There were so many people involved in this project I felt it had to be shared on my blog. We recently did a makeover for a single mom and her new 3 month old baby. My friend Nikki saw a post about this single mom needing help. Nikki, being the loving person she is jumped in and brought her food. When Nikki went to her home she noticed that she was sleeping on an air mattress and clothes were in bags on the floor.
I had accidentally shipped some bedding to Nikki’s home for another makeover we are doing this coming week for a nurse. Nikki took it as a sign to ask me if I had any extra bedding for this single mom. After seeing her home and realizing she had nothing, I told Nikki to let me take care of all her furniture and get her all set!
Needless to say Nesting with Grace community showed up! We received over $4k donations for this mama and sweet baby! We used about $400 to stock her kitchen with food. She doesn’t have a washing machine or dryer but does have the ability to hook them up, I told her we would get her those with the donation money! We are also able to buy diapers, baby supplies and groceries!
Here is Ronalds room before! Just shows what a statement rug will do when you see the after….
I asked on my Instagram if anyone had a crib they weren’t using anymore for baby Ronald. Caitlin from @amodernfamilyfarm offered a crib, mattress, rocking chair, lockers, and white sideboard! The giving didn’t end there…
My friend’s Sarah and Joe brought this dresser! It’s so perfect here! From my basement, I gathered up decor pieces to create a simple gallery wall above the dresser.
A last minute shoutout on my instagram had my friend Fern bringing over a changing pad , she stayed and helped to organize his dresser!
Above is Maries bedroom before, blow-up mattress and Ronald in a pack-in-play (we did put the pack-in-play back in her room until she is comfortable putting him in the new crib).
Marie’s mom lives in Haiti and her Dad lives in Canada. She has had some hardships and 3 months ago had her baby boy while living in a shelter. Thankfully, the shelter helped her get back on her feet.
I asked all of you on Instagram to vote on a new bed for her. It was between an iron bed or this green bed. The votes were slightly higher for the green bed (that was my first choice too!) It was meant to be- it came faster in the mail than the iron bed! See the two options below…
Iron Bed HERE // Gray Rug HERE // Green Bed HERE // Stripe Rug HERE // Never Knew I Could Love This Way HERE // Beautiful Dreamer HERE
Beddy’s Bedding donated this amazing bedding set!!!! We have Beddy’s on all our kids beds and LOVE them so much!! I instinctively reached out to them to donate a queen set, being the amazing company they are – said yes! They wanted to share some love and pass on a coupon code for all of you! 22% OFF- MEMORIALDAY HERE.
Lindsay Letters donated this “Beautiful Dreamer” art! It really made the room! I looked on Lindsay Letters website when I knew we were going to do this makeover, because she is my favorite! The “Beautiful Dreamer” art was just made for the velvet green bed, and for this sweet single mom with dreams of a bright future!
Doesn’t Ronald look so cozy in the bed! Gosh, a nice bed is just heaven! I ordered her THIS mattress because it had great reviews and THIS mattress cover. (I already had that chunky throw from My Blanquil )
The original rug I had planned on the design board was too big for room. Luckily, I had brought a 5×7 outdoor rug that worked perfect!
My friend Robin donated this dresser. We took the top rail off the dresser and painted it with Behr Charcoal Chalk paint.
We brought our swivel chairs because she had no where to sit! We wanted to switch them out anyways for something a different color in our family room. Remember our old coffee table? It got a fresh coat of chalk paint and it looks brand new!
The white sideboard, TV, and dvd player were also donated. That sideboard is a really nice piece of furniture!
Isn’t this little eat-in kitchen so great! We gave her our old marble table and the chairs and locker were both donated from Caitlin @amodernfamilyfarm. We are going to do the washer and dryer on the opposite side of the lockers. The rug is from Boutique Rugs HERE.
Thank you Nikki and Dave for telling us about this sweet mama and baby. This project started from a simple “lets get this mom a comfy bed and off the floor” to basically furnishing her entire apartment. So many people wanted to give! A HUGE thank you and shout out to my Nesting with Grace community for stepping up with donations, especially during this time of COVID and the struggles and hurdles it has brought on. You all truly spread so much love and joy!
Thank you thank you thank you and to everyone who donated to this young mother. The love of Jesus radiate s through you and your family I pray continued blessings. You give me hope that our world can change and if each of us puts aside our politics and selfishness we could do so much for one another and realize that all an you is wants is to be loved. Again thank you and your friend and the community you have built here in this platform.
Thank you Melissa!
This just brings me tears of joy and I love how this all turned out. I’m sure Marie and Ronald will be dreaming sweet dreams tonight!
Wow…this made my day to see this done for this single mom and her baby. God bless y’all!
I love this so much… SO MUCH!
Probably one of my favorite blogs yet.. you are so sweet to do this- and Nikki!! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for being such a wonderful person and having such a kind heart for people. This story touched my heart in so many ways. I loved seeing a community coming together to help someone in need.
