Over the last two weeks my house has had a steady stream of visitors, from inspectors, plumbers and electricians to old friends, new neighbors (and their dogs) and a babysitter. I still wake up surrounded by boxes and I can’t remember where I’d decided to place the things we have already unpacked. My almost-6-year-old is literally bouncing around the house, making forts out of everything and threatening the crystal I haven’t found a shelf for yet. At least once a day she has a boo-boo and at least once I day she gives me one. Suffice it to say my home is utter chaos.

Two weeks ago we moved out of a three-story townhouse in Dallas and headed west to “grow up with the country.” Actually so that we could renovate our little Laguna Beach cottage while my daughter went to a public school that would encourage her natural curiosity and intelligence the way that the expensive private schools in North Texas would. My husband is still based in Dallas most of the week, making this home renovation project my full-time job in addition to caring for the munchkin and starting a new life in a new community. It is a challenge, and one I took on willingly and excitedly. But now we are here, and the list keeps on growing. New plumbing, new wiring, new floors, new paint, new front door, and new windows occupy the same place in my head as get registered for school, find summer camps, make new friends, get active in the community, attend that wine tasting, see a play, visit a gallery, set up play dates, find a new doctor, change my address, reach out to publicists, make weekend family plans and arrange more important than ever date nights. Oh, and this writing thing! I am overwhelmed, but it is better than being bored.

Given the intensity of these projects and goals, I have no choice but to get healthier and remain healthy. This mom needs more energy than ever and that requires healthier food and exercise. How lucky then that we can walk three blocks to a beautiful beach and are literally surrounded by ocean and state parks! Thus far every Saturday we have visited the Laguna Beach Farmer’s Market, where the munchkin samples every fruit, cheese, and nut that they will let her try, and we walk away with our reusable sacks full of fresh local food for the week’s meals. On my list for immediate resolution is to buy a grill for our backyard patio, where I plan to cook the fish, vegetables, and anything else we find over the next months and possibly years. I have no idea where to start when it comes to purchasing one, so undoubtedly that will be another few days of research.

For now, I have successfully registered the child for soccer, swimming, musical theater, art, and beach/ocean exploration week-long summer camps. We are now members of the Laguna Art Museum and the Laguna Beach Parents Club, and have made friends with our neighbors and their kids. We have a dentist and a regular babysitter that we adore, and plans are in the works for the first set of renovations on the house. Have I mentioned we’ve only been here two weeks? It’s all in effort to remain a “real posh mom” providing the best that life that has to offer for my family. Hopefully, regardless of how successful or how disastrous these projects turn out to be, my stories will be educational or at least entertaining fodder for our readers. And please- if you have any advice, I am all ears. Back to unpacking… and maybe the beach.