There’s something I feel like I’ve missed out on with my tight budget. I haven’t been able to decorate my home the way I’d like to. I don’t feel like it’s very personalized or that it reflects our family’s style and taste. I’ve resigned myself that what we have will do for now and I can worry about making things look nice later. It makes me sad though. Being a home-maker, I want to take pride in the appearance of my home, and I do. I keep it mostly cleaned up and tidy, but it lacks the personal touch that I would love.

That’s a pretty depressing opening, isn’t it? Here’s the thing. I’m more of a doer than a whiner (although I can do my perfect share of whining – just ask David). So lately, I’ve gone on a quest to change my situation. I’m not waiting. I think there are some things I can do to my home for little or no money that will make it feel more like where I belong. I don’t think it needs to be all or nothing. I wish I had begun by taking before and after photos – that’s what good bloggers do. I just jump in and think of that later. Here’s what I’ve begun to do:

De-clutter

I’m not a pack-rat and I don’t like piles of anything sitting around my house. That said, they still form. They make me feel claustrophobic and are not at all reflective of what I enjoy. I like clean surfaces and some empty space. It feels like I can breathe that way.

Re-arrange

Some areas in our home are not being used like they should be. I had a table in the corner of my bedroom where I kept my sewing machine and all my sewing/knitting/crocheting supplies. Romantic right? The trouble is – I didn’t even use that table to sew at. I would still cart my sewing machine and all my supplies out to the dining table to sew. So what ended up happening was that sewing table became a catch-all in our bedroom. I organized all my supplies and pulled table out of my room. So much better.

Re-paint

When we moved into our home the colors were laughable. Most of the house was painted teal. One bathroom was a too-bright yellow, my bedroom was an enormous floral, the other bathroom was too dark – you get the picture. Before we moved in we painted most of it (all of the teal) but there are still a few spots that need to be finished. Paint is a relatively inexpensive way to drastically change the feel of a room.

Re-decorate

Or rather, decorate to begin with. There really isn’t much of a theme to any room in my home. They aren’t terrible and clashing, there just isn’t anything that jumps out at you. The rooms in my home are … boring looking. A new living room set, dining set, bedroom set, etc. are not in my near future but I still think I can squeeze a little creativity out of me and make my home more like what I want it to be. I’m going to decide on a theme for each room and then only do things that would compliment that theme. I’m not going to buy anything or use anything that doesn’t contribute to the feel that I’m going for. So – just because someone gave me a knick-knack for my wedding, doesn’t mean it HAS to go on a shelf.

Re-distribute

I’ve only been married for 6-1/2 years but in that time I’ve never had a yard sale. That time has come. I’ve packed up many things that are no longer (or never were) my style or taste and I have boxes of things that are ready for a new home. Like I said above, I am not a pack-rat. I may have to send my hubby golfing that day because he tends to hold on to things a lot little more than I do. I’ll bet I’ll make enough money to buy paint and add some finishing touches. What do you think?

I’m pretty excited. I’ve been working on this little project here and there for a couple weeks now and the progress already feels refreshing. I think it just feels good to be doing something about it.

Why I do what I do ~ Up until recently there wasn’t a particular sweet food that really tempted Chloe. She’d only take a bite of a cookie, never finished birthday cake and gave up quickly on ice cream. I had no problem with that. We don’t keep many treats in our home (because I would eat them ALL anyway) because it’s not part of the healthy lifestyle we want for our family. Well, she’s found what she likes and she knows it. Her eyes widen and her face lights up at the sight of …. “M – uh – M’s.” That’s what she calls them. I call them a sugar high. She can eat an entire single-serving bag in one sitting and then ask for more. My daughter has gained, yet another bad trait of mine, the inability to decline chocolate.

photo credit: Samuraijohnny

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