Well, here’s something I didn’t expect to be writing just a few months after moving to Florida: We’re moving back to Minnesota!

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ve probably already heard the news. But I wanted to sit down and share a little more about how we arrived at this decision, what we’ve learned along the way, and the new house we absolutely cannot wait to call home. Because yes, we are building a house! And I have approximately a million ideas for it already. 😅

Why We Moved to Florida in the First Place

Moving to Florida was something we’d talked about and dreamed about for years. We loved the idea of sunshine, palm trees, warm winters, and spending more time outside as a family. And when an opportunity came along that made the move possible, we decided to go for it.

We sold our Minnesota home, packed up our lives, and moved into a beautiful new house in Southwest Florida.

There was so much to be excited about! We had a new home to decorate, new places to explore, and the opportunity to experience something we’d imagined for such a long time. And I’m genuinely glad we gave it a try. But something surprised us once we were here.

Realizing Where We Wanted to Be

It didn’t take very long for us to realize that, as beautiful as Florida is, Minnesota was still where we wanted to be. And it wasn’t necessarily about the big things. It was about the ordinary things.

Our neighbors in Minnesota who had become like family. Our favorite restaurants and familiar routines. Being close to the people we love. Having friends to spend an afternoon with, and a community where we already felt so at home.

I kept thinking about what our everyday life looked like in Minnesota. Getting together with friends. Picking up our favorite Mexican or Thai takeout. Making soup on a chilly afternoon. Spending time outside when the leaves start changing. Having people nearby who know and love Ollie.

And the more we talked about it, the more we realized that the life we were missing was the life we’d already built. I think that’s been the biggest takeaway from this whole experience. Sometimes you have to try something you’ve always dreamed about to realize how much you love what you already had. Florida has given us some really lovely memories, and there are things we’ll absolutely miss. But we’re so excited to go home.

Finding Our New Minnesota House

Once we decided to move back, we started looking for a house, in a community near our former house. We found an in-progress new build in a community near the Mississippi River, and we were so excited. We did get to adjust a couple of design details, but most everything had been chosen – which was actually a bit of a relief. After spending so much of this year moving, planning, packing, and unpacking, I can’t even tell you how excited I am to finally put things away and know we’re staying. We really hope this will be our forever home.

A First Look at Our New Home

One of the things that immediately drew us to this house was the opportunity to create a home that feels beautiful but also really comfortable for everyday family life.

We wanted plenty of room for Ollie to play, spaces where we could spend time together, and a backyard where we could imagine years of memories being made.

The backyard was especially important to us. We wanted a large, flat, usable outdoor space where Ollie could run around, where we could eventually have a garden, and where we could spend as much time outside as possible.

And inside, I’m looking forward to creating a home that feels warm, timeless, and inviting.

If you’ve followed my home content for a while, you probably already know the general direction I’m going. Think creamy whites, warm wood tones, beautiful textures, classic details, and pieces that feel like they could belong in our home for years.

I love Studio McGee-inspired interiors, but I also want our home to feel personal to us. Not overly decorated and definitely somewhere a three-year-old can make herself comfortable.

Here are a few spaces I’m especially excited about:

The Dining Room

After 6 months without a dining table, we’re all so eager and excited to have a place to gather as a family. Kitchen island dinners are wonderful – but there’s something so cozy about gathering around the table for meals and games. I chose my dream dining set – this table, these chairs, and these end chairs – all of which I hope will make it feel like a really inviting and cozy place to gather.

(There’s a really sweet office behind our dining area, which I hope to make into a craft area for Ollie. She absolutely loves painting and creating art projects.)

The Living Room and Fireplace

This is one of the projects I’m most excited about. I’ve been dreaming about a beautiful fireplace with a warm mantel and a few thoughtful details that make the room feel extra cozy.

I can already picture us spending chilly Minnesota evenings here, watching a movie, reading with Ollie, or just enjoying a quiet night at home. After months of planning and moving, that sounds pretty wonderful.

Ollie’s Bedroom

I think planning Ollie’s room might be my favorite part of all of this. In our first home, our guest bedroom became Ollie’s bedroom. While she loved her special space, this room feels like an opportunity to incorporate every detail Ollie uniquely loves. Like her peers 😉 she loves pink, all things Frozen, and playing dress-up.

We’ve chosen her bed, dresser, rug, and a few special pieces, and I’m so excited to see everything together. More than anything, I want her room to feel like a happy, comfortable little space that’s entirely hers.

Our Bedroom

We’re also starting fresh with some of the furniture in our bedroom.

My goal is to make this space feel calm, cozy, and a little more finished than our previous bedrooms have been. I’ve been looking at beautiful upholstered furniture (I purchased this bed frame, which I’m beyond excited about!) warm wood finishes, soft bedding, and classic pieces that will hopefully stand the test of time.

I have a feeling I’ll be sharing quite a few decorating decisions along the way!

The Backyard

I have so many ideas for the backyard already. A space for Ollie to play, beautiful trees, a garden, somewhere to sit outside in the evenings, and hopefully plenty of flowers.

I’d love to plant some fruit trees (Ollie’s Orchard!) create raised garden beds, and eventually make the patio a really lovely place to spend time together.

Of course, we’re going to take our time with some of these projects. But it’s fun to imagine what everything might look like a few years from now.

What Happens Next?

Right now, we’re one week away from our move back to Minnesota.

We’re spending our last week in Florida trying to make the most of our time here, especially with Halloween coming up. We’ve been squeezing in pumpkin patches, a Halloween party at the Children’s Museum, the farmers’ market, and as many fun October moments as we can for Ollie.

Then we’ll head north for a week with grandma and grandpa – complete with a Wisconsin pumpkin patch visit, and trick or treating in Ben’s hometown, all of which we’re so excited about – close on our house one week later, and begin getting settled. Phew!

I’m particularly excited about being back in Minnesota for November and December. Decorating for Christmas, cooking in our new kitchen (!!!), spending time with our friends and family, and getting back to all the familiar little routines we’ve missed so deeply.

And of course, I’ll be sharing the house along the way! Furniture deliveries galore, decorating decisions, before-and-afters, projects we’re tackling ourselves (Ben claims he’s ready to paint!) and all the little things that go into making a new house feel like home.

I’m sure there will be a few things that don’t go exactly according to plan. There always are. 😅 But I’m really, wholeheartedly looking forward to this next chapter.

A Little Note About Coming Home

If there’s one thing this experience has taught me, it’s that changing your mind isn’t a bad thing. We wanted to move to Florida. We made it happen. We gave it a try. And then we realized we wanted something different.

I’m grateful we had the opportunity to experience living somewhere new, and I’m equally grateful that we get to return to a place we love. More than anything, I’m excited for the everyday moments ahead.

Unpacking our boxes. Making our first dinner. (Actually, ordering our favorite takeout!) Having our friends over. Watching Ollie settle into her new room. Celebrating the holidays. And finally feeling like we can settle down and stay awhile.

Minnesota, we’re coming home. 🌼

Thank you so much for following along with our family through all these changes. I can’t wait to show you what comes next!