Hi friend—if you’ve ever had one of those seasons where life feels like it’s constantly in motion (but somehow you still aren’t getting anywhere), I see you.

This is one of those conversations.

Because the honest truth is: it’s been nearly 10 months since I last recorded consistently, and a lot has happened in the in-between. Not the polished highlight reel kind of “happened.” The messy-middle kind. The kind where plans evaporate, deadlines shift, and you’re just trying to keep your family fed, your business alive, and your sanity somewhere above “emergency.”

We’re talking about moving (multiple times), living out of a storage unit, staying in an Airbnb, moving in with my mom, renovation projects, frozen pipes, Christmas chaos, birthdays, budgeting shifts, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with building a life and a business at the same time.

But here’s the weird part: even when nothing looks “productive” on paper, growth still happens. Just… not always in the way we expect.

If we haven’t met yet, I’m Brittany — a mom of five, home renovation enthusiast, and a business owner who’s all about keeping life real and doable. I know firsthand how messy, beautiful, and overwhelming motherhood can feel, and I share from that space of “in the trenches” right alongside you.

Here, you’ll find encouragement, practical tips, and honest conversations about balancing family, work, and your own sense of self. My hope is that you’ll walk away feeling a little lighter, a little more seen, and a whole lot more equipped to create a life that works for you and your family. Follow me on Instagram @brittanynmiller_ for more.

Table of Contents

But First, A Little Business Reflection

When I say things have been changing, I mean it.

Last time I posted consistently, we were in our old house. That was back in April 2025. And now it’s February 2026. So yes—time is real, and no, I didn’t “mean to” disappear. If you’ve been in a long season of transition, you’ll understand.

Here’s what I noticed when I checked my podcast dashboard recently: even though I published only a handful of episodes during that time, people still kept listening. Downloads stayed consistent enough that I didn’t feel like the whole effort had died.

And that’s honestly encouraging for anyone who has been thinking, “What’s the point if I can’t show up consistently right now?”

Sometimes, content is a long game. Even when you’re not actively pushing the schedule, you’re still building a library of trust.

Quick Word for Anyone Feeling “Derailment”

If you’ve been derailed by life—by health, finances, moving, caregiving, or just that weird transition season where everything is in flux—please hear me:

You’re not behind. You’re not failing. You’re in the middle.

And the middle is where most real stories happen—where the “why” gets clarified and the “how” gets rebuilt.

One day, you’ll look back and realize your life wasn’t stagnant. It was being restructured, and that's okay.

The Part Nobody Tells You About Moving (Especially With Kids)

Our journey started with a move—and if you’ve ever moved with young children, you already know this: moving is stressful. Moving while you’re renovating is a whole different sport.

We sold our house, packed our boxes, and moved out—but packing with kids feels less like “preparing” and more like “managing a small tornado that also needs snacks.”

The first thing you want to pack is the toys. But you can’t.

• If you pack them, children get upset and chaos expands.

• If you don’t pack them, you can’t pack anything else because mess is constant.

So you end up doing the only logical thing: you pack in “acceptable chaos windows.” Like the last 48 hours before the move when you can handle the emotional blast radius… but not four weeks of it.

We had planned to be organized this time. We had the dates. We had the timeline. I was going to be so calm. So prepared.

Reader, I was not calm. I did not feel prepared. And we did not get out of our house on time 🤫.

Moving day arrived at 2:00 p.m., and I was panicking that the new owners would arrive before we were fully out. (And yes, I’m aware this is partly my own fault—because my mom showed up with the energy of a full-blown cleaning service and decided it was the perfect time to dig up raspberry bushes.)

She was determined to fix everything that needed fixing, even though we were already late trying to hit the “vacate by noon” deadline.

Thankfully, things worked out—mostly because the universe was on our side and the new owners didn’t show up while she was there.

But the stress? The stress was real, and I really hope I don't have to do it again anytime soon! I share more about this in the full conversation on the Go Get Great podcast here:

Storage Unit Plans: 10/10 Idea, 1/10 Execution

In theory, our storage plan was beautiful.

We labeled boxes. We planned which items we needed immediately (toilet paper, paper towels, basic kitchen supplies). We even bought disposable dishes so we wouldn’t have to wash anything for a few days. I was like, “I’ve thought this through.”

And then our storage unit sat on our yard… while renovations took longer than expected. The original plan was to leave our belongings in the unit until the renovations were complete. Then the plan shifted and we emptied the unit into our attic so we could reallocate the storage rental fee to actual renovation costs. Then we rearranged the attic so many times looking for things that were at the front of the unit (but had been buried when we unloaded it) that it felt like we should’ve been paid as professional box archaeologists.

