I think the secret to house love is to stop comparing your house to other's...just pay attention to your house, wherever you may be right now, whatever it might look like, and work at turning it into the coziest, cleanest home it can be.
These are some tips that work for me when I feel discontent creeping in:
- Clean and everything will look better to you.
- Order=sanity.
- Less toys, furniture, clothing, junk is always better...keep a SIMPLE house...get rid of stuff constantly. Or better yet, don't buy it!
- Don't ask for endless opinions...you'll get too many ideas...stick with what YOU love.
- A small change, that usually costs pennies... flowers, a pretty plant, etc...makes a big difference.
- Don't copy anyone's style...yours is just as nice.
- There are tons of ideas and images out there from just about everywhere..magazines, (and I'll add now- blogs!)...it is a waste of time to constantly be on the search for the perfect idea, or to constantly want/need change. Be content! Mind your own home, with what you have on hand. Sometimes this means: STOP LOOKING.
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
be it ever so humble,
there's no place like Home.
- T. Howard Payne
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Agreed. Envy breeds discontentment. Do the best with what God's given you :)
ReplyDeleteI love this! Often I think of the treasures my Grandparents looked after for future generations. I can't imagine if they would have thrown some of the art,furniture and such just because it wasn't "new enough". Also, thank you for the encouragement to spring clean and declutter. I'm almost done!! P.S. Thanks for teaching me about Picasa;) Cafelittleyellowhouse.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI have found this to be so true...even if it only stays clean for 2 hours:))
ReplyDeleteSuch sage advice, this advice works in every area of life.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteWe are advertisments' slaves. We work very hard because we need to spend a lot of money on what they recommend us to be "the way to a better / happier life".
Yes, I so agree wtih this post and it’s something I ‘m working on. I love my house, I really do, but there are also SO many things I want to fix/change/do to it, you know? We only moved in a year ago and we have so far to go.... but everything requires a lot of time and money, neither which we have right now! :)
ReplyDeleteI am learning, and doing so much better to just be content with my house and love it. And I do love it more when it’s clean! I have to stop looking at blogs, because it is hard not to compare or wish you could have that in your own house.
My memories and my kids memories won’t be made in a house that is beautiful or well decorated or covered in fancy art, it will be made from memories of love and family time!
Order really is the key to a home's beauty. I also find that just changing around what you already have works really well. I recently flip-flopped two shelves of books on a bookcase, and my children are looking at the books like they are new again.
ReplyDeleteYou know, there are times when I just don't have time to read your blog, but when I do it is sometimes creepy as to what you are writing is EXACTLY what I needed to read! My husband has been trying to get me to stop wanting to change everything in our house and just be happy with what we have, but of course I find all these great ideas that need to be in my house and I get lost! This was exactly what I needed to read at this very moment! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post! Just what I've been needing!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to share a link to this post later today when I do my Favorite Things Friday post. I hope you don' mind.
Thanks for always being the voice of reason. :-)
So true. I remember reading that in Amy Decision's (spelling?) book The Tightwad Gazette a long time ago. I find it to be true when I actually DO it. A house is not a set....it is a place for people to live. It's easy to forget that, I think. A pile of pillows on a sofa looks scrumptious but if you're constantly having to put them on the floor because you have no place to sit, well then...
ReplyDeleteI'm off on a trip and then I will return and do as you command ;-)
Love this post. Good timing. It reminds me of a "comparison is lethal to contentment" article I read in Vogue & posted about on detailgalblog.com
ReplyDeleteGreat reminder.
"What if we just tried contentment?"....I love love love that! And your advice about cleaning is so so true! I think about how I feel after I put away all the Christmas items and clean. Ahhh, so fresh and almost like new!!! Great great post! Be blessed!
ReplyDeleteAMEN!!!
