I like to think of my blog as a place where I am actually talking to you as a friend, so I want to begin this post with a big wave and maybe a little hug (not that I am a real hugger, but if I haven't seen you in a long time, you are probably getting a hug; just sayin').
My last post is now ironic because it was all about stopping and taking a breath. Little did I know that was going to be my last post for months. When I last left you, I was in the middle of packing up our little home and planning and decorating for my little brother's wedding. It was a busy season and I needed to stop and take my own breather.
However, over Christmas, I felt the nudge again to dust this space off again and open up the imaginary windows and let a fresh breeze blow through.
So whether or not you missed me, I am looking forward sharing with you all the ideas that I have written down in my journal for this space and to create a conversation with you.
To start this new season of writing again, I wanted to talk about how to refresh your home when you feel stuck. I don't know about you, but I have been watching the Marie Kondo Netflix special all about purging your home and blowing fresh air through the space. Netflix was very smart in placing this new series in January, because at this time of year, I think we all have a little urge to give our homes a new look after we pack away all of our Christmas decorations.
What happens though when you have the urge to give your home a fresh look, but don't know what to do. I want to share with you a few tricks that I do when I am rearranging our home. This came in really handy when I was getting ready to get our little home ready to sell. (Are you ready for these pictures? They are real life. Ha!)
The first one is to not touch anything and to get out your camera. Just the camera on your phone will be perfect, but start taking pictures of your home. Go to the front door and take a picture of what your guests see when they first come into your home.
Take pictures of little corners where you spend most of your time.
Take pictures of your kitchen and your bedrooms.
Take pictures of your bookshelves.
Take a picture of anywhere that when you look at it, you feel unhappy or stuck but don't know why.
Once you have taken a picture of all the spaces in your home, grab a cup of tea and a notepad and sit down with your phone.
Scroll through the pictures. What do you see? Are some places a little bit more cluttered than others? Could you pare down the bookcases? Does that place on the wall need a bigger piece of art? Maybe the gallery wall needs some TLC and some pieces taken down and new ones put up in their place. Now that the Christmas tree is gone, do you need plants to bring life and green into your home?
Look at your kitchen. How is it looking? Are the counters cluttered? Could some of that stuff be given away or placed into the cabinets?
How about your bedroom? Are there piles of clothes everywhere and clutter all over the dresser? Is there an empty space where you could make a cozy reading corner for you in your bedroom?
I find that it is so easy to watch HGTV shows where they are getting ready to do a reno or the show where they are moving but no one is buying their house, to give a critical eye to their home. We see are seeing things in their home for the first time where the home owners have looked at it for years. They have become blind to how their home actually looks and think it's "okay". Where everyone else is saying to the TV, "WHAT are you thinking!?"
When we take pictures of our home and look at them on our camera, we are able to be given a new perspective on the spaces in our home.
We know what we like. We look at enough magazines and Pinterest to know when our eyes are happy and when we feel unrest looking at a particular home.
We can use that same critical eye that we give the homes on HGTV on our own homes! Take your notepad and start writing down different areas where you think need a little refresh after looking at the pictures on your camera.
If you are still feeling stuck after looking at the pictures on your phone, invite a trusted friend or sister over and look at the pictures together. Maybe they have suggestions for you on places that need "tweaking"!
You are never stuck. There is always a way to make your home a restful, peaceful place where you and your family can relax and feel recharged in.
