03 January 2014

My Home


[So I mentioned that I'm trying to come clean in some areas of my life. Let's start at home, shall we?]

Now I'm not really the type of person to move furniture around or paint a wall on a whim, but it does seem like our house is in a constant state of shifting. One week I feel that a room isn't "cozy" enough and I go about adding things to warm it up, often buying things that I don't love just to have something fill up the space. Then the next week I find myself overwhelmed and rifling through drawers and cabinets trying to purge as much as possible.

This year I'd like to find more balance regarding the stuff in our house. I'm head-over-heels in love with our home, but I do think we'd benefit a bit from a less-is-more attitude.

We have a small home and absolutely buy into the notion that small homes build tight families. We're trying hard to reject the very popular notion that we need a bigger house as our family grows (or will grow in the future...no babies here folks).

So a small house with lots of stuff -- where does that leave us?

At the intersection of clean and organized. My favorite place to be!

In 2014, I would love to continue to purge and donate items that aren't being used anymore. I'd love to stop holding onto things just because I feel like I should or because we might someday in the future maybe use it. I want to organize the space we have and make it work better for us.

I'd love to know: what is your philosophy regarding your home and the stuff inside? What strategies have you found to organize a small, cozy home?

Update: I found an awesome "30 days of decluttering" printable. I'll definitely be going through this!

8 comments:

  1. I love that you're back to blogging! I, too, am thinking a lot about purging/cleaning/organizing....I try to focus on one space at a time (ha, I'm terrible at it, but trying hard not to float around the house thinking of all that could be done). This weekend, I'm tackling a closet.

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    1. Aww thanks friend! Focusing on what area at a time really helps me to. Otherwise I get so overwhelmed I just throw in the towel!

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  2. Ooh, thanks for sharing the printable! I feel ya on striking a balance between cozy and "less is more". Thank you for your honesty and best wishes as you accomplish these goals!

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    1. I'm glad others can relate to finding that balance. I love that printable. Making my way through it!

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  3. This is so us! And as we get ready to majorly downsize, I know that 90 percent of our house will be boxed up for the next year. Only the necessities come with us. Which makes me ask the question, "Do we really need any of it ever again?"

    Thanks for the link to the decluttering worksheet. I know that Jenny at Words on Wendhurst is doing a big party for decluttering - encouraging people to get rid of 114 things in 2014. I did it a few years ago and it was wonderful to purge and clean out the house.

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    1. I am so excited for your next adventure and living in the barn. I'm excited to see how/if your perspective on stuff changes after living to simply for a year.

      Gosh, 114 things! Hmm, I might be up for the challenge :)

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  4. This made me laugh. Our parents tend to be a bit of hoarders so we have gone the extreme of not having much stuff around like nic nacs, walls are pretty bare, etc. But I want my home to be cozy.... and not cluttered. I need to find a balance as well, but coming from the opposite side! Too bad we don't live closer, I could take some of your cute stuff off your hands ;)

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  5. My mom worked for a lawyer while I was growing up, and she still talks about families coming in and talking about having to go through a recently deceased loved one's things. Sometimes they fought, sometimes they were bewildered, and usually they felt more or less overwhelmed. Since then, she goes through the house and tosses stuff at least once a year because she doesn't want us to have to do so much when she dies. She says she also doesn't want us to have to wonder why in the world she held on to something that didn't have a meaning or much of a purpose! I try to do the same - some years go better than others!

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Thank you for coming along for the ride with me. Your comments make my day!