all over today and it all came out with a damp cloth and dab of dish soap.) Plus, you don’t want to wash it too much and wear the fabric out. But if you do, IKEA sells additional covers so you’re covered!

Overall Score After One Year: 8.3 Points

I would definitely get this couch again. Yes, it’s IKEA. But, yes, it’s holding its own! In fact, the material is holding up better than a few other couches we have in our living room that were definitely not bought at IKEA.

(Check out my four year Ikea KIVIK review here!)

Baby Room!

house, our home

A baby lives in this room! Ah! I will never get over it. Sorry to be so obnoxious, but seriously.

Okay, back on track…

Prior to being a baby room, it was a beautiful office that I will forever mourn the loss of. I never got around to posting an office reveal because as soon as we were just about done decorating it, I left for Michigan, came back, and got pregnant. With that, there wasn’t a whole lot of motivation to post anything. I’m not complaining about the course of events, but I am saying that I had a bomb office and you should feel sad you weren’t able to see the whole thing. (But here’s a sneak peak.)

When we first moved in, the house looked like this:

Cream walls, wood, so plain – it was gross. At least to me. I prefer my house has no life in other ways, like all black/white/grey everything.

So when we started the office decorating before, I posted something here about what I wanted in my office. And because our baby wasn’t necessarily planned (but very welcome!) we just weren’t financially prepared to get all new nursery decor. That’s why you see a lot of gold and black still, that’s from my office. Thankfully we had a girl so we were able to just throw some pink into the black and gold mix, and BOOM, baby room!

Temen’s Baby Room

Ryan made this board for my office. What used to house crafty things now houses baby things. Because she isn’t too into specific toys or anything, it’s mainly for decor. That dress is the one we took her home from the hospital in (I’m not crying, you’re crying), and the buckets are kind of medical-y things like a thermometer, nose frida, boogie wipes, (affiliate links!) etc. (All things I talked about in my diaper bag blog post as must haves!) The black bucket still has pens, another remnant of my office. (You don’t even want to see the closet!)

We got this cross from one of Ryan’s aunts and honestly, it’s one of my favorite parts of her room!

Yay! The princess castle was a gift from my mom and when we put it in the room Ryan immediately said “I feel like this completes her room. I always thought it felt incomplete, but this completes it.” Because we had to find a way to bring in nursery elements to what was a home office, the fun pink castle really helps tie everything together.

Ryan picked these out from Home Goods.

The bookshelves were a total “Pinterest made me do it” project. We spent an afternoon putting it together with gutters, and I can’t tell you how excited I am for her to be able to sit in her corner and read/throw some books!

Fun Fact: That bunny was my first stuffed animal from when I was born.

Just a pic of me and my dad! He passed away when I was six, but I try to keep his memory alive as best I can.

So there you have it! Her baby room, done on a budget. The crib and shelving are found here and here, both from Ikea. I can’t wait until she’s actually old enough to use her room. She still sleeps in our room, and she’s not sturdy enough to just sit and play in a pile of stuffed animals or in her princess castle. So really, right now we just use her bedroom to change her and grab her clothes. I wish I knew that we didn’t have to have everything done when she first arrived, but I’m thankful that it’s not another thing I have to worry about right now.

Okay, she’s yelling at me. Time to go!

xxoo,

Samm

12 things everyone needs in their nightstand this winter

house

My bed is, and always has been, my haven. It’s a place that I will gladly spend my entire day and not feel one ounce of guilt – especially in the cold Minnesota months. I truly believe that there is nothing better than taking a shower, having freshly shaved legs, and jumping into warm, clean sheets. Very rarely do all those things occur at the same time, but I’m in heaven when they do and Lord help the person that tells me I need to get out of bed and be productive. When I’m in heaven, I don’t want to leave. So I stock my nightstand full of my seasonal nightstand essentials.

With my bed being my place of perpetual refuge, it’s no wonder my nightstand is such an important part of my life. I’m not going to get out of bed for anything, and will be a total grump if I actually need to get out of bed for anything other than food or the bathroom. I need to have everything within reach. (Is this what it’s like being a millennial? Am I just living up to the world’s low expectations of my generation? Maybe. Oh well.)

