701.478.3000 | 3280 Veterans Blvd. Suite 120 Fargo, ND 58104

Thomsen Homes

Affordable Luxury Homes in Fargo, ND

Lauren Stonehouse

Easy Pantry Organization Tips

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It is the area of the home that can be forgotten but is a space we frequent daily; can you guess what it is? It is the pantry! The space within the home where we store everything from canned goods, crockpots, cereal and basically anything you could think of. Now this could be a space that could drive you nuts, but you just do not have the time, or energy or creativeness to make this space a little more pretty!

We asked organizing guru Maria of The Baer Minimalist for some advice she has on keeping this space organized and styled!

Tips

Discard Expired Goods and all Packaging – It’s amazing how many items are hidden inside the pantry that expired one, two, sometimes eight years ago. Toss anything expired and consider donating items to a local food pantry that won’t be consumed in time. From there, pull all beverages from their cardboard containers, toss the bulk packaging that eats up valuable space and give those shelves a good wipe down.

Create Zones – Think of your grocery shopping experience and create similar zones that fit your family’s lifestyle, such as breakfast, baking, grab and go snacks, and canned goods. Keep items that your family reaches for daily on the most accessible shelves.

Don’t forget the space available on the inside of your pantry door! Check out the ELFA system from Container Store for a door-mounted unit that will give you a ton of extra storage without taking up much space.

Utilize Baskets + Bins – If you like seeing quantities of ingredients on hand, opt for clear containers or bins to house your pantry staples. If you opt to use plastic canisters to store cereal or snacks, make sure to add an expiration date to the bottom of the container (for pastas, we’ll often cut out the cooking instructions and tape them to the back of the canister too). If your preference is out of sight, out of mind, woven baskets look incredibly streamlined on pantry shelves.

Label, Label, Label – Pantries are also the space in your home that gets replenished most often, so labeling is ultra-important. My favorite markers for labeling are these chalk markers that come in such vibrant colors and work on tons of different surfaces. This also allows you to hold everyone in your house accountable for keeping up a system.

The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces throughout Indianapolis, Indiana. To keep up to date with all of the tips, tricks and inspiration doled out, subscribe to their newsletter, The Minimal-List and follow along on social, @thebaerminimalist.

 

Ideas for pantries when building a new home

When building a new home the pantry can sometimes be a space that can get overlooked. There are so many different options when building that you may not even realize can be nice little add-ons to this space to make your life more organized and less cramped.

Depending on what floor plan you decide on there are different options  for pantries, as well as ways to modify what is offered as a pantry within that floor plan. Everything from shelving options like standard wire shelving or custom shelving or even custom cabinetry within your pantry. Think about how you want to utilize this space.

Another unique add on to make things easier is including  a small door that you can access from your garage to your pantry in order to quickly load your groceries and boxes through can be a game changer.

 

 

Summer Safety: Never Take A Vacation From It

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Summer safety is a hot topic, literally and we asked Safe Kids of Grand Forks Coordinator Carma Hanson to share with us  some  insight on how to enjoy the summer months and keep those kiddos safe.

As the warm days of summer have come to our part of the country, we find kids out of school, families enjoying this season and all of us adjusting to the new routines that Covid-19 has brought to us this year. Routinely, June, July and August are the 100 deadliest days of the year for kids as they are out of school and in a less structured environment. Add to that this year the stresses that have accompanied our global pandemic where parents may be working from home or carrying the weight of job changes or losses. All of these things lead to a set-up for more unintentional childhood injuries. We offer some insight into ways that you can keep your home a safe environment by not taking a vacation from safety.

Because of community pools being more apt to be closed, above ground pools have popped up around homes. While these can offer a cool retreat from hot summer days, they can also present a danger. Below ground pools are required to have 4-sided fencing around them, but smaller above ground ones are not. If you have young children that may toddle off or are curious by nature, know what is in your neighbor’s backyard and assure that kids don’t get out of your sight. Drowning is a silent behavior and you often won’t hear a child struggling in the water. If you have a pool in your yard, but sure to store toys and floaties out of the pool when not in use so kids are not tempted by them. If it is a smaller pool, dump the water and turn the pool upside down so it does not collect water with rainfalls.  Keep the ladder stored out of sight and in a shed or garage, away from the pool. Active adult supervision, meaning the adults are watching the kids and not reading a book, cooking on the grill, talking on the phone, taking a nap or a variety of other activities, is important to keep kids safe in a water situation.  Never rely on inflatable water wings or water rings to keep your kids afloat. If you have a below ground pool at your home, assure that there are self-latching gates on the fence and if there are doors from the house that exit directly to the pool, equip them with alarms so you will be alerted if someone exists them.

