New Home. New Adventures. New Memories.

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How moving made us feel grateful while having less – tv on top of yeti cooler as a makeshift tv stand

Goodbye, Boise! You will be missed… 😢

You read that right — we’ve moved! My family and I recently made the short trek from Boise, ID to Reno, NV to start a new adventure together. To some, it might seem abrupt to pack up and move to a new state, but we’re so used to a traveling lifestyle from when my hubby was in the Marine Corps. So, after talking with our kiddos and deciding we were ready for a new and fun adventure, we set off to Reno to build memories and bond as a family in our new home.

Moving = Time to Purge

Prior to moving, we took a good look at all of our “stuff” and decided that downsizing our possessions before heading to Reno was the right fit for us. We purged the house of anything that wasn’t truly important to us so we could have a fresh start in the new home. 🏡

How moving made us feel grateful while having less – patio furniture in the living room at collin's house

And by a new home, I mean a 1950’s ranch-style home that we’re planning to start renovating soon. This means my house is a construction zone that’s short on furniture, decor, and organization. We’ve got patio furniture in the living room and we’re using our Yeti cooler as a TV stand. 😆 That said, we’ll all win in the end since I’ll have so much to share with you all about my favorite budget home renovation and decor tips and tricks!

To save on moving costs and really feel like we’re getting a fresh start in Nevada, we sold and donated the majority of our stuff back in Boise. Even though we didn’t move in with a ton, we’re holding off on doing the majority of the unpacking until after the renovation is done.

So we’ve had to get a little crafty to make the most of it…

How moving made us feel grateful while having less – collin's daughter piper holding a pringles vase with flowers

We’re learning to make due with less for the time being, and it’s teaching us to be grateful for what we have. ❤️ My daughter Piper and I had a blast picking flowers from our new garden and placed the stems in a lovely Pringles can vase 😂 — hey, it’s FREE and totally works!

She also has quite the obsession with snow globes. Every time we shop, she’s always looking for one to buy and recently found this “lucky” one for a buck at the thrift store (one of our favorite places to shop!). Move over Joanna Gaines… here’s the NEW Hip way to rock a centerpiece! 🤣


How moving made us feel grateful while having less – multiple fans in bedroom on floor

Upon moving in, we discovered that the AC unit in the house was and still is NOT working. Thankfully our realtor had purchased us a home warranty (and the AC unit is part of the coverage), so we are hoping to have it fixed within the next couple of weeks… but until then, we’re looking on the bright side and have fans blasting to help us through the heat!

You’ll probably also notice that our drapes are upside down. That’s because they’re hung with painter’s tape (we won’t be installing blinds until after the renovation is complete). 🙃 Pretty, right?! 🤣


How moving made us feel grateful while having less – assortment of christmas themed dinner plates

After selling so much in Boise prior to the move, we didn’t have many kitchen dishes – so off to the thrift store we went. By the way, my kiddos and I love thrift shopping — they could spend hours looking through all the stuff and have a blast searching for special finds. They came across these funny Christmas dinner plates (that are microwave and dishwasher safe! Score!), so we ended up getting a different design for each member of the family. Yes, we are dorks and will be using these plates starting NOW — no need to wait until Christmas. 🎄

I also picked up these adorable Opalhouse drinking glasses from Target on clearance recently, so you may be able to find them at your local Target too!

They were a steal at just $2.98 (regularly $9.99!). With that said, I grabbed a couple of sets! 🙌


With minimal furniture, my kids have gotten creative! As just one example, a large moving box is now a cozy hangout spot. I feel like we’ve all had so much fun as a family coming up with unique ways to use what we’ve got!


How moving made us feel grateful while having less – ma's eulogy in frame as artwork

Oh, my sweet Ma. 💕 We’ve got her right on the mantle watching over us. I have so many treasured art pieces and family pictures, but they’ll have to wait to be hung until we’re finished with the renovation. However, I wanted to have something up, and my lovely grandmother’s eulogy represents a relationship I will always cherish. Looking at her smiling face reminds me to be thankful, grateful, and to always celebrate this beautiful life. ❤️


With a new home comes a new school district, meaning my kiddos are starting out fresh this school year. It can be tough to be the new kids at school, but they’re making the best of it (I’m such a proud mama)! They’re already on their second week, and I can’t help but get emotional thinking about how fast they’re growing up. 😭

We’ll only have a couple more years with my oldest son Nick until he heads off to college 😮, which makes each day more precious.