ReplyDeleteOh so true. We are so content in our home. We thought we would be here 5 years - and it has been 23! I have surrounded myself first with my family and then, things I love. We have laughed, cried, danced, created, sang,....it is our home. And oh how I love a clean, crisp home! (Don't always have it, though - and really need a good, thorough scrub down!)
ReplyDeleteI agree! Your suggestions are simple, easy and true. Whenever I give my house a really good clean. It does feel new and better. My hubby and I recently got rid of a bunch of "stuff" and it feels so good to declutter. Great advice in this post. Contentment is not necessarily a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true! I go to my sister's house and everything is immaculate because she has no kids, or dogs...(and she is a super-organized, neatnik) and I always feel inadequate, like my house could look that good if I would just try a little harder, be a little more diligent. But one day she told me when she comes to my house she feels like it is so busy and full of life that her house seems sterile and boring. I guess the lesson is to love what you have, and where you are in your life at the moment.
ReplyDeleteOur house is 140 years old and when we had to rewire it some of the baseboards and mouldings were damaged so we took great pains to find a lumber mill that would make us new mouldings that perfectly matched the original mouldings in our house. I then went to the hardware store and bought stain and varnish and tried my best to make the new trim perfectly match the old trim. Now on decorating shows I see that they paint all wood trim white...everytime...and I wonder is my dark stained trim out of syle? But my husband would have a fit if I even mentioned painting the wood trim...why are men so obsessed with wood???
Thanks for that! My hubby and I have lived in 6 different homes ( and a few apartments) in 10 years of marriage. It is always my project to get things feeling homey. We are finally in a home that we *should* be in for a long time. I'm trying to change out some of my 10 year old decor and just make our home work for us. So many times, I get caught up in that trap you were talking about and want to change things up for something better. Contentment is definitely a virtue I need to work on! You are so right about a good clean and just sometimes rearranging what you have to freshen things up. Thanks for the gut check!
ReplyDeleteVanessa
Wonderful advice !! I will never forget the time I read on your blog that you throw away all those pottery barn and other magazines that make you discontent with your home. Thank you !! Now, when they come in the mail, I just toss them and feel so much better. You are so right !!!
ReplyDeleteGreat Post! You know one of the things I love to watch is HGTV. And it blows me away the way so many people go into these houses for sale and when it comes to the kitchen they say "OH NO this has to go"! And the kitchens are all ready lovely. I realise people have freedom to change anything they want true, but they should hear themselves! This is my personal opinion. I bet people in 3rd world countrys wouldnt scoff at a white stove and frig the way these woman do on HGTV! It just seems people are really spoiled today.
ReplyDeletethank you :)
ReplyDeleteSuch great advice!
ReplyDeleteI think it is also important to surround yourself with like minded friends, and that is where I sometimes struggle.
Seems like everyone we know has a lot, and wants more. Not that they are bad... just financially blessed and able to do a lot, so it is a normal part of their lofe to have the "best" of everything.
I am finding that I need to be more intentional about friendships, as well.
So, so true. I was just thinking to myself the other day...the number one thing someone can do for their home? De-clutter and clean, open the windows, light a candle, and bring some flowers or branches in. Don't even think about starting those projects if you haven't de-cluttered first! I love it when I think the same as Sarah...it must mean I'm on the right track :)
ReplyDeleteBUT, I have to say I do love getting the magazines~they inspire me~ and are like little precious gifts in my mailbox and I can't wait to sneak away to the bathroom to pore through the pages...
I LOVE this - clean and fresh is always best :)
ReplyDeletelove your rules and i follow a lot of them. i hate having a lot of stuff in my house...i am the same way with life. if i don't LOVE it, no need for it. thanks for sharing some great tips!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. I am constantly purging and really trying to buy consciously. So much of our culture is spent promoting an ideal. I stopped most magazines and tend to only read a few blogs. My home is wonderful with all its idiosyncrasies.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post! Exactly what I needed to read for a very long time...
ReplyDeletethank you Sarah!
