Guess what the first week of August is? It is “National Simplify Your Life Week.” How many of us could use some of that? Although this could apply to a variety of areas in our lives, I can’t help but think of how we could simplify things in our home. Everything from the clutter we collect to the chores that overwhelm us. I think sometimes we make things in life, including the keeping of our home, to be so much more complicated than is necessary. We can’t find things yet we do nothing about the fact that our closets are … Continue reading →

Are you a busy mom? I know…that’s an oxymoron. What mom isn’t busy? Just thinking about this upcoming week has my head spinning. A full workload, preparing paperwork and other documents for my son’s leave for basic training, finishing touches on a creative writing class I will be teaching for a week, professional pictures being taken, a going away party for my son, appointment with the recruiter and well, you get the picture. Although the details are probably different, I would guess you have a lengthy list as well. So when we have days, weeks or even months where it … Continue reading →

When it comes to your home, are you a purger or a hoarder? What about the other family members, what are they? It can make things interesting when some members of a family are purgers and others are hoarders. But first, let me clarify exactly what we are talking about here. A purger is someone who clears clutter and doesn’t keep things they don’t believe will be used. They tend to throw a lot of things out. Hoarders on the other hand, keep things they don’t need or believe they might need in the future. Either one of these can … Continue reading →

I recently read a book where the author was sharing her experience of moving the family from what was their “white picket fence” home to a practically dilapidated one. It was met with a lot of anger from her teenage sons. She had torn them from the comforts of their home, friends and a familiar neighbor to the middle of nowhere. They were living in a house that could have almost been condemned. Then they decided to tear the whole thing down and build new. While they did that, they had to live with the grandparents for several months. Eventually … Continue reading →

Have you ever noticed that certain homes have their own smell? If you have a good nose, you might be able to tell within seconds of walking into a house, whether or not they own a dog. I think the only reason you may not be able to tell in my house is because we don’t have carpeting. However, sit on the couch and you might. Or get anywhere near my youngest son’s bedroom and you might smell his reptiles (two bearded dragons and a turtle). Open the door to my oldest son’s bedroom and well, let’s just say that … Continue reading →

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 →

One of my routines in the morning is to straighten up around the house. I’m a morning person, so I don’t mind. But if you aren’t a morning person, then you might want to wait until the end of the day. In fact, I’m actually starting to think that might be the better way to do it. It would be nice to wake up one morning and not have anything to straighten. But then again, by the time my three children are done getting ready for school, there are bound to be lights on, a mess somewhere, toothpaste left in … Continue reading →

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 →