 

Another danger for children in the summertime is heatstroke from kids being left in cars that heat up quickly or children gaining access to a vehicle whether that be at your family home or a neighbor’s. It doesn’t take a very hot day for this type of tragedy to occur. Temperatures inside vehicles can get to be 40-60 degrees hotter than outside and children’s bodies overheat three to five times fast than an adult. When the vehicle is not in use, lock the car and keep the keys out of reach. Always remember to check the back seat after every ride and set reminders on your phone as babies often fall asleep in the vehicle when the car starts moving.  A simple change in routine such as road construction that takes you on a different route to work can quickly lead to a tragic outcome for a young child. If you see a child in a vehicle that is unattended, call 911 immediately so emergency responders can come and get the child removed and provide medical attention if needed.

While the summertime can create great family time and generate fabulous memories, we want to assure that kids are free of the dangers that this season presents. For more information on preventable childhood injuries, visit www.safekidsgf.com or LIKE us on Facebook at Safe Kids Grand Forks. Altru Health System is proud to serve as the lead agency for Safe Kids Grand Forks and you can reach out to us there at safekids@altru.org. Sip your lemonade, relax in the cool waters of a pool and enjoy special times with your family but never, ever take a vacation from summer safety.

 

 

 

 

 

Design Inspiration for our Thomsen home

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Chelsey with @frengpartyoffive   shares another blog post about her home building journey with Thomsen Homes. Her home is finished and the whole family is settled in. Read below some of the inspiration she had while designing her home.

Thank you for joining us on our Thomsen home building journey! Don’t miss my other blog posts here.

Today I’m going to talk about inspiration that we used for our Thomsen build. Over the past several months, I’ve gained a lot of inspiration from Instagram. There were a few key areas in our home that I knew we’d put more of our budget into and a few areas that we will add to after we close and move-in. During our design meetings, I shared with the design team my inspiration behind the few areas of our home and they helped my goals become reality.

Kitchen

I knew that I wanted to add a few key things to our kitchen right away and of course Nate agreed. He’s been so easy going through this whole process (as long as it’s within budget). In my dream kitchen, I wanted to add a large window over the sink, white appliances, a square island, a white box hood over the range, quartz backsplash and 2 pendants over the island. After showing these ideas to Shirley, she was able to obtain pricing for several different options and we were able to narrow down our choices. Here’s a few images I used for our kitchen inspiration.

                        Source: Amber Interiors                                                        Source: thegritandpolish

Source: hearthhomesinteriors                                                                          Source: nicolediannephoto

 

Of course there were things that didn’t fit in our budget such as cabinets and countertop in our pantry, but Thomsen had great ideas such as removing the wire shelving, adding electrical, etc. so that Nate and I can add these items after we close on our home.

Here’s a vision board I put together for our kitchen.

Bathroom

I really wanted the bathroom of my dreams with a tiled floor, tiled shower and large soaking tub; however, the space nor budget allowed for all of these items. I used the images below for our vanity inspiration, flooring and tiled shower.

Source: juniperhome                                                                                               Source: designstiles

Can’t you just see it all coming together? I have my fingers crossed that everything will come together and look great. Check back next time as I discuss our lighting  during our electrical walk through!

Life Outside: Style Your Deck or Patio

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We wait patiently for this every season the time when we can be outdoors, enjoy the sunshine and spend time on our deck or patio. The space off of our homes for unwinding with a cold one, or grilling that delicious steak and indulging in an ice cream cone. We savor the time spent outside with our families in these spaces.

How to stylize my deck or patio

Whether, you use this space to grill, and relax it’s nice to make it your own little oasis off of the home. Here are somethings you can do to make your outdoor space more enjoyable and add some style.

Greenery

An easy way to make your deck or patio pop is adding in flowers or a touch of greenery. This can be a simple way to add color to your outdoor space. If you aren’t a green thumb opt for plants that are low maintenance like succulents or ferns. Flower boxes or pots can compliment the space and are an easy way to stylize and become a fun hobby too.