ReplyDeleteWow, it's like you were talking directly to me! Thhank you for your post, very insightful.
ReplyDeleteI love your rule about sticking with what YOU love. I have a small house, and I love it. Several people have commented on my color palette on the main floor...I love it and I don't really care what someone else would do 'cuz it's my house. I've also had friends ask when we're going to upgrade. My reply...why would I want more house to clean, more yard to mow, more spaces for my kids to move away from me? I love our small house because it's just the right size for us!
ReplyDeleteoh man sarah you are so 'on' this week. my word for the year last year was 'contentment' and this is one of the very things i pondered.
ReplyDeletei also wanted to comment on your post about our daughters but got intimidated when i saw the number of comments already left. i can tell that we really think so much alike. i love your strength and moxie.
just wanted you to know i read your blog even though i rarely comment. i've read it ever since shawnie (my cousin) told me about it. glad your still going strong after three years. i'm almost at four years and the last one has been tough.
just another quick connection. you met many of my dear friends on your power of mom's retreat. i went to high school with catherine, and was in israel with her, saydie, and allyson. amazing women huh?! would love to meet you someday. thanks again for sharing.
THANK YOU! This is an amazing post! It's all about choosing contentment. And I agree that cleaning it up and re-arranging a little do wonders! Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeletekathy k.
I love your rules. I also love my home and am grateful everyday for what I have. I'm off to clean - thanks.
ReplyDeleteYour a good person. :)
ReplyDeleteI was given this quote on a cute little paper over 10 years ago and have saved it because I loved it so much. I still am not great at cleaning (i actually hate cleaning and my 'goal' this year is to learn to enjoy it) but I'm trying. I have 6 kids and it's not easy. You make it look so easy! Maybe if I can pull myself away from this computer.
ReplyDelete"Homes that have a spirit of refinement and beauty will bless the lives of your children forever." - Ezra Taft Benson
Great post! True JOY comes from being content and true contentment flows from a grateful heart. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteOk, now I honestly DO love you. I loved this post! In a world where we are always wanting we need bloggers like you! You are amazing!
ReplyDeleteAdd me to the club of those who take catalogs (home furnishings, clothes, etc.) straight from the mailbox to the recycle bin. I don't even bother looking at them because I just end up with the "gimmies"! I even unsubscribed from a few perfectly good home/nesting type blogs because I found that the photos, projects, and focus on changing the home made me feel restless and discontented with my home, and not in a good way. I have nothing against blogs like that, I just found that they weren't helping me to feel good or hopeful about my (perfectly nice) house.
ReplyDeleteI love this series. And I really needed this post today.
ReplyDeleteCan I ask if you have any tips on paring down the clothing? I want to get us down to the basics but have a hard time deciding what the basics are.
Wow. I needed this, and noticed it as I was waiting for my post to load. My post was about how much I am embarrassed of my bathroom and what I did for the 40 days in there. http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/2011/03/embarrassing-bathroom-week-3-link-up.html
ReplyDeleteVery weird, I'm still amazed by the timing of it all! God must have led me here. ;)
So true, Sarah. I was just sewing curtains for my living room and thinking -- I agree with Sarah, I hate pottery barn. All they do is make me want to change what I've got :)
ReplyDeleteLove this Sarah! I also try to remind myself that the house doesn't need to be perfectly clean all the time either. I will clean and then 30 minutes later the entire room will be a mess and that's okay...I trip over a toy and remind myself of the blessing of our precious little boy. :)
ReplyDeleteAMEN Sistah! Did you write this just for me? It was perfect and what I needed to hear. thanks a million.
ReplyDeleteGreat post we are about to move yet again*sigh*. This gave me a little inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. I am helping my mother clean out my grandparents' home after my grandfather's passing at age 93. He build that home over 65 years ago and it rarely changed over the course of his entire adult life. It has been a humbling and enlightening experience to see how little you actually need in life to be truly happy.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I read every post you write, just don't comment that often. :) I love your blog and am glad you decided on a whim to start a blog.
