Five things to do to feel better about your home

I’ve been at this blogging thing for over a year now. In that time, I’ve learned there are both big and small things you can do to feel better about your home. So, on this Treat Yourself Tuesday, I thought I’d share with you my list of the top five things that will make you love your home just a little bit more. All of them are low cost or no cost things you can do to brighten your space.

1. DECLUTTER

I know. It’s not the most entertaining of tasks but when it’s over, there is a big sigh of relief and a feeling of accomplishment. I won’t tell you to KonMari your house (unless that’s what you want to do) and remove anything that sparks joy. I will tell you to get those papers off the kitchen counter. Put the laundry away. Find a permanent home for the basket of lonely socks. Put the shoes in the closet. When you’re done, you’ll find that your eyes won’t get caught by all the clutter, you won’t feel overwhelmed by what you need to do and you’ll end up with a nice feeling of accomplishment. Bonus points on this one if you throw some things away and donate other items to charity.

Less clutter on these shelves has made me SO much happier. I don’t feel weighed down by “things” anymore.

2. MAKE YOUR BED

Making your bed starts your day with a feeling of accomplishment and it ends your day with a relaxing slide into the sheets. In between, your room will look more put together and less messy. It isn’t about having it look like a swanky hotel bed drowning in pillows. The goal is only to keep it from looking like you wrestled alligators in your sleep. However, if pillows make you happy, I say GO FOR IT!! Bonus points on this one if you wash your bedding first. The smell of clean laundry is high on my list of odors that make me happy. It’s right up there with baking bread.

I found this inspiring video a while back and love that I get to share it with you. If you have about 20 minutes to spare, check out this video of Admiral McRaven’s commencement speech. I find it very inspiring. The part about making your bed is at about 4 minutes 45 seconds. (You can buy his book HERE.)

3. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Whether you live in a mobile home, an apartment, a groovy ranch, a condo or a mansion, count your blessings. There is always someone who prays for what you have. I am embarrassed to admit that this one is hard for me sometimes. I watch all the home shows. I follow all the amazing instagram accounts. I read a LOT of blogs. I see what others have, what they’ve done and I feel inferior. I feel inadequate. I feel a strong lack of cash flow. I feel like I should do more, be more, accomplish more. That’s the great lie of the internet. No one’s life or home is perfect. Just be grateful for yours. And yes, this is a lesson I have to relearn often. Bonus points on this one if you help someone else be grateful for their space.

4. FIX ONE SMALL THING

In everyone’s home there are the little annoyances: the toilet that runs too long, the loose switch plate, the drippy faucet, the door that doesn’t close, the caulk that needs replaced. We ALL have those little things that nag us to be done. In all honesty, we know they likely won’t take more than a trip to Lowe’s and an hour or less of our time. Yet, we put them off. We put off the little things which leads to putting off the big things and before you know it, we’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. So… let’s just begin with a little thing.

I lived for way too many years with a loose switch plate. That thing wiggled every time I turned the light on or off. I wish I had a nickel for every time I thought about fixing it. When I finally took the time to fix it, I couldn’t get over how good I felt about it. I mean, really. It took about 15 minutes and didn’t cost a dime yet I was so proud of myself. So find an annoyance and fix it. (Hit me up if you need help figuring out how to fix it. ) Bonus if you fix two annoying things. The little things really do add up.

5. PAINT

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that paint is the MOST inexpensive, transformative thing you can do to a space. Use lighter colors to brighten and make a room feel bigger. Use darker colors to make it more cozy or dramatic. Any color will make it feel cleaner and fresher and new to you. Bonus on this one… Sherwin Williams is offering 30% off their paint this month. Click HERE for your coupon. (Valid March of 2019)

There you have it. On this Treat yourself Tuesday, pick one or pick five and treat yourself to liking your home a bit more than you did yesterday.

xoxo

Donna
I love having you on the road with me.