I remember being a young divorced Mama of two little children living in an apartment based on my income and trying to put myself through college. There were days, I ate what the kids left on the plates or I went to bed hungry, No child support. I was able to finish college and had an amazing career and life.
Many Mamas are able to get on the feet because of kind people like yourself. No Mama should have to go hungry or worry about putting food on the table. God bless everyone that helped out on this project. Thank you for sharing this story with us. I will pray for Maria and Ronald.
Your comment just made my cry and moved me so much. Thank you! Bless you.
This was so wonderful to read and see in your ig stories. There is so much heartache happening in this world, and it’s a breath of fresh air to see the positivity you and your community are putting out there. I love your heart Brooke and how much you care for others! Beautiful job to everyone that helped this sweet mama and her baby boy. ❤️
What a beautiful thing to do! My gosh we need to do more acts of love and kindness. Bless you all for helping this mom and her baby. There is still so much good in this world, people who have compassion on their fellowman. Faith, Hope and Love but the greatest of these is Love ❤️ thank you Jesus
Thank you Jesus for sure
Totally crying reading this post and how you got your community to get behind such a wonderful cause. There’s nothing like seeing the kindness of people towards those in need. 😭
thank you so much!!!
Y’all are a blessing!! This makes me smile! Happy day for all❤️❤️
So kind. All the best to the new mom.
Hi, I follow you on Instagram and love your decorating and all of your advice and purchases. However, I do need to comment on all of you AMAZING ANGELS who stepped up and helped Maria and her baby Ronald. You are all truly inspirational! Seriously does your husband always smile, he is always working so hard! What an AMAZING group of kind, loving, and caring people. Brooke please check on Marie and Ronald and let us know how they are doing. Thank You!!
thank you! we will for sure!!!
This is the best kind of post!
How lovely for her and her baby…what a blessing for her. Hope she makes many happy memories there. God Bless all of you !
Just precious!! What a gift and fresh start for this young single mama! Your surroundings really do help change your perspective on life. I can only imagine how she must feel like the future has hope and possibly now getting to live in this house!! T H A T is what the gift truly brings- hope!!!
What an amazing thing to do ! Kudos to you and all that helped during someone’s time of need.
This is the best post on the internet today! What a blessing to this sweet momma and baby. So thankful for people like you!
You are letting your lightshine. Go Brooke
What a lovely makeover and for a lovely little family. Will make such a difference int heir lives. A bit concerned on how you could do this during quarantine time in connecticut!- lots of your photos had people very close together and not a mask in sight. I have a friend who lives in your town who just had a baby yesterday and the grandparents can’t even come close yet! Wondering about the health of baby Ronald and his mom????
While I am not a struggling single mother, my mom was so I grew up with a perspective of what the other side looks like. I can tell you I still remember eating cold canned raviolis for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a single wide trailer without air conditioning (in the hot South Florida heat). I remember the day the electricity went out because we couldn’t afford to pay the bill so we lived an entire month by candlelight. They’re distant memories because I was a small child at the time, but they still stick with me. Back then we used to walk 2 miles just to go to the grocery store for food. My mother had moved to this new, foreign country with my father who up and left us one day when I was four. Because she was still transitioning to a new country, learning a new language, unable to drive and without friends or family, we went without a lot of things for quite a while.
Through it all, however, my mother pushed forward and with hard work and resilience, she was able to overcome what seemed like a hopeless situation at the time. That moment in time was when I learned first-hand the value of kindness, gratitude and humility through the myriad of generous souls who helped us along the way. Whether it was a ride to the store or a supervised trip to buy a used (very beat up) old car that we nicknamed “Blue Thunder,” we never would’ve made it without the goodwill of others. These simple acts transcend farther than we could possibly fathom.
This post brought me back to a time in my life that, despite the circumstances, still warms my heart. Thank you so much for your kindness and thank you for sharing. I hope it inspires others to lend a hand when they see an opportunity to do so. The world needs more kindness right now.
I appreciate you sharing your story here. What an amazing mother you have. And I agree, more kinds does need to be spread. She did tell my friend Nikki the next day, I feel like I am going to wake up and it was all a dream.
I’m having a really rough day today and this post makes my heart feel so much lighter. You are such a lovely person, Brooke, and I know this mom and baby will be able to focus on each other and not have to worry about having a nice home any longer. Such sweetness. <3
This is so amazing!!! What a wonderful community to bring so much joy and help to this new mama!! You all are amazing!!
Brooke, it’s so heartwarming to see so much love during these crazy times! I especially love that so many people had a part in helping Marie. Truly an amazing accomplishment. Having a comfortable and beautiful home will make a tremendous difference for this little family. Thank you for sharing this uplifting story! What an adorable baby and beautiful mama! Would love an update on Marie and Ronald!
Thank you Catherine!!!
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I love this so much. Thank you for reaching out and doing this for this beautiful lady. It’s great to see something good in the world. What a beautiful home she has now. God bless her and her baby and you and your family.