Jonathan's Bedroom Redo

 Jonathan will be starting first grade in a little over three weeks, and I thought it was time to change his room to reflect his interests and to remove all traces of toddlerhood :(.  I worked with a limited budget, using mostly what we already had with a few new additions.
I purchased his bed and nightstand when he was two. It was a floor sample and I got both pieces for $199. I really couldn't afford new furniture, so am using what we have, along with the chest which was purchased with his crib when he was born. His name in colorful letters, as well as a ceiling fan with primary color blades, were part of the nursery decor.
Jonathan is very much in to taekwondo at the moment, which fortunately has very colorful belts. Using mostly primary red, I can use the bright colors as room accents.
I started by rearranging the furniture in his very small room and am very happy with the new placement. Thanks so much to my niece, Michelle, I couldn't have moved it all around without her help! Michelle blogs at Somerset Cottage, check it out! Next came Pottery Barn Kids curtains, purchase new on eBay. I had to search a bit to find a red quilt in the correct shade, but I did find one. I bought a red and blue rug for the side of the bed then added the fun stuff.

 I found the colorful drawer set a Goodwill (yay!) in like new condition. Jonathan wanted a bulletin board for pictures, ticket stubs, drawings, etc., so we found one at Staples. He helped me hang it, putting the last screw in all by himself.

 The black chair is from Christmas Tree Shoppe. I looked for one in a primary color, but could only find pinks, purples and aquas, so I settled on a black one. I actually think it works rather well!
The poster used as a backdrop for his birthday cake now hangs over his bed, and remember all those gumballs in belt colors? The leftovers now fill a lamp base on his nightstand. It is elevated on signed broken boards he has received from demos at testings. He wanted those boards, and I couldn't figure out what to do with them.

The belt racks on the wall were a birthday gift, and the board Mr. D broke at his party is also on the wall, along with a picture of all of his party guests.

His baseball bats from the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum are also on the wall. I hung these on a broom holder!

We went through all of his books and removed the ones he thought were "too babyish" and put some of his geodes, trophies and shells on display on the shelves. We still have some empty space for future acquisitions.

I would still like to add a couple of shelves over the bulletin board for trophies that I know will be earned, and maybe some photographs and a colorful pillow for the chair, but we are pretty much finished with the redo. I love how it turned out, but more importantly, so does Jonathan!

Helicopter Ride

On the Saturday following Jonathan's birthday, we went to the banks of the Ohio River and boarded this helicopter to fly over Cincinnati. It was a short ride, but the view was spectacular! We were the first passengers of the day so we watched the copter fly in and land on the helipad. I thought Jonathan might be a little nervous, but he was just excited!
We talked to each other through headphones during the ride, Jonathan thought that was cool.

We flew over Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds, and Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals. What little boy wouldn't love that? We also enjoyed views of the city and the river, and also the Newport, Ky. area.

Jonathan said it was the best gift ever, and wanted to know when we could do it again. Much better than another toy! I agree. It was a wonderful experience to share with him.

Taekwondo Party Wrap-Up

Jonathan always enjoys his birthday parties so much, which is one of the reasons I enjoy planning them so much. He said this one was the best ever! (Of course he always says this!). He has some great friend, too, and they all seemed to have a good time. A few more pictures:

One guest's gift was balloons with money inside, a great idea!

With friends Liam & Peyton

With his friend Kayleigh

With my sweet niece, Michelle

Jonathan & Mommy

My gift to Jonathan, as you can see in the picture, was a helicopter ride! I'll share pictures from the ride over Cincinnati next post!