I don’t know about you, but when I see beautiful homes day in and day out, all day every day working in the home design/ DIY niche it can get difficult not to compare. Wow, I wish I had that kitchen space. Omg that outdoor living area is amazing. Look at that landscape…and the list goes on. You feel me, I’m sure. But how do we love our homes right now?
Listen, don’t get me wrong I absolutely love my home. Not because it’s immaculate, magazine-worthy or any other thing you might think it is…it is actually none of those! It is because it is the place we call HOME. The place where we sit around the dinner table and tell stories of our day. Where we cry and laugh and cut up. It is where we watch movies on the sofa and grill ribs in the backyard. Where we sit on the patio and talk about life. It is where we kiss our boys goodnight in their beds or have hard discussions about bad grades. All these things make your house your home.
Here are some tips I have for you if you aren’t currently loving your home:
- First things first…just like the title of this post says (quoted by Theodore Roosevelt): Comparison is the thief of joy. Think about that for a minute if you never truly have. It literally steals us away from satisfaction with our own life, home, job, etc providing us with a yard stick on the thing we see as desirable. We only see one perspective when we look at others homes, we never really know the whole picture. People’s homes are just as messy and lived in as yours, don’t oversimplify theirs because you can see one perspective on it.
- Stop putting off that wish list you want to do, buy or create for your home. Whether it be a piece of art, adding a rolling island in the kitchen, painting that room—whatever it is! We tend to say we’ll wait until xyz to do it, but in reality just do it! If we’ve all learned anything the last 3 years it is that time can be short and we should do the things we love.
- Try a new furniture arrangement. I remember in our former home we had a small living room and it didn’t lend itself to many layout options. I hated the layout we had. It had zero traffic flow and the furniture was shoved against the walls (pet peeve of mine unless it’s the only option!) So I played with the layout and it made me love it more once I rearranged the layout. Give it a try! (pic below of the before & after)
- Invite friends or family over! Giving yourself a reason to tidy up and show people your home is a quick and fun way to start building memories. We had Thanksgiving dinner in our little living room and pulled in a 6-ft folding table and put a tablecloth on it and laughed and enjoyed great food. It is a memory (one of many) I’ll always have in that home.
- Clean up one room if cleaning and decluttering is an overwhelming thing for you. Start with picking up 5 items in that room per day. Put 5 things away that belong somewhere else—a drawer, a closet, not the floor! You will be surprised how much you can get accomplished by just starting. If cleaning and/or decluttering is not a problem for you do a good cleaning of a room or your whole house. Sprinkle baby powder or baking soda mixed with a few drops of essential oil on your carpet and/or rugs before vacuuming. It will really freshen up the room and mentally make it feel “like new”.
- If you are on a tight budget (aren’t we all these days??) then try to set aside an amount for home improvements or projects you really want done. If that is $15/month then that is what it is! Once your reach a set goal for a project, take your money guilt-free and debt free and get your project done. Don’t stress if it takes years to save. It might! But you will feel so great to have saved that money and paid for it all at once. No matter how long it takes.
- As a homeowner you know there will be leaks, busted pipes, foundation repairs and all things in-between that will sometimes make you blame (or cuss) your home, no just me? But you will look back on those sweet memories being made and take the bad with the good. You’ll see the good outweighing the bad and it will make you develop a stronger relationship with your home with each memory and smile made. ☺️