Outdoor Furniture

This is an area where you can really have a lot of fun! There are so many different ways you can make your outdoor space trendy and comfortable. You can do outdoor furniture like couches, lounge chairs, daybeds, bistro set, gas firepit and so much more the options are endless.  We love these rattan chairs from EcoChic compliment them with a textured pillow to add some dimension and color.

Alfresco Dining

Create an outdoor entertaining space with simple outdoor dining sets, neutral table runner and no-fuss place settings. Invest in cute outdoor platters, outdoor cutlery for a fast easy clean up for dining outdoors. We love these place settings from EcoChic that can be used indoors and outdoors. A neutral pallet allows for flexibility to add pops of greenery or color to swap out for the season. This gives you more options when entertaining while keeping your staple pieces simple.

No matter what you decide to do with this outdoor space make it your own. Take time to enjoy those summer days and nights because they are precious! If you decide to build don’t forget that with Thomsen Homes you get deck or patio and a sod yard included in the base price of your home.

 

Image credits @Ecochic

 

It takes a village: COVID-19 Emergency Fund

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On March 21st, Thomsen Homes launched a give back initiative to help alleviate some financial instabilities due to COVID-19. The initiative, which was originally set for $50,000, was to be given to those different individuals, businesses, and organizations that had been affected by the pandemic. Thomsen Homes had taken to social media to request nominations from the community and asked our social following to submit their recommendations on who should be nominated for the relief fund. The response to the give back initiative took off,  and we sought out other businesses that wanted to help, in the hopes of making a greater impact. Through the generous donation of almost $60,000 from ten other businesses, along with Thomsen’s 50% additional match, the total impact reached $139,000.

156 businesses were nominated throughout the community that needed help. Through our committee, donors, and partnership with the FM Area Community Foundation, we narrowed our suggested recipients from 156 down to 30 different individuals, businesses and non-profits with the highest needs. We then utilized a range that was established to determine the amount given to each individual, business, or organization to help them through the challenges they are facing due to COVID-19.

“We are fortunate to be in a position to give back like this,” said Chris Thomsen, Founder/CEO of Thomsen Homes. “It’s really amazing to see how something like this can truly bring people together. The support and positivity that came from this initiative and our generous partners in the community is indescribable. We live in a very special place with some very amazing people.”

The 30 recipients spanned from non-profit organizations, small businesses, and individuals in the F-M area as well as Grand Forks. We worked closely with FM Area Community Foundation and funds were distributed in mid-April.

We would like to recognize our ten donors below:

FM Title, Bank Forward, Weyer-For-Hire, Dawson Insurance, Anderson, Bottrell, Sanden & Thompson Law Firm, Northridge Construction, American Family Insurance DJ Colter, D&M Industries, All Season’s Mechanical and Ferguson.

Activities at Home with the Kiddos

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While there is uncertainty in the world about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), each day brings new insights and here at Thomsen Homes we are doing our part to keep our team and the safety and security of our guests as our highest priority. Circumstances and how this is affecting each individual are different, which means that those of you who have kiddos may be trying to think of ways to keep them occupied while you balance working from home.

Here are some fun ideas on how some of our Thomsen team are keeping our little ones minds flowing and bodies going:

 

Yoga

Health, movement and exercise all good for the mind, body and soul. Try putting on a workout video or stream one on Instagram or YouTube. You not only get a quick workout in but so do your littles as they try and master the different Yoga poses and mirror what you are doing.  Or maybe they have lots of energy to burn! Just turn on some good tunes and have a dance party! We find that the best dance parties happen in the kitchen.

Art & Science Projects

Who doesn’t like a good old fashioned art project? There are so many resources and ideas out there that you can pull from to keep those little minds and hands busy. One of the Thomsen mom’s has a little guy who is really into space and planets so she decided to create some planets out of good old fashioned construction paper and paint. To get a 3-D planet she also took some bouncy balls and painted them like each of the planets.

Here are some great resources online to get some ideas on different projects like this you can do with your kids.

Snacks and Super Heroes

Food is one of those areas we can get really creative. Our little ones love to help so have them help make different recipes or bake. Pull up a chair or a stool to the counter so they can see whats going on. Or if you have older kids give them the reins and have them take over dinner (under close supervision of course :) We love this idea of a variety of snacks in a muffin tin. How simple and fun! It’s like a kid version of tapas, you get to try a little of everything!