How moving made us feel grateful while having less – collin's dog yogi enjoying the new home

Oh, and I can’t forget to mention how the sixth member of our family is doing! Our dog Yoli is already settled in and loving the new house. 😆

So much about this whole move has made me grateful for my family and the bond we share together.💗 I think it’s safe to say that while it’s not always easy to pack up and start a new chapter, my family and I have found that staying positive throughout the process has truly been rewarding — and the happy memories we’ve already shared in our new home prove it!

New home.

New adventures.

New memories.

Join The Discussion

Comments 205

  1. Rachel

    But why move out of nowhere and why that location???

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Hey Rachel!

      We picked this specific location for many reasons. A couple of big ones – it’s not too far from Boise and close to beautiful Lake Tahoe and so much awesome outdoor recreation! 🙌 There were many other factors in our decision to move including new opportunities.

  2. MamaJ

    Congrats!!!! Love the Pringles vase! 😂

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you! 🤣

  3. Ria

    Congratulations on your new place, Collin! This is really exciting! May happiness and love move in with you. BTW, we are moving too from NJ to Columbia, Mo. 🙂

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you so much!!

      Congrats and good luck with your big move! 😀

  4. Suzy

    Wow congrats love to follow along on your journey!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thanks so much Suzy!

  5. Becks

    New adventures! Yay! Good for you & your family! Enjoy!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank YOU!

  6. Di

    Best Wishes in your new home!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thanks you! 😊

  7. Emily A

    I needed this. We are also moving and my kids have started a new school district. This is a nice reminder to stay fun and positive and make wonderful memories together!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Good luck with your move, and here’s to making many awesome new memories! ❤️

  8. DealAddict

    I always LOVE your home decor & organization posts so this is very exciting for me too!!!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Yay! Happy to hear that. Stay tuned for many posts to come… 🙌

  9. Candace

    Congrats on the move! I hope you find lots of joy in your new adventure!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you so much Candace!

  10. kidsallgone

    Wow! How great! Can you share how/Why u picked that city? And what was the reason/decision to move? Can’t wait to see the amazing things you do with the renovations 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 #notnosybutcurious #okiamnosy 😬😁

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Hey there!

      There were many reasons why we picked Reno. A few big ones – it’s not too far from Boise, close to beautiful Lake Tahoe and so much awesome outdoor recreation, and great opportunities! 🙌

  11. DealAddict

    ps. please show before & afters!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Will do! 👍

  12. Michelle

    Reno is lucky to have you! Good luck with your new adventure!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you so much!

  13. Erin

    We also moved this summer… to our 10th home in 17 years of Air Force life. New schools and new starts, again. Hard but rewarding.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      WOW!! But I love that you said – Hard but rewarding! So very true. ❤️

  14. Mrs.W

    Congratulations and blessings to you! We just finished renovating our kitchen and so I know how it is to live in a construction zone!😊 Blessings to you! I can’t wait to see how your renovation turns out! Hope you’ll share pictures with us!😉 Best of wishes to you and your family!💕

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you so much! I sure appreciate the comment, and will for sure be sharing pics. 😊

  15. JJ

    Congratulations o this new chapter! Your outlook is encouraging and motivates me to be more content with what we have instead of focusing on what I “need” next! Family truly is more important and you are a great example of that!! Best of luck in all your new adventures!!!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thanks so much! ❤️

  16. Angela V.

    Congratulations! Love the glass is half full outlook on the move and life in general! Wishing you and your family all the best in your new place!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank YOU! 😍

  17. Rita D

    You are so inspiring Collin! With an attitude like that things just HAVE to go great!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Awww… thanks for the sweet comment! 😊

  18. Michelle

    Our first house was a “construction zone” for what seemed like forever! We had a new baby and it was soooo stressful… at one point after living with a bathroom covered in garage bags I told my MIL I was going to “burn down the house” if stuff wasn’t done soon…. My FIL finished the bathroom the next week…. 15 years later new house new projects but this time around I feel I have more patience and didn’t worry so much if things weren’t perfect yet… good luck 😊

    • Princess's Mom

      haha, I’m still dealing with a garbage bag covered shower. I haven’t threatened burning the place down yet, maybe I’ll try that next. 😉

  19. martina

    Good luck with everything! We are working on moving as well to a new school district. I am impressed with your ability to stay positive and let go of the material possessions. I am working on that and appreciate the reminder about what is important.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thanks for the comment! I appreciate it. And I do have days (or that time of the month!) when I’m not always so positive. 😉

  20. Hanna

    Woohoo! Welcome to Nevada! We are an hour east of Reno in Fallon. We own a dairy farm, bring your kids for a tour sometime!

