Sparking joy in my home

So it seems I have gotten sucked into watching Marie Kondo’s ‘Tidying Up’ series on Netflix. The whole KonMari method has passed me by the last few years, I’ve never had any inclination to pick up one of her books. Then I saw what seemed like every single person I follow on Social Media talking about the show, and one day when I was home alone and {supposedly} working, I decided to put the show on in the background. And just like that, I was hooked. It wasn’t so much about getting rid of possessions for the sake of it, but rather about creating a home you loved, and that was full of things that made you happy.

I’ve always gone through bouts of ‘decluttering’ when I first became a single Mama a couple of years ago, it was incredibly therapeutic to go through my house, getting rid of the old and making the whole space one I loved.

In the past week, I’ve been inspired to tackle areas of my house that have needed doing for so long. The kitchen cupboards and drawers have all been sorted. Gone are the endless tuppaware pots without lids, and lids without pots, the utensils that haven’t been out of the drawer in a couple of years. The pantry has been cleaned and organised. I’ve sorted through my bookshelves, cleared sideboards, sorted our art supplies out. The utility room is still on my to-tackle list, but gradually I’m clearing the house of the junk that somehow piles up, unnoticed, hidden inside cupboards and drawers.

I’ve been moving things around, adding more art to the walls and finding uses for items that have been hidden in cupboards – like the beautiful ceramic cake tin I never use for baking, that now sits on the sideboard ready to hold small items as we go in and out of the house.

I’m a homebody at heart, happiest here than anywhere else. I love it when the house is full, when the kiddos friends are round and the whole house is full of laughter and chatter. Though I’ll admit, I treasure my Wednesdays when I get a few hours in the house to myself almost as much. I may have dreams of moving out of the town I live in, but for now, when I walk in my front door, all of that is forgotten. I love this house, the space, and the light.

I feel like I’m seeing this place in a new light. Moving things around, creating new areas, making the whole house a sanctuary. It’s not about being minimalist, or having a perfectly tidy house. It’s about having a house that we love, where we can live our lives, surround ourselves in love and laughter, make memories and be ourselves.

I’ve set myself up a ‘shopping/wishlist’ on my phone’s memo. As I sort out this house, I keep thinking of things that would be perfect, or make the room feel complete. I’m trying to be more intentional about buying – not rushing out to get something that kind of fits the bill, but rather being patient and seeking out the right piece – and preferably second hand if possible.

Right now, some of the items on my shopping list are:

New feature lightshade/fitting for the living room
Coffee Table
Old crate to use as my bedside table
A couple of sheepskins
A bathrack for my bathroom
New rugs – my carpets are all gray, and I want a load of rugs to layer up to cover up the grayness
Plants – I want a house full of plants! I want to get some more trailing plants as well as a couple more ‘big’ plants for my bedroom and the living room
Baskets –  I want some to store and sort the baby’s things in
Art/Decorative items for the walls

I’m planning on weekly charity shop hunting, hoping I can tick some of these of my list!

2 Comments

  1. Katie Albury

    January 21, 2019 at 19:38

    Ooh I so want to get into this programme! I started reading her book, which I never finished so I’m hoping I’ll be able to watch the show and be inspired to re-organise our home too!
    Katie x | Beyond Tired

  2. McKenzie Allyshia

    February 9, 2019 at 03:17

    I’ve really been wanting to watch that show but I don’t know if I am ready to do a complete overhaul of our tiny home. Since we are living in an RV right now we are already down to mostly the bare minimum… so there isn’t much else to go through. It should be done though…

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