A GIFT OF HOME
A few weeks ago, my husband and I took our three children (ages three and under) on a week and a half long road trip. Sounds like an adventure, right? It was, and it was absolutely amazing. We had approximately 34 hours of travel-driving, and stayed in 5 different places throughout the duration of our trip. My husband and three-year-old went skiing, we all went hiking at some National Parks, and overall, my husband and I made some great memories. I know our youngest kids won’t remember the trip - but I hope the experience planted a little seed of adventure in their souls.
Amidst the car diaper changes, activities, and new locations, as we wrapped up the trip and were a couple days from being home, I got so excited to arrive back to our house. Part of that is because I am a natural-born homebody. I could stay at home forever and be so content.
But the other part of it is before we left, I finished packing early, and I had time to clean our house before we started off on our adventure. It was a miracle - the kitchen counters got cleaned, rooms got vacuumed, and the house was tidied up. There were still some clean clothes on the couch from a last load of laundry, but overall, our house was mostly the way I aim for it to be. So when we walked in after the long days of travel, it felt like a breath of fresh air - a relaxing arrival to a clean kitchen table, mostly tidy kitchen counters, empty trashcans, a clean bed, and the comfort of home.
Spending time in so many different places throughout the trip made me so grateful for our home. I always hold my breath when walking into a hotel or rental - just bracing for the worst. Those staged photos online never reveal some odd stench or a bug infestation. Thankfully, on this trip, none of those fears came true. We stayed in a cute condo rental, hotel rooms, and with friends. Some stays were really nice, but none of them were anything compared to our home’s functionality for our family. I have spent so many hours trying to curate our home in the last year - with our kitchen renovation and bathroom update I have decluttered, re-organized, designed, decorated, and functionalized so many spaces of our home. I have tried to make it work better for our family, serve us better, and be a space my children can relax and be children in.
No matter how wonderful the hosts, or the hotel, or the rental - no one has the space designed specifically for our family. No space is exactly what we need, with things where we need them - and that is true for any space. It is just the way it is. Your home has the potential to be what you need it to be in the season you are in.
It all came full circle when my 3-year-old and 1-year-old independently went to our hall closet to get their shoes the day after we got home. We have started teaching them to put their shoes in the closet over the last few months so that we could eliminate the mad dash of “WHERE ARE YOUR SHOES??” right before leaving the house. That panic and me yelling before we leave the house isn’t good for anyone. But that day after we returned, I didn’t remind them that is where their shoes are - I just said we needed to get our shoes on to go outside, and off they went. Granted - the shoes weren’t in the closet yet because they were in the pile of luggage from the late-night car unloading (we are talking about progress here, people, not perfection!) but it was a great testament to the predictability and stability of home. Finding ways to make our home work for us. Do I need a fancy shoe organizer by the front door curated exactly the way I want it to look? Nope - I just need to look at the function of my home, and clear out a space on the floor in the closet to solution the shoe scavenger hunt and keep our floors looking less cluttered.
Through interior design and decorating, I want our home to be intentional, beautiful, and unique to our family. I don’t want it to be a museum, but rather a physical space that supports a peaceful family life, helps my kiddos feel safe, loved and supported. There are now areas of our home (like our hall closet) that have a purpose to support our life - and that is what gets me excited about residential design. Having a home that feels like a cozy rental, but is curated for YOU.
I know the function of our home will continually change as our kiddos get older. I know in a few years I will be less worried about how to store diapers/wipes and instead figuring out how to keep backpacks and sports equipment in check. But for now, after being a traveler and visitor, I am even more grateful for this little home God has blessed us with, and the ways we are putting it to use for our little family.
If you want help creating a home that is Intentional, Beautiful, and Yours - in the midst of daily living and your life season - check out my Signature Workshop. It’s designed to help you create a home that highlights your heart for your family, and I would love if you checked it out.
