How To Make Your House A Home

/ Homemaking Season / By

Making my house a home is something I have struggled with and still do. Why? Because I just don’t know how. I will share with you what I have found that I can do and I have been trying and I can say that it is working. It’s still a work in progress but I am getting there.

Making my house a home has everything to do with how I feel about my house. If I am not content with my house and with what I have in it, then how can I make it a home? It sure doesn’t help to scroll on Pinterest and see all that others have. I know I can’t afford that. 

But, do I even want all of that? 

I am a minimal person. I am not a minimalist but I prefer to have things I like instead of just a whole bunch of stuff. I prefer quality over quantity. Of course, that means that things will be more expensive and I can’t afford that. Before I start hyperventilating and spiraling down about why I can’t have what I want I need to stop and reset my thinking. 

I am a strong believer in appreciating and being grateful for what we have. I grew up looking though national geographic magazines of children being bone thin with barely any clothes. I read books about the Holocaust and families being separated and the suffering and death. That sure puts my living situation back in perspective. 

Do I really need all that I see? 

No! Can I live with what I have and still make my house a home? For sure! Our biggest mistake is that we look at what others have and then we become dissatisfied with what we have. We get into debt and spend money unwisely only to be happy for a couple of weeks if even for that long before we see someone has something else and we want it. 

So, what are we to do?

    Gratitude

I believe this is one of the first things we can do in order to make our house a home. We need to be grateful for what we have. I have a house where my family and I can live and that has our basic necessities. I need to be grateful for that.

      Declutter

Get rid of stuff that you are no longer using and will not likely use. Stop putting it off and don’t tell yourself that maybe one day it will come in handy or you will lose weight to fit those jeans that you loved so much. I have been there, I am still working through that. I try to squeeze into those jeans and just won’t let go but I know I have to.

      Change your mindset

We underestimate the power of our mind. It is a powerful thing and we need to tell ourselves what to think. A lot of what we do is a mindset. Mostly good I hope but also some not so good. 

For example, when my house gets messy my mind tells my body to react by increasing my stress level, blood pressure, and my smile disappears. That is when I want to huff and puff and get on everyone’s case about what they have been doing all day and how the house got into such a state. What I have learned is that I just need to stop and readjust how I am thinking about the situation. I know without a doubt that it will not take long for me to clean up and I have a house full of helpers (my husband and children) who are more than willing to lend a hand. All I have to do is ask.

      Be patient

I am pretty sure we have heard the saying “good things come to those who wait”. Sometimes it takes a bit of planning to figure out what we really want in our house. It also means we have to budget. If we can’t afford it, believe me from experience that your happiness will be short lived. It is never worth getting into debt to buy things that you can’t afford and may not even like some time down the road. 

      Don’t compare and don’t covet

Jealousy will make your life miserable. Please don’t compare what you have to others. It will make you very ungrateful and dissatisfied with what you have. People have so many things and there are so many choices out there that we can be lost for a long time scrolling. Figure out what kind of home you want to make and what you like. Not what Sue posted on social media that she broke the bank to buy but wont admit how much in debt she is now. 

Buy what you can afford because the only person you will hurt is yourself and your family. Those people out on social media with all their things don’t care about what you have and how miserable you might be. Live for yourself, your family, and God. That will bring you the most satisfaction in life.