1) Make-up Remover / Facial Wipes

Because no, people, I don’t always wash my face before bed. I care more about my precious white sheets than I do my face and there is zero chance I get makeup on my pillow case. My favorite wipes are Simple, but lately I’ve been using Olay Fresh Effects with the exfoliator.

2) Facial moisturizer or mask

Especially in the winter, my face can get super dry. This makes me unhappy, but I’d be even more unhappy if I had to get out of bed to tend to my unfortunate skin. With moisturizer right next to me, my dry skin is just a minor inconvenience. My two favorites right now are Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream and First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream. The Burt’s Bees stuff is THICK and super moisturizing overnight, whereas I tend to use my First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream in the morning before I put on my makeup.

3) Lip exfoliator and balm

No one wants to kiss a reptile, am I right? I am. Before bed I exfoliate my lips with my sugar scrub, and follow that up with a balm or other lip treatment. My lip exfoliator right now is Jersey Shore Cosmetics Vanilla Bean Lip and Hand Polish. (I’ve never tried it on my hands, but great for lips and comes in a tube.) Lately I’ve been loving First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Lip Therapy for after my exfoliator. Hello beautiful, soft lips!

4) Stress Relief Body Cream

This one is awfully specific and a year round necessity. I don’t do drugs, so eucalyptus and spearmint essential oils are the next best thing. I’ve never done meth, but I’ve seen a lot of A&E’s Intervention and think the two high’s are comparable. I’m not saying that my life is so stressful that I need this every day, but I personally am just a stressful person, and I have to spend a lot of time with myself. So… it’s necessary. In the winter I bathe in this every night and play slip and slide in my bed like a child.

5) Pillow Spray

Also stress relief. Also eucalyptus and spearmint. I spray it not only on my pillow, but also the part of the bed my pillow lays on, my headboard, and the sheets near my face. I want to make sure I don’t miss out on any of my eucalyptus, spearmint meth-blend. I like to think it wards off stressful dreams.

6) A Book

To keep my smarts. Obviously. Now, I admit that I don’t always read the book in my nightstand… but it’s the thought that counts. I read a few pages here and there to keep myself engaged in something other than the Real Housewives and Leah Remini’s Scientology: The Aftermath. I’ve been really horrible about reading consistently lately, so it’s helpful that I have my book so close to me. Currently reading the autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, gifted to me by my sister-in-law and definitely recommend.

7) Headphones

Turns out my husband likes to sleep. Sometimes I’m sleeping by 8:00PM, sometimes I’m up until 1:00AM watching cat videos on YouTube. I’m not willing to sacrifice my comfort for a few funny YouTube videos, that’s where headphones come in. They’re a beautiful little invention that let’s you listen to music, TV shows, whatever your heart desires, without disturbing anyone around you.

8) Room Spray

With all my time spent in bed during the winter, I need to keep the room fresh. I can’t just open the windows all the time because there’s another human and a dog living with me that I also have to consider. So? Room spray. I’ll give a dollar to anyone who can guess the preferred scent. Eucalyptus? You are so smart.

9) Hand Lotion

I have this thing about having dry hands. I never actually have dry hands, but I always perceive my hands as dry. It’s weird, but therapy is expensive so I just continuously use hand lotion. I like to use this extra intense stuff at night in the winter so I wake up with baby soft hands.

10) Candle

How else am I supposed to watch the drama that is Leah Remini’s Scientology: The Aftermath in candlelight if not with a candle? I want you to shut your eyes and think about laying in a big comfy bed with lots of pillows and blankets, surrounded by the meth-blend of eucalyptus and spearmint, in candlelight while watching your favorite show on your iPad or TV. Yes. That’s my life. It’s pretty fabulous.

11) Glass of Water

I’m thirsty, but not in the single and desperate kind of way. The winter months are dry, my husband sleeps with a fan, and our bedroom is at like 5% humidity. Our bedroom is upstairs and our kitchen is on the main level – you see where this is going. I save myself the trouble and fill up a big glass of ice water right before bed like the functional and responsible adult I am.

12) Hair Binder / Hair Tie

My hair, I am convinced, tries to kill me at least quarterly. It’s long and occasionally wraps itself around my neck in some sort of attempt to choke me while I sleep. I don’t love sleeping with my hair up, but sometimes, especially if I have a cold or am running a bit hot, I need to in order to avoid death by hair.

So tell me, what are your nightstand must haves?