At points, in January, we couldn’t find basic things like:

• plates

• glasses

• frying pans

• bedding

• and—this still makes me laugh and cry—our knife block

We kept opening the attic boxes “we were sure” had the things we needed. Twice. Sometimes more. And each time the box content didn’t have what I was looking for. The kids are still sleeping on mattresses without sheets because I know they're here somewhere and I don't want to buy new ones.

Living Out of Airbnbs and Hotels With Kids (It Sounds Fun… It’s Not)

From April through June of 2025, we stayed in alternating Airbnbs and hotels. I’m not sure I’ll ever do that with children again.

Part of the issue was logistics. No kitchen. No ability to cook. No proper storage. Every meal became either takeout or freezer-burnt survival options.

But there was also something emotionally draining about the environment. Hotels and Airbnbs feel temporary by design—and when you’re living there because you have no choice, temporary turns into exhausting.

And yes, we also paid money we shouldn’t have had to pay—like damage that we didn’t cause to an Airbnb we were staying at. There was even a moment where we were blamed for a hot water tank problem in a basement we weren’t allowed to access. That kind of “we can’t tell you how it broke, but it’s your fault” energy? It hits your soul and makes for a not so nice experience.

We were also spending money constantly just to keep life running—hotel costs, takeout meals, stress purchases. And it was financially stressful because our renovations needed money too and that's not where out funds were flowing. Until we were finally able to move in with my parents. I talk more about our hotel vs. Airbnb experience in this podcast episode:

When You’re “Waiting to Feel Settled,” Time Doesn’t Wait Back

Here’s what I learned: you can plan for a season of transition, but you can’t fully control how long it lasts.

We ended up staying longer than expected—first moving in with my mom (supposedly temporary), then staying longer. And longer.

We told ourselves we’d stay until school was done. That plan was supposed to be three weeks.

It turned into seven months.

During that time we navigated summer camp, daycare changes, address-based subsidy issues, and a lot of “okay, what’s the next workaround?”

And we added another baby to the mix.

Yes. Fifth baby.

Sometimes I still struggle to wrap my head around the fact that there are five children in our house. It’s a lot for anyone, but adding five kids to a logistics-heavy renovation season is basically a cheat code for chaos, even though most days he's the easiest one to deal with.

I appreciate that we were able to stay with my parents, but by the end it definitely felt like we had over stayed our welcome and I was ready to move into our house even though only 2 rooms were finished and we had to sleep on air mattresses.

The Renovation Era: Small Details, Huge Emotional Weight

At some point, we stopped talking about “renovations” as a tasks on our to-do list and started living inside the emotional weight of unfinished work.

There’s a specific kind of frustration that comes with constant “almost done” projects. Like:

• A bathroom is functional but not “finished” in my head.

• Trim is missing one piece above a door.

• Paint isn’t the right colour yet.

• Nail holes need wood filler and sanding and repainting.

• You notice gaps around outlet boxes every time you walk into the room.

And here’s my personality type confession: I can’t relax until the to-do list is truly done. Other people can ignore the unfinished stuff and “just enjoy life.” My brain keeps a running checklist in the background like a nagging notification that never turns off and it constantly drains my energy.

It’s amazing for motivation and productivity. I get things done. But it also means I burn out more consistently because there’s always something calling my attention.

Meanwhile, my husband (and other people in my life) can set things aside and rest. So we end up navigating a personality tension that I think most builders and parents eventually face: You’re not only doing work—you’re carrying the mental load of the whole project. This is what I struggle with the most.

Christmas Chaos: The Budget, the Birthdays, and the Reality Check

December hit like it always does—full of holiday expectations, school transitions, and “we should definitely have everything figured out by now” vibes.

But we had a small budget and multiple birthdays stacked closely together.

My mom’s birthday is December 23. Raiyah’s is December 27. Then there are other birthdays right after that—January is basically birthday season in our house for Grayson, Rhett and my brother.

We also had to reschedule a birthday party because my mom had been sick. There wasn’t really space in St. Thomas to host without breaking our wallet, and my mom wasn’t excited about people in her house. So we ended up doing something simple—McDonald’s with some of the kids.

Honestly? It was fine. No one complained. The kids had fun.

Birthdays aside, Christmas is its own kind of overwhelm.

I wanted to do all the classic adage—something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read.

But when you do that for four gifts times five kids, that math becomes… expensive.

Even if you spend “only” about $20 per gift, it adds up fast. And we also had to factor in gifts for relatives.

