4 ways to feel extra gratitude for your home this spring (and some recent home photos)
4 ways to feel extra gratitude for your home this spring
1. Celebrate the changing seasons.
Whether it's still snowing outside or it's 80 degrees, you know it's not full-on winter anymore and this is the time to shift our mindsets toward summer. Spending more time outside on walks, sitting outside after dinner cause it's still light out, or (one of my favorites) bringing in blooms or even just cut branches from the yard. This is a fantastic free way to make your home feel updated.
Huge bonus if you have lilacs in your yard--they don't bloom for long, and you don't want to overdo it trimming them, but bring some inside and enjoy the wonderful smell that fills a whole room!
See kitchen sources here.
Even just branches can be pretty. These are from our apple tree and we trimmed them right before they bloomed, but they're still fresh and special!
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| See living room sources here. |
2. Clean.
It doesn't sound fun or satisfying when you say it, but I promise it feels good (to do and enjoy!). We did a more intense clean of our kitchen over the weekend during one toddler naptime--wiped down the fronts and tops of the cabinet doors, cleaned the baseboards, cleaned the glass globe light fixtures, cleaned appliances, etc.--and it has felt so much better to be in there since!
I am so so glad we did our kitchen reno last summer, but even if you don't have an updated kitchen or one you love, having a clean space (maybe do a little decluttering too so it's not frustrating to get things out and put them away!) makes you feel much more content in your home.
I'm gathering there's a reason "spring cleaning" is a tradition...!
3. Finally get to those lingering projects on the list.
I ordered this light fixture for Otto's room um, 18 months ago? But it's been a very low priority to change out. We finally replaced it the other weekend, and touched up the ceiling paint around the new one, and I am SO glad! It makes me happy every time I sit in his chair with him and look up at it.
We have several other little projects like this, too--tighten a cabinet knob, adjust a child lock so it's easier to use, replace a light bulb whose color I don't like, etc. One great way to get this kind of update going is to walk through each room in your house and make a list of the (realistic, doable) changes you'd like to make. Doesn't have to be expensive stuff like replacing rugs--I mean the little stuff, like finally looking into cord cable clips to hide some cords or replacing a light switch. Make the list and set it aside, then when you have time or are planning a productive weekend, pick out a couple things!
Spring is a great time to make the list and plan some of the larger projects, since (here anyway) the weather is a little variable and we don't mind doing some of the indoor stuff on rainy days. We'd also like to make sure we keep chipping away at the outdoor stuff so our backyard is ready for summer!
4. Focus on family, kids, substance.
Speaking of Otto. I look at him these days and feel pretty sentimental, protective, and grateful. He only just turned 2 so he doesn't know what stay-at-home/.quarantine means or what a global pandemic is. Even for older kids not going to school, I imagine they really feed off us and how we manage things. Thankfully Otto's life hasn't changed much but we treat everything the same for him and are still trying to make his days as fun and normal as ever.
He's not able to see grandparents as much as before, which is hard on them and probably him, but he loves FaceTime and videos of them and other family members. It feels so good to share what we can with him and talk about important people and memories.
I ordered a couple parenting books recently (The Montessori Toddler and this popular potty training one) and, with libraries closed anyway, am excited to be finally digging into them. Focusing energy on the most important things (our family, Otto, our baby due in August, the fact that we have food in our pantry and a comfortable home) is really comforting me despite all the uncertainty around us.
I hope this post was helpful and I am wishing you the best in these difficult times!
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