Whether staging your home to sell or creating a home you love returning to each day, the front porch is an important feature that often goes overlooked, especially if you use a garage or side entrance rather than the front door. The front porch is the greeting point for guests and if you’re selling your home, the chance to make a good first impression. If your front porch is in need of a little pick-me-up, try one or all three of these quick and easy updates.
When I first learned Marie Kondo was going to have a new show on Netflix, I was ecstatic! She has been my organizing idol since I first discovered her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up about five years ago. This book has impacted my life in truly drastic ways. Here is the first of a three-part series focused on life-changing lessons I learned from this organizing queen.
December is officially upon us!
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the expectations we have for gift-giving and the bringing of more, more, more into our homes and others’ during the holidays. For many families across the US, the joy and cheer of the season have been displaced by stress and financial strain.
My message today is this:
Do not be afraid to take back your holidays.
If you are trying to declutter your life and home, the holidays can be particularly challenging. It’s hard not to get caught up in the wants and desires sparked by 1) beautiful design 2) effective marketing 3) expectations of the season. Here are five actions you can take to resist the temptation to add more, more, more to your home and others’.
Nearly a decade ago I read Richard Carlson’s bestseller Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, and to this day the opening scene is etched in my mind: he urges readers to imagine holding their favorite coffee mug—to picture themselves sitting on the front porch, perhaps a cheerful bird is chirping in the background, lifting the cup to their lips and then—SMASH! The cup slips and shatters into tiny porcelain shards across the deck.
