Every Friday I get asked by my gang of friends from work to go out for happy hour. I used to go pretty regularly and always had a great time. Lately I've been turning down invites so I can go home and hang with hubbin. To say Eric and I are homebodies would be a gross underestimate. We've cancelled our last two vacations because we'd rather be home. There is absolutely nowhere we'd rather be than in our adorable (if I do say so myself!) suburban track house. The minute I walk into my house I immediately feel a sense of calm come over me and I just feel better.
The constant goal for any place we've ever lived is that whatever space we have lived in, big or small, it's a sanctuary. Not just for us, but our guests. I've always described my decorating style as "an invitation to curl up with a blanket and a book" and just relax. I want folks to feel at home and good when they come over. I think of homes I went to as a kid where you just immediately felt good when you walked it. They weren't the most expensive homes, even the biggest, but they always felt right.
Lately I've been doing a little research to further my efforts at making my home feel perfect and I've come up with a few things. I get my decorating ideas anywhere from feng shui to my favorite Real Housewives on Bravo. If it feels right...who cares where it came from or how "granola" it is?
The first thing I did when we moved in was commit to making my bedroom a place that is soley for sleeping and spending time with my husband. Before minds start wandering too far into the weeds, when I say spending time, I mean genuine time. *wink* I know this is going to sound crazy for a lot of you, but we don't have a tv in the bedroom. Shock of all shocks! We debate every now and then about getting one but at the end of the day I stand firm on no tv. It's been great for us because time we would've spent watching tv is spent talking about our day, making plans, reading, or sleeping. Imagine that?
Another recent addition to the bedroom is one of those handy dandy machines that make various nature sounds. I got it from my sister in law who had intially bought it for her newborn. I am the world's lightest sleeper, and this thing is my holy grail. OMG! I love it! For those of you who are into feng shui you can sympathize with this. My air conditioner unit is right outside my bedroom wall in the backyard. When you're married to a man who prefers the temp to be somewhere around 72 degrees and you live in the desert you can count on that thing always running. It's a nightmare! On top of the electrical currents that are involved, the thing is noisy! This little machine has insured a restful night's sleep for me since I got it. I prefer the ocean sound, but it also has rain, thunderstorm, babbling brook, it goes on and on.
My last tip for making sure your bedroom is a sanctuary is to regularly dust and vacuum. I know those of you that know me are thinking "easy to say when your husband is OCD" but it's so important. Vacuuming can lift the energy in any room immediately and dusting makes a huge difference as well. Allergies and congestion can be combated so easily by a good dusting once a week. Plus, it feels better. When you walk into your bedroom you should immediately start to relax and unwind. Who can do that with crumbs in the carpet and an inch of dust on the furniture? I have two cats, a dog, and dry skin. Not a recipe for spotless furniture do those conditions make! It takes me about five minutes to dust my room once a week and with the conditions described, it needs it once a week. Sometimes I get busy and I skip a week and I get tell a HUGE difference. Commit to doing it for two weeks in a row and I PROMISE you will feel a difference!
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