Now who doesn’t like a good super hero costume? I know I do! Use your imagination and whip out the dress up clothes or even the old Halloween costumes! Bring out that inner child and build an old fashioned fort in the living room. You remember the kind where you use all the couch cushions, dining chairs, boxes and whatever else you can find.

Hopefully, laughter, family togetherness and imagination we can all weather this though! We would love to hear and have you share your creative activity hacks to keep your little ones busy! Post them on our social media.

The Fun Part – Design Meetings- Guest Blog Chelsey Freng

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Continuing our home building journey, let’s talk about the fun part – design meetings. If you haven’t been following along, catch up here.

From personal experience, design meetings can be fun, but also stressful (think budget). In my opinion, the key to alleviating that stress is being prepared and planning ahead. Thomsen has structured their meetings so that each client has at least 3 meetings – floor plan, exterior and interior. We had a few more meetings than the initial 3, but we also had a lot of custom changes and I’m thankful for the extra time and effort the design team was able to put into our home.

Design Meeting 1 – Floor Plan

In our initial meeting, we discussed our site plan, floor plan, layout, windows, door placement, etc. Leading up to this meeting, we felt a little stressed as we couldn’t decide if we wanted to change the upstairs layout from 4 bedrooms to 3 bedrooms with a larger master bath (I’ve always dreamt of a large soaking tub). After talking it over, we decided to keep the original 4-bedroom layout and I’m so glad we did. The extra space will be much needed in the future as a guest room as we have family visiting out of town often.

Nate and I also knew we wanted to add a larger window in the kitchen, a larger patio door, and we opened the office space on the main floor by partially removing a wall. These are all items that we knew we wanted to add before going into our meeting, which was extremely helpful.

Design Meeting 2 – Exterior

During our second meeting, Nate and I were able to pick out our exterior siding, garage doors, shingles, and more. I love the look of the LP Smartside and can’t wait to see what it looks like on our home. We chose a classic white siding and brown brick for the front. We also were able to select a front door and I knew I wanted something with a large window. I had some inspiration pictures saved and Shirley was able to obtain pricing for several different doors. I love that we are able to make our home custom to our wants and needs. She suggested an 8’ door instead of a 7’ door and transom window. I can’t wait to see what the door looks like and how much light it will let in our entryway.

 

Starting Our Home Building Journey-Here we go!

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Welcome back to our second post about our home building journey. If you missed the first one, you can read it here. In this post, we are going to dive into selecting what home we wanted to build and the contract signing process. We initially met with Jess, Director of Sales and Marketing, and our Realtor, Alex Kuznia, to discuss the type of house we wanted to build and where.

Floor Plan

Nate and I knew we wanted to build a two-story home with space to grow. We discussed this with Jess as Thomsen Homes has several two-story homes in our price range. This was right before the fall parade, so we were able to walk through the two two-story model homes that we were considering. We walked through the new Thomsen 2161 floor plan and fell in love. We loved the fact that there is a main floor office because I work from home, 4 bedrooms upstairs and room to grow with an unfinished basement. I already had ideas running through my head on how we could make this home our own.

Location

After we decided on building the 2161 two-story, we decided on a lot. Nate and I both agreed that we wanted to stay in the same location that we currently live in (West Fargo) because we love the school district, the ponds and parks that are nearby and lots of walking trails. The developer just added an ice skating rink and a huge park, which we can’t wait to use! We also love the fact that we don’t have any apartments located nearby, just residential homes.

Nate and I were excited about the new Wilds 11th addition because it was close to our current home and they had lots that either backed up to a pond, trees or the West Fargo diversion so there were plenty of good options to choose from. Ultimately, we picked a lot that had a large backyard that backed up to the diversion, with a pond view from the front of the home.

Contract

After deciding on a house plan and lot, Nate and I talked with Jess and reviewed pricing. We went over a list of everything we knew we wanted to add to the home (such as upgrading from 8’ ceilings to 9’ ceilings, adding an air exchanger, changing the kitchen island to a square island, etc.). Having a list before signing the contract was really beneficial to us as  Jess was able to provide some relative ideas of pricing and allowances that we felt comfortable with and from that point, we signed a contract.

Because we wanted to build in a new development, the development wasn’t buildable for about a month and a half after we signed our contract, which felt like forever in my opinion. After singing our contract, Shirley, a designer at Thomsen, contacted us to set up our first design meeting, which is when the fun started.

Stay tuned for next time as I discuss our design meetings in further detail.