I kept thinking, “I should record this. I should document what I spend.”

But I didn’t have time, and honestly I didn’t want to turn the holiday into a second full-time job. Most of our gifts for the kids were purchased second hand from Facebook Marketplace (my favourite place to shop) or second-hand stores which helped me keep our Christmas budget reasonable, and the kids didn't notice or care.

I was bummed the season was so busy because I had so many fun content ideas in my head—like when influencers create reels of themselves and their partner walking around the house putting little bows on the things they've purchased for their renovation as their "gifts" for Christmas because that's honestly what our Christmas was too. We got each other like one small gift and that was it.

We did make one special purchase for "the family": we redeemed TD points and got a KitchenAid Mixer I’d wanted for years.

Was it a gift for me? Technically yes.

Was it a gift for the whole family? Also yes.

Because my goal is to make more at home—especially since grocery bills are insane. And if I’m investing time into home cooking, I need tools that make it doable. Plus, the kids are the ones that eat all the food I make so it's kinda for them too, right?

That mixer wasn’t just “nice.” It was strategic.

Why Intentional Purchases Became My 2026 Focus

As I looked at what was stressing me out the most, it became clear: not everything should be an impulse purchase or spending. In 2026, my focus is intentional buying.

Not “intentional” as in hoarding. Intentional as in:

• Buying things that reduce daily friction

• Buying things that help me save on larger expenses

• Buying things that let me prepare food efficiently

• Buying things that make parenting logistics easier

Some examples:

• Fix the stand-up freezer. Homemade food is only useful if you can store it. Stand-up freezers are expensive, but I’m hoping to fix ours or find a used option that doesn't break the bank.

• Improve grocery shopping strategy. Grocery stores are farther away than we’re used to, so forgetting something becomes more expensive in time and cost. I'll be investing in kitchen tools that help me make more food at home to reduce our trips to the store.

• Price match when food goes on sale. If chicken is $5.99 on sale, I’ll buy extra packs. But only if freezer space exists.

I also wanted a fancy cheese grater—a rotating-style one like what you see influencers use.

It’s around $35. But I realized I’d been spending money without connecting it to the bigger picture.

Because if I buy the $35 grater, I effectively reduce my grocery budget by $35 in the next couple of weeks.

And we need the budget to stretch, not shrink.

So I didn’t buy it right now. It's been sitting in my Amazon shopping cart for over a month now and it may be there for awhile longer, sadly.

That moment taught me something: every small “want” purchase becomes a real decision when your bills (like electricity stop being so unpredictable and expensive please!).

The Frozen Pipes Era

January and early February were… a lot.

After all the chaos of moving and renovations, our pipes froze again. The house wasn’t consistently heated because renovations were still ongoing and the heat pumps weren’t able to keep up when temps dropped to negative 22 degrees.

Frozen pipes in a household with seven people is not a minor inconvenience—it’s a full-body stress event.

We lost the ability to flush toilets properly. The bathroom smelled like a port-a-potty. Hygiene became a daily management problem.

And because running water wasn’t available, even cooking became difficult. So we ate food that required less water, less prep, and less clean-up—like grocery store boxed lasagna. Paper plates were our friends again. It felt like we were moving backwards.

We drove back and forth to my mom’s house for weekends so everyone could stay clean and warm. It felt like living in a car without actually being in the car. I used to drive Gray into the gyms in Chatham so he could shower since he stayed at our house trying to fix the problem while the kids and I went to mom's. It sucked and I'm glad we've finally found a solution to the problem, we purchased these on Amazon and haven't had a problem since.

The Fix: Heating Coils (A Farm Tip That Actually Worked)

We tried a lot of options.

We called plumbers. We did the usual advice or plugging in heaters near the water pipes (which is why our heat bills were outrageous). We heard advice form everyone but nothing seemed to work, the pipes were very frozen and waiting for warmer weather was not an option.

Then my uncle (who has a farm with cows and barns—more small town “farm life” than “mega-farm”) mentioned a solution nobody else had: heating coils.

We were skeptical but also desperate. So Grayson researched it, did some googling, and implemented the heating coils under the house.

And it worked! These are the heating coils we purchased.

First it thawed frozen pipes. Then we had to thaw the main water line connecting city water to the house. That part was a mess of trying different heater placements under the house.

But we got it solved... eventually.

And since then, we haven’t had problems again (knock on wood). It’s been about two weeks and it’s still cold some days, so we’re hopeful the solution holds.

Still, I’m not thrilled about the potential electricity cost.

