We closed on our new coastal Maine home yesterday, and today I went straight over for an empty house tour and a full day of contractor meetings—because if we’re going to do the messy stuff, I want it done before we move a single box in. It feels real, but it doesn’t feel real, you know? I walked you through the upstairs where all the popcorn ceilings are (very 80s), and we had a painter come quote removing them and doing a smooth finish. While we were at it, I also had him price out painting the upstairs bedrooms, the landing, and the stairwell so the spaces where we sleep feel fresh right away. Next up was flooring, which is one of our biggest priorities. We have oak floors in a lot of the house, but they’re currently pretty orange, and I’m dreaming of a warm, deeper brown stain—not super dark, just cozy. We also talked about pulling up the kitchen’s laminate/engineered flooring and installing oak to match the rest. Originally I was thinking new carpet in the bedrooms (wild, because I’m a hardwood floor girly), plus a stair runner—but after getting quotes and thinking about the long game, we decided to bite the bullet and do hardwood throughout so we don’t have to move everyone out of bedrooms later. And then, reality hit: packing. I’m already overwhelmed, so I’m doing the “one box a night” rule—starting with our shelf decor and glassware—because I cannot think about the whole picture yet.