    I’m excited to see deals catered to Northern Nevada stores too! I hope you love it here in our beautiful desert.

    • Michelle

      My uncle lives in Fallon… he always hated Indiana and Michigan winters😉

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Awww… hello, neighbor! 👋 How fun to own a dairy farm! 😍

  21. HipMomof3

    I have to say when I got the email from you the other day about moving I felt a little sad, I’m pretty sure you lived around family in Boise, was thinking your sister? I moved a lot as a kid and some as an adult and was always home sick. I know y’all are use to it though with your husband having been in the military. Hopefully you have a CVS now so you can get the deals there 🙂

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Yes, VERY excited that we have a few CVS stores near our home! 🙌

      • Rainbow

        Best of luck to you and your family 🍀🍀🍀 Boise will miss you. But we are going to have a CVS here pretty soon in the corner of Fairview and Cole in the parking lot where used to be Hastings. I noticed it a few days ago and thought Collin always said in her videos or posts we don’t have a CVS and now we are going to have one. Many many happy days and good memories for you and your family 💗💗💗

  22. Chantel

    Welcome to the neighborhood. Well kinda, I’m in Carson City about 30 minutes South of Reno. Looking forward to your home reno posts! 🙂

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Hey neighbor! 👋 So awesome that you live nearby!

  23. Michelle P in BC

    Wow, what a change!! Welcome to Nevada! Reno is beautiful and lucky to have you guys! Good luck with construction, living in limbo is hard but so worth it!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thanks so much! 😊

  24. Marvymia

    Congratulations on your new adventure!!! Happy for you, love the positive outlook, the purging of the old, and the excitement of the new, and of course, doing it all together as a family!! Much love and happy wishes extended to you and to all your family members, today and always!! Personally, I can’t wait to benefit from your new adventure, with all kinds of new tips!!! Love always wins!!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      I love your comment so much. Thank YOU! ❤️🙌😍

  25. Amy

    Congrats on the new place! Can you share how you decided what to purge and what to keep beyond things with sentimental value? My hubby and I really struggled with that during our last out of state move. The cost of selling/donating our things and buying new far exceeded the cost of paying movers to just take it all. We moved things we didn’t love, but knew we would need in our new home, and then were able to take our time finding deals on the things we wanted to replace.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Great question! I had each kiddo go through their rooms thoroughly and ask themselves this question – “Have I used or worn this item in the past year?” If the answer was no, we either donated or sold the item. My husband and I also did this same thing with items in our kitchen, bedroom etc. It was shocking how much stuff we were able to get rid of just by asking that question.

  26. Hortenzia toth

    Good luck , you are really a very strong and inspiring woman , I know you guys make it big out there. By the way we have the same type of dog here in Florida, very loving and playful.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you! And yes, we love our playful Yoli! 🐶

  27. Gloria

    Congratulations in your new adventure!

  28. Kayla

    Congrats and much luck on the new move and renovations!

    I can tell you from being in your kid’s shoes that it will all work out for the best!
    My parents decided to move from MA to NC right before my freshman year of high school. I hated every bit of it at the time, because we had never been to NC before and I had so many good friends (and all of our extended family) in MA. We were moving where we knew no one. But it was a great opportunity for my mom for work, and the price of living was cheaper.
    Turns out–NC now feels more like “home” than MA does. I lived in NC for 12 years after the move–going on to complete my undergraduate and graduate degrees at a NC university. I only just moved away to LA with my husband for him to pursue his PhD. But missing NC every day! And I’m so thankful my parents branched out and made such a big move (which, now as an adult I can see it must have been just as scary–if not more so–for them). Social media makes it easier to keep in contact with people in your old states too. And it’s still a blast to go back and visit.
    Praying this new journey brings you and your family just as much joy. 🙂

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Your comment is literally just what I needed to hear. ❤️ Thank you so much for taking the time to share about your own life adventures.

  29. Kim

    Best wishes to you and your family on the start of your new adventure together! We are looking on renovating our home soon, so we are looking forward to tips on saving money and budgeting for renovations!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Awesome!! Stay tuned…

  30. riss

    Congratulations on the move! We, too, moved a few times in the past due to my hubby’s job, and like you, we’ve always welcome the move with grateful hearts and look forward to new adventures and a fresh start. Also like you, our boys were in high school when we moved overseas, and the older one actually graduated from an international school there and still go on vacations with his friends from that school. We should have done garage sales and purge, but no…..we tossed some stuff and donated some, but the childhood mementos and junk are still in the garage!! Next move… (yeah, right 😉

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you, and sounds like you all are living a fun life filled with many adventures! 🙌

  31. Lolita

    We are a large family in a small house and I am trying to figure out ways to “refresh” our home to make it more comfortable for all. I need to go through the purge phase you went through and then I hope to do some renovation on our house 🙂
    I am super duper excited to see all posts regarding this new chapter of your life including your renovation, your setting up a home again, and all the fun family tidbits you share here and there. I wish you and your family the best and am happy for you with the new adventures and opportunities that await you all!!!

