Right now, our house has a cavernous echo. Like being inside an aircraft hangar. Only instead, it’s just that it’s been cleared of all Christmas lights and baubles.
And I love it.
Turning the calendar page to 2017 was like a nice, deep breath. A fresh start. Your home can benefit from a fresh start, too.
Do you have home goals for 2017? Of course you do. We all do.
There are plenty of projects we’d like to complete this year – finishing touches on the house, organizational projects, decorative additions, and loads of outdoor ideas.
But more than anything, I want our family to find contentment at home.
Because creating a home isn’t only about constant movement to the the next BIG FAT PROJECT (BFP). It’s also about reading bedtime stories on the floor, cooking dinner, and hosting gatherings family and friends.
It’s about quieting the to-do lists and noise inside our heads. And mostly, it’s about being part of the moments that take place at home.
Even if it’s not perfect. Especially if it’s not perfect.
This is a bit of a mindset shift, don’t you think?
For years, we’ve always had the NEXT BFP. But, now it’s time to slow down a bit, tweak things, and enjoy what we’ve built.
How do we do it?
Honestly, I’m not 100 percent sure. Here are a few ideas I’m thinking on:
- Keep it simple in our home – only adding things that we truly love and enjoy. This removes distractions and the need for new BFPs.
- Establish routines together in our home.
- Family routines like cooking dinner, playing games and bedtime stories.
- Household routines to keep the house maintained, clean and organized. (Because if the house is chaos, I will be too distracted to be content.)
- Create comfortable spaces where family and friends want to linger.
- Let go of perfection in the home. And don’t let imperfection or unfinished projects keep us from enjoying home and inviting others in.
- Build new traditions together.
Don’t get me wrong – I think that goals and lists and progress are great. (And I have plenty of these types of personal goals filling the pages of my planner, too.) But this year, I’m also going to work on finding peace and contentment in our home.
Who’s with me?
(Pssst: I’d love your input on ways to be more content at home. And I’d love to hear about your goals, so I can cheer you on.)
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Kathy says
I began last year after reading Marie Kondo’s books (Kon Mari & Spark Joy) doing a massive pare down. We met our goal of removing 2016 items from our home last year, and our goal is 2017 this year. I’m tired of tchotchkes. Everything left in my home will be intentional and bring me joy. Not simply a decor piece added because there was room on the mantle. It’s been freeing and wonderful. I’ve learned minimalism isn’t having nothing. It differs for everyone, but it means having *just enough.*
Kim says
This is lovely, Kathy. I agree with you. I’m not someone who is minimalist, at least not in my mind. I love beautiful things – but I am also realizing I love a little “margin,” too. Small amounts of breathing room in our home make it a little more comfortable for us. It’s still something I’m working on – mostly to stop bringing stuff INTO my house and not just taking stuff OUT of my house.
Pamela J Vogt says
This is something I have been working on for a while. I had to take a hard look at who I was following on FB, Pinterest and Instagram and do some purging because all those beautifully curated and edited images were just making me CRAZY!!
Kim Woodward says
I can understand that – it can be overwhelming to see so much perfection. I always remind myself that they shove all the dirty laundry and paperwork out of the pretty pictures. 😉
Cassie Bustamante says
YES! i am with you and fist bumping you!
Kim Woodward says
Fist bump!
daisy says
Well, as we don’t currently have a home, this will be quite the challenge. We are renting short-term while we look for our home here in NC. Among stacked boxes, we find contentment in just being together, sharing this experience. The kitchen and our boy’s room were the first to be set up. Somehow, if the kitchen is workable, everything seems to function that much smoother.
Looking forward to nesting in our forever home somewhere down the line.
Enjoy the process, girl. Henry will have so many great memories because you are focusing on the important stuff. And that’s really all that matters. Blessings be…daisy
Kim Woodward says
Totally with you on setting up the kitchen and bedrooms first – the rest of it will come!
Marty Walden says
Love this Kim! We have taken out SO MUCH STUFF for the kitchen remodel so I’m going to intentionally only bring back in those things that bring me joy. That includes furniture! I’ve already given away my childhood piano but I don’t play it and I don’t need to keep it for sentimentality. Good luck on your journey!
