If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that the last 5 years have brought a number of major changes in my life. I’ve gone from being a (fairly) newlywed, lived in a big home, hosted a bunch of people from all over the world in our home through AirBNB, move out of our house, lived in an RV for 9 months while traveling the southern United States, been pregnant while living on the road, become a mom, moved in to a small apartment, and doubled my business, Moxie Girl, all while writing blogs and podcasts to help you love your home.
With all the changes that have happened, it’s been a balancing act to say the least. And now, I’ve realized it’s time to retire as Domestic CEO and focus on my family and business.
As I’ve been thinking about all the tips I’ve given over the years, I was struggling to decide what to talk about on my last post. I’ve talked about how to clean your home using natural products like vinegar, baking soda, and lemons. I’ve talked about how to organize closets and other rooms. I’ve talked about how to decorate bookcases, and how to hang picture collages. And I’ve talked about how to host almost any type of event in your home. So what would be worthy of talking about on my very last episode?
I finally realized that the last advice I could give you is how to be happy in your home, because that’s what this entire journey has been about. While I may have talked about how to clean, organize, decorate, and host in your home, the whole reason is to help others enjoy the time they spend in their homes. After all, with the amount of time we spend in our homes, we should enjoy it, right?
So here, in no particular order, are the “rules” we live by to be happy in our home.
Have a Routine, But Don’t Be Afraid to Break It
I’ve talked a number of times about how routines can help in the home. A cleaning routine helps make sure that your home is always company-ready. A meal planning routine can help you save money as well as take the stress out of the nightly dinner routine. There’s something magical that happens when you have established routines. Your brain can go on autopilot while your body completes the tasks, so things can take much less time and be less intimidating to complete.
As many good things that can come from a routine, there are times to completely throw it out the window. First, if it’s causing you stress to keep up with your routine, it’s not serving its purpose. If you’re missing out on important family experiences with your family to clean the kitchen, put down the sponge and hang out with your kids. Routines around your home should help you have MORE time to spend with your family and friends, so if you feel like you’re stuck in a housework routine you may want to reevaluate and refocus your time to make sure that you are happy with how you spend your time.
Communicate
The next rule is to communicate. I know as well as anyone that things can get harried when you’ve lived with a person for a while, and I’m now six months in to getting a taste of adding parenthood on top of all the other responsibilities we have. Getting along with your significant other isn’t always easy, and many times the little things that drive you nuts about the important people in your life are the things that really start to cause big issues.
Instead of holding things in and expecting your significant other to be able to read your mind, or nagging and expecting the others in your life to not get irritated with you, find a way to communicate. And I mean REALLY communicate. Relationships are a journey, and sometimes you need to try something completely new or ask for help to get through an issue. Don’t be too proud to talk with a professional if you feel like you aren’t communicating well. Communication is one of the most important things in a home, so do everything in your power to maintain it. If you don’t want to grow apart, you have to grow together.
Value People, Not Things
For those of you who have kids, think about the last time your kid threw a tantrum when you told them they couldn’t have something. If they’re over the age of nine, there’s a good chance that they said something along the lines of, “You never let me have anything!” If you’re really lucky, you may even get an, “I hate you!” out of the situation. As adults, it’s easy to see when kids put more value on a thing than a person—but it still happens when we're older.
No amount of clothing, jewelry, or cars will make you happy if your relationships are out of whack.
No amount of clothing, jewelry, or cars will make you happy if your relationships are out of whack. And not to be a Debbie Downer, but if you put more value on your things than on your spouse, you’ll lose half those things when you lose your spouse. Make the conscious decision to invest in the people in your life, and you will be happier in your home.
Don’t Stress Over the Small Stuff
For all the times I’ve talked about household chores and how helpful it is to do many of them on a regular basis, I want you to remember that household chores are not that important in the grand scheme of things.
One of my good friends just found out that her 11-year-old son has cancer. I have another friend whose son died at 19 in an accident. And I have another friend whose mom recently passed away from Leukemia. Not one of those friends has ever said, “I probably should have kept a cleaner house,” when we are talking about their loved ones. Don’t get so stressed about the condition of your home that you forget to enjoy the little moments each day or lose focus on your goals. Think bigger than who is loading the dishwasher (although working on your communication can help you work through that issue), and focus on the things about your family, friends, and home that make you happy. The power of positive thinking can do wonders, if you can just let go of the little annoyances that distract you from your goals.
Now that I’ve emptied my brain, and left no words unsaid, it’s time to move on to the new ventures in my life. I’ve noticed a lot you have already found me on Instagram, and I look forward to staying in touch there. If you haven’t followed me there yet, please do. My life is pretty darn busy right now, so that’s the easiest way for me to share my adventures of being a new mom, a wife, and a business owner.
So, for the last time, I’m the Domestic CEO, helping you love your home.
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