Search Results for: blog an ordered but livable home

The Treasures That Fill Your Home

You’re such a “Bah Humbug,” my daughter said to me with a chuckle.  Here it was the day after Christmas and she had woken up to a house put back together. That’s right.  The lights were taken down from the windows.  The Christmas tree was packed up and there was no sign that decorations had ever filled the rooms. I’m really not a Scrooge.  I love Christmas.  I treasure this time of year.  And I enjoy decorating my home. But I am so much more comfortable when everything is normal.  My normal means the many picture frames that decorate the … Continue reading →

What’s More Important than a Clean, Organized & Clutter-Free Home?

You know what’s more important than a clean, organized, clutter-free home? People. People are more important than the messes they leave behind. Maybe I’m just preaching to myself, but it’s a reminder I sometimes need. Although, I have to admit that it’s getting easier to keep my perspective right. After all, I am nearing the time of seeing my first child leave the nest. I never want to make the mistake in any of my housekeeping blogs to make it sound as if the home is more important than the people who live in it. I am all for cleanliness … Continue reading →

Tainted Drywall Settlement Could Help Homeowners

Earlier this year, homeowners in Florida joined a class action lawsuit against the makers of the tainted drywall that ruined their homes, (and caused their insurers to drop their homeowners policies). The settlement for this case could be as much as $1 billion. Purchasing a home is, even now, a big part of “the American dream”. Unfortunately, for several homeowners in Florida, that dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Many brand new homes in Florida were made with what turned out to be tainted drywall. Homeowners started to notice a smell that was similar to the stench of rotten eggs. … Continue reading →

Is Your Home Guest Ready?

So let me ask you something…is your home guest ready? Now please hear what I am asking. I am not asking if your house is perfect. I am not asking if your floors are so clean you could eat off of them. I am asking if your home is ready that at any time someone might stop by, you wouldn’t turn the lights off and hide. But instead, you would welcome them inside. But don’t answer yet. You just might change your answer by the time you get to the end of this blog. When it comes to a home … Continue reading →

The State of Your Home Affects Your Mood

Do you want to relieve some stress in your life? Then make your home as inviting as possible. People don’t always realize how the state of your house can affect your mood. There is nothing like coming home after a long, tiring day of work to be able to walk into your home and feel good about your surroundings. On the other hand, there is nothing like coming home after a long, tiring day of work and walking into a mess. Who wants to look at piles of dishes or papers scattered all over? Who wants to deal with the … Continue reading →

Keeping Order of School Supplies in Your Home

In some parts of the country, school has already started. Here in Wisconsin the official first day of school for most districts is September 1st. One of the things that are on the mind of parents is school supplies. Not just the supplies children need at school but the stuff they need at home. Many items they need duplicates of (pencils, paper, calculator, markers, crayons, etc.) and some items you need to keep stocked so that your children can pull from them throughout the school year (notebooks, pocket folders, etc.). Where does all of this fit into housekeeping? Well, without … Continue reading →

An Ordered But Livable Home

For the most part, I keep my house in good order. Very rarely do you find things in chaos. I attribute that to my organizing skills. But at the same time I have also strived to make it livable. I was just at a birthday party recently where I met up with an old co-worker. Before I quit that job to become a full-time freelance writer, one of our other co-workers had been building a brand new house. So I asked my co-worker how the new house looked and if she had been there to see it. She said she … Continue reading →

Overcoming Procrastination

Do you feel like you can never accomplish what you would like to in your house because you are a procrastinator? Good intentions will get you nowhere. But I can relate. In fact, I have been procrastinating on several projects in the home that I need to tackle. So how can we overcome procrastination? Here are 5 ways that can help stop us from putting things off… First, break down the bigger jobs that you need to tackle. One of my biggest tasks to get done is the basement. We have so much junk. But when I think about the … Continue reading →

First Impressions versus Last Impressions

They say first impressions are most important. That may be true in many cases but when it comes to your house; I believe that last impressions will be most impacting. Ever walk into a house and feel like you’ve entered something out of a magazine? You may be impressed by the furnishings and decor. But by the time you left, you had no interest in ever coming back. Or have you ever entered a home where it looks a bit out of order and messy, yet at the end of your visit you can’t wait to come back? What you … Continue reading →

Defining the Word “Housekeeping”

Housekeeping might not be the most interesting topic to people, but it is a necessity. Like it or not, it’s a part of life and a part of the responsibilities that we have. I was thinking this morning about the word itself and decided to look up its meaning. According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, there are three definitions to housekeeping. The first is “the management of a house and home affairs.” Doesn’t “management’ make it sound so much more important? Instead of saying, “I am a housekeeper,” I would much rather say, “I am a manager of my home.” The … Continue reading →