Kim says
Thanks, Marty! You’ll be so happy you did this hard work of purging stuff – even stuff you like or love but just don’t bring you happiness. I have purged SO MUCH STUFF over the past three years as we downsized and built. And I haven’t missed anything. Nothing!
Kellie says
Woo girl, I am still trying to settle in this house, starting a new job TODAY (although with the same company so not a huge schedule/routine upset), but my overall plan for the year is to create a HOME, not just a house we sleep in.
Kim Woodward says
Congrats on your new job! Hoping you are feeling settled in your home.
Courtney @ Foxwood Forest says
Kim, I love this!
We actually have a similar goal for this but we do have MANY BFPs on our list. For us, we are planning on scheduling breaks between our BFPs so that we can stop and enjoy life instead of always moving on to the next project. We love routine and thrive off our downtime, so we have to make it a priority even in the midst of a massive renovation!
Kim Woodward says
This is a wonderful goal! We have had almost a decade of BFPs, and while it was wonderful, it’s time for us to slow down. Although, I’m not quite sure we know how. Ryan was off for a week over the holiday and he was already stir-crazy. 😉
Becky says
I love this post! A short post but it says so much! I want to print this out and put it on my fridge as a reminder all year. I struggle with the balance of cleaning the chaos vs spending time with my little one. I don’t need a perfect house but those little things like a sink full of dishes, nowhere to sit at the table, fur balls rolling around every corner annoy me (and only me) so much. Taking care of those things bring me into a temporary content mode but it feels never ending. I love minimalist warm cozy interiors and I try my best at pairing down and not adding more but man…anyone with a toddler who can keep a minimalist set up in their home..you are my hero! These are great goals to keep in mind throughout the year.
Kim Woodward says
Oh, I can so relate to this. Having kids changes things! I tend to feel stressed if I’m sitting in chaos – so toys and clutter and paperwork and dirty dishes do me in. My biggest tip is to start some of those small habits and build on them. For example, I spend a few minutes each day putting away dishes, making the bed, wiping counters. It helps so much and is so much easier than saving up for giant cleaning rampages. And my son helps me pick up toys – well, usually. (And I also try to keep them all in the basement to live so they aren’t in our main living space.)
I am definitely not a traditional “minimalist” – we have plenty of stuff I’m not ready to give up. But, I think we can find a happy place in our home by making things streamlined and routine. But, we’ll see where the year takes me.
Happy new year! Thanks so much for the comment.
Andrea says
Have you ever read up on the Danish word hygge? It is their way of defining contentment, cozy, happiness in the home. I might have all things hygge on the brain since I just got back from Copenhagen, but I read this book awhile ago – The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking. The Danish really, really get how to create this cozy feeling. Low lights, candles, fireplaces, comfortable places to sit, family, coffee, pastry (I’m definitely onboard with those last two!) It might be a fun place to start since from this coziness, hygge, you can create the space and contentment you are talking about.
Happy New Year!
Kim Woodward says
I will look into this – sounds just up my alley. Thanks for the recommendation.
Courtney @ Foxwood Forest says
::butting in:: This idea and book sound AMAZING! My husband is actually Danish though we’re so far removed from the culture. However we tend to find ourselves enjoy the simplicity in very basic things — excited to read this and start being more intentional in my daily activities.
Kim Woodward says
I just looked up the book and it looks like it’s preorder only. Does that sound right, Andrea?
Kellie says
(Also butting in) I also just bought a (different) Kindle book on Hygge! It is next-next on my reading list!
Jaime Costiglio says
#3 is my favorite along with trying to make the space we do have work best for our family. For me it’s a constant re-evaluation and trying new solutions until I get it right, until I’m content!
Kim Woodward says
Absolutely, Jaime. I don’t intend to sit in a zen-like state all year ;). Although it would be humorous to see me try. I think it’s always a balance of movement forward and enjoying where we are now. We have always been moving, going, doing … I’m just hoping to spend more time tweaking and adjusting things to make them the best fit for my family. Happy New Year!