What does your home feel like when you walk into it? Does it create feelings of warmth, peace, happiness and cause you to feel ‘at home?’ Does it feel like a haven, like the place where you can create memories?
When you walk in your front door do you groan because everything is such a wreck? Does your house smell like last night’s dinner because there are still dishes mounding in the sink? Do you physically tense up when you get home, realizing everything that needs to be done?
Most of us are somewhere between those two extremes. Today I want to talk about the Almost Lost Art of home-making. When I say home-maker, do you picture a housewife wearing a dress, apron and high heels? While some days I long to wear my heels around the house I generally personify the home-maker in jeans and slippers (in the winter, summertime is barefoot). To clarify, I’d like to clear up what I think a home-maker is:
Home-maker: a person that’s responsible for making a dwelling into a home their family loves and keeping it that way.
I know, brilliant definition. I think that sums it up though. A home-maker makes a home. What makes a house a home though? How can the place you sleep differ from the place that feels like home? Here are my key ‘home’ elements:
- Looks inviting – What would be the one word people would use to describe your home? Chaos? Confusing? Overwhelming? When someone comes to visit are they going to feel comfortable or embarrassed? Clean up your entryway and make the first impression say what you want it to.
- Feels restful/peaceful – No, not boring. Does your home feel like a place where you can relax, unwind and be comfortable?
- Reflective of family’s style/values - If you are ultra modern I wouldn’t expect your home to be country-looking. If you are a devout Christian your home should reflect that. Got a bunch of kids? I wouldn’t be surprised to see some toys. Insanely obsessed with Star Wars? I wouldn’t be shocked to see a Yoda door-knocker. The point is that your home is personal.
- Sense pleasing – How does your home smell? What does it sound like? What does it feel like? What does it look like? Taste … how’s your food?
There you sit, lost in the pile of mismatched socks or chipping away at the dried food that’s plastered to the high chair and you’re thinking, why try? There’s NO WAY my home is going to look like a picture in Better Homes And Gardens. Well, that may be true but that’s not what you’re going for either. You’re making your home. Here are some things I left out of my ‘key home elements’:
- Everything put away – at no point in the history of our family has everything in our home been put away all at once. I wipe down the bathroom and socks are on the floor. I pick up 4 Barbies and farm animals take their place. It just doesn’t happen.
- Everything clean – nope. There’s always something that’s dirty. Are you grossed out? The somethings I choose to leave unattended the longest include dusty ceiling fans and mini blinds and the grossness behind my stove and refrigerator. Something has to give. It isn’t going to be something I consider important: bathrooms, kitchen, floors, bedrooms, so I choose the lesser of the evils.
- Everything decorated - Some of you might have this checked off, I’m really not even close. While I do think my home mildly reflects our family’s style it is by no means ‘decorated.’ That’s ok with me for now. My home does not have to be decorated to be my home. Being a home-maker does NOT equal being an interior designer (thank goodness!).
- Everything done – When I sit down and put my feet up at night it isn’t because everything is ‘done.’ It’s because I’m finished for the day and I feel like I’m home.
Is home-making tough for you? Do you feel like you just aren’t up to it? Maybe your standards have been too high. This week, try to make one small ‘key element’ change in your home. One thing I plan to do this summer is paint my front door. It’s scuffed up and yucky looking. A fresh coat of paint will make a world of difference. It doesn’t take much to turn the place you live into the place you like the most.
What can you do to make your house feel a little more like home?
This was the last segment of the Almost Lost Domestic Arts series. I’d love for you to check out the rest of the series. Thanks!
January 7 - Sewing
January 14 - Knitting & Crocheting
January 21 - Cooking From Scratch
January 28 - Growing and Preserving Produce
February 4 - Purposeful Menu Planning and Grocery Shopping
February 11 - Being Your Children’s First Teacher
February 18 - Home-making
Why I do what I do ~ Tonight I was marveling at how my 2-1/2-year-old daughter already knows all of my buttons. She called me into her rom after we put her to bed and asked in the most pitiful voice she could muster, if I would lay with her. I gave her a hug and forced myself to say no (I give in to this sometimes), after which she asked if I would please sing to her (which I did), then asked if I would cuddle her. She would have kept at this for an hour except that I had inched my way to the door and was closing it … because I just can’t resist that sweet little voice. It appears I’m not too tough to figure out.
photo credit: timlewisnmHave you liked Domestic Cents on Facebook yet?
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Nicki,
Great post! It makes me think about my place and what I love about it and how I can possibly improve on it still. The thing that makes us happiest in our home is when it’s clutter free (apart from kids toys being everywhere:)).
I feel our home is our sanctuary, a warm and welcoming place to come home to. I think the thing that is lacking a bit in our place is family pictures. We’re fairly minimalist in our approach to decorating but a few more pics would be really nice.
Great series. Excellent post.
The second section of key elements was very uplifting. I never have everything put away all the time. I can clean all day and not get it all. While we have a few decorations I wouldn’t qualify for any magazine shoot. It would take days and days to be done just to wake up and have something new to do. Thank you for the reassurance that I am not alone in this struggle for balance.
I will be returning to re-read this series.
Liz’s last blog post..Crimson is complete!