Guest post from Alicia of Turquoise Grace
It’s 5:30 a.m. I’m looking around my house and everything that needs to be done.
The walls need to be repainted. The baseboards need to be replaced. My kitchen is seriously outdated (well, my whole house is, actually).
My furniture is shabby (not shabby chic), inexpensive, or hand-me-downs. My house is small, and with three boys, space is tight.
Some days this really bothers me. Some days I long for a beautiful, put-together house, or nicer things. A place that feels cozy and lived-in, yet lovely.
So I let myself pout for a minute or two. Then I decide something needs to be done to change my attitude. Because I can pout all I want, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s not in our budget to fix these things right now.
And for now, that’s okay.
Here are a few of the things I do when I’m having one of those days, and need to be reminded how truly blessed I am:
1. I rearrange the furniture.
I am the queen of arranging and rearranging… just ask my husband! At times it drives him crazy. (Mostly because he’s the one who ends up doing all the rearranging!)
This is typically the first thing I do when I become discontent. I search for ways to make my small space more usable. I move rugs around, change the furniture from room to room, and find new practical ways to utilize the space we do have.
I also love switching things up on my walls to give my home a fresh feel. It’s another simple way to update the look and feel of a home.
It’s amazing the difference this free “update” can make.
2. I paint.
This is actually on my to-do list for several areas of my home right now. It’s a great, cost-effective way to spruce up any living area, or piece of furniture. Paint easily gives a dated, well-worn area a fresh, clean, new look.
Some ideas of things you could paint to spruce up your house:
- Furniture
- Kitchen cabinets
- Walls
- Picture Frames
- Wall Décor
3. I clean.
I don’t know about you, but cleaning out the dust bunnies, deep cleaning the bathroom, or scrubbing the kitchen goes a long way for my attitude towards my home.
Sometimes I notice I begin to feel dissatisfied with the appearance of my home when all I really need to do is give it a good, thorough cleaning. Pull out the vacuum and vacuum under the couches, scrub the bathroom floors, wash the cabinets and walls — these can all make such a huge difference in how I feel about my home.
4. I reorganize and purge.
Confession: I’m not the most organized person… however, I seriously dislike clutter.
I organize closets, my kitchen cupboards, under the bathroom sinks, etc. When I start feeling dissatisfied with my home, I’ve found that a good organizing project helps clear the “mental clutter” and allows for a fresh feel in my home.
5. I make a list of what I'm thankful for.
This should really go at the top of the list. This is something I do almost daily, and it really does a number on my outlook on life. It truly helps me to put things in perspective when I realize how blessed I am and how much I actually do have.
If you’re feeling dissatisfied with your home, and maybe rightly so, take a minute and write out every single thing you have to be thankful for. You’ll be amazed how quickly your attitude might change! I know I am.
For example, my 1400-square-foot house is feeling more cramped by the day with 3 active boys and my husband. Our furniture is roughly used, spilled on, wiped on, jumped on, barfed on, slept on…you get the idea.
However, then I remember how blessed I am to even have a house. And really, 1400 square feet is pretty large compared to a good majority of the people living in the world. I’m thankful that I have furniture, comfy beds for my children, a kitchen to cook in, and a house with heat and electricity.
I really have it pretty good, and I’m so very thankful.
When it’s just not in the budget, when there’s simply no wiggle room, and when even spending $20 on used furniture isn’t going to happen, I hope these tips can help you think outside the box.
What do you do when you start to feel dissatisfied with your home?
Alicia is first and foremost a Jesus follower, wife to one amazing guy, and #boymom of three. She's also a coffee-lover, avid reader, chocolate addict, and self-proclaimed health enthusiast. You can visit her at Turquoise Grace, where she writes about everyday life as a wife and mother of three, offering real-life encouragement and grace-filled living from one mom to another.
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