There are so many things I feel like we overlook or don’t think about when we are used to our own homes. As I come to a point in my life where I am close to graduating and starting my own adult life, my own home, and my own family, it gets me thinking about everything. I have kept a list for a while now of little things that stand out to me in others’ homes. I love so many things but even the little things should be appreciated! Below is a list of 8 things I think make life better and easier that I would love to incorporate into my own home one day.
- Screen doors that tuck into the wall
This is such a cool thing to me. They are screen doors that don’t have to be on the door all the time. They come out from the wall and it is so handy when it’s nice outside. Then, when we are in and out of the house often, we aren’t forced to open the regular door and screen door constantly. They have them fit into every outside door to the house and it’s such a luxury. Nothing I hate more than running into a screen door that’s there all the time!
- A coded door lock and security system
I’ve stayed with them before and never felt unsafe in their house. Their security system is great and gives me reassurance that the kids aren’t ever able to wander outside at night when I’m here. Also, the code unlock has been nice when we’ve accidentally locked ourselves out (lol oops). We just simply go around to the front and code into the house, so amazing.
- A basement with cool stuff
Every single home I have worked in has some kind of awesome thing in their basement. One of them has a professional dance floor with a movie theater area and a pool table. Another has a built-in kids’ area filled with stuff to play with. A third has a fully decked-out PSU-themed bar, movie area, and deck with a hot tub. A fourth has a bounce house. The list goes on. I love hanging in these rooms and it keeps us from being too loud if their parents are home!
- A double-basin sink and a dishwasher
This is something I have at my house too but surprisingly all of my families I nanny for also have double-sided sinks. I love that I can fill up one side with soap and then keep one open to scrape food or wash off dishes. Also, we don’t use the dishwasher at our house because of its loudness so I have come to greatly appreciate family homes with dishwashers. One of them just got a new dishwasher and I honestly load and unload it because it’s so easy to do compare to handwashing and much more enjoyable!
- Fridge/freezer in the garage or basement
This one is something I have at my house too, but it is so nice to have. It is great to be able to buy more things and not worry about where they will fit. I hate grocery shopping for families I nanny for and being unsure if they will have enough room to fit anything. Having a deep freezer or second fridge is great to store frozen meat, drinks, etc., and perfect for parties!
- Roombas
Automatic vacuums are honestly a blessing. I would love to have something that I know is reliably cleaning the house every single day. The family I nanny for had one on each floor set to its own schedule. It went at the perfect times and never was in the way. An added bonus was that it kept the kid entertained for what seemed like hours.
- Blackout curtains
This is something more for when I have kids, but dang do they work! Kids sleep so much better with them, and it also works perfectly for movies and keeping it blackout dark during daytime naps. I also notice that just curtains or blinds in general are so much nicer than feeling exposed with none on the windows when it’s nighttime.
- Retractable baby gates
One thing that is so annoying is having to open a baby gate EVERYTIME you walk past that area. However, the gates that wind up and retract are so convenient. It’s something that can be there without you noticing and yet even when younger children come to visit, or with pets, it can help to block off restricted areas like kitchens and bar areas.
I am sure my list will continue to grow as I meet new families and also move into my own place. These are just the recent ideas on my mind. I am a woman of organization and detail so I am sure that my house will always be in the process of improvement in little ways to help make it sweeter for me.
HCXO,
Madi