    • Cas

      We also live in a small space. 2 bd 1 bath. I’ve noticed simply painting makes a difference! I’ve recently painted door frames and doors and our kids bedroom. Each space appears fresh! Purging also helps.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thanks so much for the comment and kind words! I hope to share lots of fun posts in the coming months.

  32. Cate

    Beautiful part of the country, enjoy your new location with your kids.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you so much!

  33. Heather

    Congrats on your move–hope you enjoy your new home and city!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you!

  34. Mirela

    Congrats on your new adventure, Collin and family! I got emotional reading this post, but trust God and continue to do great things! And yes, your sweet Ma is with you, you just can’t see her! Good luck to you and your kids in school!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      I sure appreciate that comment. ❤️

  35. Dee

    Hey, I recognize that Cabin in the Snow plate! We have that set for the holidays. We live in a log cabin, so they’re a great fit. One year, my father in law “helped” move our holiday stuff out of the basement and accidentally “hid” our regular dishes in a nondescript black garbage bag behind some boxes and it took us months to find them. So, we used those Cabin in the Snow plates well into the new year. So, hang onto that plate. You never know. . .

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Will do! 🎄

  36. Deena Dyer

    What a joyous lesson to show the kids! It’s not the things that matter (house, material possessions) but the people in your life, and the memories that will last a lifetime! Best wishes on the move, hoping that you all find happiness and serenity here.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      So true. Thank YOU for the comment! ❤️

  37. Ashlyn

    Whew hoo! Welcome to the neighborhood! I live in Reno with my family and if you ever need any help locally, let me know!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Hello there neighbor! 🙌👋😍

  38. Laura

    While I am too chicken to move away from home, where I am comfortable, I admire people that can. Congrats!!!! So exciting for your family and I can’t wait to see before/after photos and tips for budget friendly remodeling!!!

  39. Ellen

    Congrats Collin and family! Can’t wait to hear about your “home reno in Reno!”

  40. Reena

    Good luck Collin 😊

  41. Tammy

    Wishing you and your family all the best now and in the future. Just remember…nothing worth having every comes easy…hope these early days bring you closer and stronger as a family…all my best 🏡

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you!

  42. Jazz

    Congratulations Collin, all the best for the new venture 👍

  43. Tia

    North Carolina to Boise and now Reno – Wherever you are, I’ll be here! Best wishes to all!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Awww… thank you SO much! 😀

  44. Kim

    Congratulations on your new adventure! Best wishes to your new home renovation! I know it will be great.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you!

  45. Kim

    Congratulations! I was sad reading this because I enjoyed when you did videos at your house. I loved to see how your house was decorated and all of your rooms just looked perfect…In fact I was very jealous! You have great taste and I can’t wait to see all of your new renovations. I hope you will have time to do some videos so that we can see the progress. Good luck to you and your family!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Hi Kim!

      Thanks so much for the comment, and yes – I plan to share videos and more in our new home! 🙂 Stay tuned…

  46. Jan

    Wishing you and your family happiness and adventures in your new home.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you!

  47. Laura Wyatt

    Does your daughter like dolphins? If so I have a beautiful dolphin snow globe to send you

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Thank you for the offer. That’s so thoughtful, but we wouldn’t want you to go to the trouble of sending.

  48. animity

    Oh Reno…..good luck! Great for taxes!! (I am sorry about that traffic there, it never ends and the construction on I-80 and Hwy 395 is never ending.)

  49. Felice

    Welcome to Reno!!! Maybe we will run into each other at Target sometime.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Possibly as I am sure loving the Target in Reno! It’s so big and clean! 🙌

  50. Olgraygirl

    I know there have been hard things to deal with, but it’s great to see your kids (and you) smiling! Everything in life is an adventure and renovating and redecorating, getting new items each of you loves, will certainly offset the minor inconveniences in the process. Congrats to you and yours, and remember to take deep breaths–find a yoga class!!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Such great tips, and yes – I NEED a yoga class in my life! 😉

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