Hydro bills were already painful:

• Budgeted around $250

• Actual bill last month: $630

• Actual bill this month: $750

• Actual bill the following month: $1,150 🤮

  
  

So no, there’s no disposable income for impulse cheese graters these days.

Business Update: The Real Shift That Happened

Okay—so what about the business?

Because this episode wasn’t just a life recap. It was also about what changed in my approach, my pace, and what I’m prioritizing.

Here’s the truth: during the last season, my heart wasn’t in posting marketing content seven days a week.

And I didn’t want to force it. My business still exists. I still take clients, I’m not quitting.

But I shifted my content strategy and my energy allocation to my personal Instagram account where I share renovation and motherhood content. Follow me here if you don't already. I focused more on my personal page and on more behind-the-scenes posting—because that’s where the emotional reality is.

I’ll keep business-focused content here and there, including podcast episodes with marketing insights. In fact, I plan to re-record a podcast episode about a newer ManyChat feature (listen to that episode here) because I recorded it back in December and then realized it had incorrect info.

So yes—podcast (and business growth) is still happening, just not in the “perfect schedule” way.

Instead of marketing content being my daily job, it became more like:

• Show up when I can

• Share what’s real

• Teach what I’ve learned

• Keep the business alive without burning out

And I think that’s the lesson from this whole season: growth is not always constant output. Sometimes it’s constant survival—and then you rebuild from the inside out.

What This Season Taught Me (Beyond the Chaos)

If I could summarize the last 10 months into a few takeaways, it would be these:

1) Consistency isn’t a switch. It’s a season-based practice.

There were months I published almost nothing. But downloads and views still came in on my podcast content. That tells me long-form content keeps working, even if your schedule temporarily pauses.

2) Unfinished projects don’t just sit in the house—they sit in your nervous system.

If you’re a “can’t relax until it’s done” person, you’re not lazy—you’re just wired to notice gaps.

The challenge is learning how to carry that drive without it turning into constant burnout.

3) Intentional purchases are emotional as well as financial.

Buying a fancy kitchen tool isn’t just “$35.” It’s what else you delay or cut to make room for it. So aligning purchases with the bigger plan matters.

4) Support matters. So does asking for advice from people outside your usual circles.

The heating coils fix came from someone who had never been part of our plumber loop. Sometimes the solution isn’t “try harder.” Sometimes it’s “ask a different person.”

5) Growth can look like survival first.

You don’t always build momentum by doing more. Sometimes momentum returns when you stop forcing production and instead create structure around real life.

The Big Goal for 2026: Build a Life That Works (Not Just a Life You Endure)

My theme for 2026 is setting things up so my home and my routines support me instead of constantly fighting me because when you’re a large family, every extra step matters.

For example, I’ve been thinking about a clothesline again—not because it’s trendy, but because laundry logistics are changing. When the laundry room is closer to the exit, it becomes realistic to do laundry in a way that reduces time and energy.

And then there’s my slightly chaotic (but also incredibly practical) renovation idea: a laundry shoot. It's a throwback to the 80s but I'm here for it. Kids can toss clothes in. I can sort. I can wash. Then I can carry what’s needed upstairs. It’s not glamorous. But it could save me a lot of time and energy not carting baskets up and down the stairs.

That’s what I mean by “intentional.” Not perfection. Not aesthetics. Practical setups that make our day to day tasks easier.

Closing Thoughts: The Middle Still Counts

If there’s one thing I want you to take from this, it’s that the “middle” of life—the chaos, the transitions, the moving boxes, the unfinished trim, the frozen pipes, the budgeting stress—doesn’t mean you’re stuck.

It means you’re building foundations you can’t see yet.

And eventually, you’ll walk into your life and realize it feels different.

Not because it became perfect… but because you finally got the systems working for you again. So if you’re in your middle right now, I’m rooting for you. Keep going. Keep growing and Go Get Great!

P.S. Don't forget to join me on Instagram @brittanynmiller_ to see more of the messy middle

Episode References

The Real Story Behind Selling Our House https://www.brittanymillersocials.ca/post/the-real-story-behind-selling-our-house

You're One Decision Away From A Totally Different Life - Here's Mine https://www.brittanymillersocials.ca/post/your-one-decision-away-from-a-different-life

Must-Have Gear for Stress-Free Travel with Kids: Hotel & Airbnb Tips to Save Your Sanity https://www.brittanymillersocials.ca/post/must-have-gear-for-stress-free-travel-with-kids-hotel-airbnb-tips

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Hit follow and please leave a review if you enjoyed this episode! The kids and I might even bust out a happy dance! 💗 - Brittany