Love Your Home

I am learning to simplify my life, beginning with the things I keep in my home. My mother has a great way of evaluating things. When we were going through things in my room when I was younger, she would ask me, "Do you love it?" and if the answer wasn't a yes, then it probably needed to go to another home. This applies to so many things. That fuzzy sweater Aunt Lucy made you for Christmas five years ago that you will never wear, the socks that stay at the bottom of your sock drawer because they are stretched out, books that you have intended to read for ages but have remained unread, these are all things that clutter up your home and make it harder to clean.

By removing the things that you don't absolutely love from your home, and your life, you make it possible to fill your life with the things that are truly important to you. Take the fuzzy sweater, for instance. It might hurt Aunt Lucy's feelings if you tell her about the sweater, but give yourself room to be honest. If you hate the sweater and you have not ever worn it then chances are you probably never will. It is taking up space in your closet and you might even feel dread every time you look at it. You do not have to announce that the sweater is going to Goodwill, either, so you do not have to feel guilty about how Aunt Lucy might feel if she knew. She won't know and it's your house, so put it in the donations box! Removing things from your home that you don't want or love will make your home a place where you can be comfortable. Imagine if all of the clothes in your closet were all your favorite things to wear. Wouldn't that be great? You can bring yourself one step closer to that dream by removing the clothes you don't love, or can't fit into.

I have setup a cardboard box in my dining room to keep the things in my home that I don't love. It is in the dining room because it is easy to get to, but the box is small enough that I can easily put it away when company comes over.e. Shirts that I don't wear anymore, shoes that hurt my feet, pillow cases that do not match anything else in my house and old books that I will never read again are just a few of the things that go into the donation box. Once the box is full I close it up without looking inside so I won't second guess myself, and the box goes into the car to be dropped off at Goodwill the next time I happen to be driving by. Last month I found an entire box of decorations from before I got married that I donated. I don't think my husband wants to have pink throw pillows decorating our home.

Today, I'm still learning to give away the things I don't love and use, but every time I give away something I feel better. It's easier to find an outfit to wear when I only have clothes that I like in my closet. It's more fun to pick out what book I am going to read when I only have a few books on the shelf that are waiting to be read.

So what can you donate this week that will help you love your home more? It doesn't have to be a huge purge, just picking out a few things at a time can make a huge difference. Try it and see how much more pleasant your home is!