ReplyDeleteI am constantly sending links of your blog posts to other mothers. Especially your post a few days ago on our girls growing up to fast in this world. :( I have a 5 year old girl and have just moved past the toddler girls clothing section to the girls section in all the major stores. :( I have been so disappointed to see what is out there and what evidently the majority of parents are letting their 5 - 10 year old girls wear! Ugh.
I agree totally with your post here and it reminded me to get to some cleaning. When I really clean my house I think "I love my home". I just don't love it so much when it is cluttered and dirty.
Can I just tell you that I am in the middle of picking countertops for my kitchen--which has not been updated since the seventies (at best). Granite was just so much (!--we have 63 square feet of countertop). I have been overwhelmed by the choices as well as the other "little" changes we will have to make. So, a very big thank you for helping me focus on what is important! You have helped me prioritize--kid-friendly and attractive yet inexpensive (DIY) will rule the day. Thanks so much--you and your ideas are an inspiration to me!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and reminder!
ReplyDeleteMy motto "Have nothing in your home that you do not believe to be beautiful or useful." How freeing it is to get rid of things that you have just been holding onto "just because". Less truly is more. I have so much more time for my family now that I am not always cleaning my stuff! Thanks for always being honest and giving us advice and encouragement!
ReplyDeleteAhhh, to be content with home. A wise friend once told me that home should be a laboratory where we are always experimenting with ideas, creativity, relationships, connections, faith. I love that. It is a reminder of where I need to focus.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how some people just can't understand how you can be content with a small house. HELLO? smaller=less work! Plus we can't help but all hang out together :)
ReplyDeleteI do like looking at magazines to get ideas. Ditto to driving around and looking at yards.
What a great post. It is so easy to forget about the important stuff and want everything. Thanks so much for the reminder. Sorry i'm a little stalker of your blog. Don't know how I found it. But i love it. You always make me feel so good as a mom. Thanks
ReplyDeleteWe've had a busy few weeks, and my poor house has suffered. Today I cleaned everything and I feel so much more content and happy.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your new blogs every week. It has really helped me to be ok with getting rid of more stuff, even the stuff you feel obligated to keep. Like my wedding dress is still sitting in my closet (7 years later) and I have a handbag designer that wants to buy it from me for the fabric, and I am working out the details with him. All I want him to do is make me 2 clutches from it that I may give one to each of my girls when they get married. And instead of buying a bigger house, me and my hubby have decided to just do a little remodeling in our current home to make our house flow better and feel bigger. and I'm almost 1/2 way done with the 40 bags in 40 days.. feels so good!
ReplyDeleteSo true! I love this post! Contentment with the things you have truly is happiness! Love it! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for these words of wisdom. This is exactly what I needed to be reminded of this week. I always enjoy your blog and really appreciate your honest, family-centered focus on life.
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you. As a new home-owner, it is sooo easy to fall into discontentment and envy all the beautiful interiors i see in blog-land. This post reminds me that "gratitude with contentment is great gain". Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteYour sweet attitude is so contagious. I am really learning so much from you and wanted to say THANK YOU so much.
ReplyDeletexoxo
this brought me to tears today. you are so right. you are such a blessing to so many people with your words.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I found your post from A Bayou Belle. It is refreshing to receive encouragement to be content.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a positive and inspiring post.
I am totally late, with this comment! But oh how I love this post...I have a blog too, but I am thinking I am done blogging and going back to just living life. I do enjoy blogging but I just can't keep up and still be mom to my last 2 at home...I have 2 in college and one 24 year old too! And oh the "inspiration", can just be too much, I am going to take your advice and just stop looking and comparing, and just love what God has given me!! Not perfect, but beautiful enough for me and my family!!!!!!! Thank you soooo much!!!!
ReplyDelete