If we think of the different areas of our home as nourishing factors we could possibly truly organize our homes so that these areas will benefit our needs more wisely.
At times we should look at home with a different perspective. Are we using each room for the intended purpose? Do we have clutter? Are we comfortable or are we exhausted due to clutter?
Is our home a place of nourishment and contentment?
I have had my share of clutter in my lifetime and it drained my energy then and it drains my energy now. We all go through changes in our lifetime and that brings on new interest and then those interest may fade away and something else takes its place. This may leave us with clutter and even a overwhelming mess.
It is hard letting go of things that have cost us money and very difficult if it has sentimental value but if it is draining us of energy then it going to cost us more to hold on to it because eventually it will cost us our health.
I have been working toward a functional home, easy to clean, nourishing and comfortable.
I don't move as fast as I once did but no matter what our age if we have to start moving things over and over because items are out of place or have no place then it is time to rid ourselves of this energy drain.
I have many interests and that has caused clutter but other factors such years of gifts and change in circumstances, loss of loved ones all have a part in a collection of life time possessions.
Recently I started thinking of how to better purpose each room in the house. For me, when computers and electronics started taking up space, that caused the rooms to change, one thing shifted to make room for a desk, then on and on. Before I knew it the rooms were not being used for what they once were intended and our balance was off.
A Kitchen can provide us with nourishment being that of food.
It
can do this if we think of this area as a place to provide good healthy
food and not just a place to eat or set things down and let them pile
up. A kitchen can be a big cause of waste.
This was today's lunch. A simple crock pot meal. Beef stew meat with potatoes, carrots and onions. Put it on first thing this morning and six hours later it was just right. The smell of food cooking stimulates the appetite and warms the home.
Food should be nourishing. Sitting around eating junk food is not nourishing or running into the kitchen to pop open a cold soda is not nourishing.
Every meal does not have to include meat. A simple meal like this will fill you surprisingly well.
My husband and I always sit at the table for our meals.
Sleep
We need a place to sleep, a clean bed in a clean room free of dust and clutter so our bodies can rest and heal. Our bedrooms "should" be easy to clean. When we go to bed our rooms should be free of light and noise. That is all we truly need in a bedroom but we usually have so much more. We may have overflowing closets and drawers and items stacked high. My dresser and chest of drawers are still too full but I continue to work on these areas and have made much improvement. We once had a television in this room but we removed it and we do not miss it.
I once stored boxes and containers here under this bed but several years ago I realized that it was not healthy due to how much dust accumulated on top of the boxes.
I wash our bedroom curtains and clean the bedroom fans as often as I can and try and keep the furniture and headboard washed down with soap and water to control dust. I open the windows when weather permits.
In the old household management books it was highly recommended to dismantle the beds and clean the irons and every part of the bed frequently. I am not saying I do this but I do try and keep the bed free from dust and I wash our sheets weekly unless one of us is sick then of course I wash daily. The best solution for the bedroom is less is better and air it out as often as you can.
This all looks good but there is always more to the story and real life happens and these window ledges are once again needing cleaning. My house gets dirty too.
Our bathtub area will mold just like any other bathroom. Ours being small seems to be even worse because there is not as much air flow.
A few times a year I clear everything from the bathroom and wash down from the ceiling to the floor.
Bathrooms
often become cluttered with products and decorative items. A bathroom
should be fairly plain and simple so we can properly clean and disinfect
otherwise we have mold and germs. Here in our bathroom it is time to remove and replace the caulk around the bathtub.
We only need a place to use the toilet, bathe our body, wash our hands, our hair and brush and floss our teeth. We truly need very little in a bathroom.
Some people do not like to clean a bathroom because of hair and other dirty issues. For those that are squimish then my suggestion is to vacuum the bathroom before cleaning. Keep a box of disposable gloves and disposable disinfecting wipes or paper towels. I do not normally like to use disposable but sometimes it is helpful.
Don't forget the top of the door.
Yes I am on a ladder. The only way to reach the top.
Everything gets scrubbed with soap and water.
Don't forget the light fixtures. It always feels good after doing a total clean on the bathroom.
Clothing
I am pretty rough on clothes. Often I will be found gardening, painting, hanging laundry, cooking or cleaning. I realized one day that I was starting to look frumpy.
We had a wedding to attend so that meant a trip to the mall and then a very bad case of sticker shock! I decided to once and for all make a more wise decision and purchase a couple of items that would work for most any occasion.
Simple black dress and a dressy top I put over to show the top.
I purchased a black dress, I already had a black skirt, I purchased two pair of black pants, a pair of khaki pants and a khaki skirt and two lightweight sweaters to go over sleeveless tops. And then I purchased several comfortable tops.
I felt better about myself when I had new clothes without a lot of cost.
I found 4 thrift stores and found out that if you take the time to really look through the clothes you can find good brands and clothes still with the tags on them.
One of the thrift stores offers the $5.00 bag. This is a shopping bag the size of a grocery bag and anything you can get in that bag is $5.00.
I found a simple black dress for $1.00 I went back to the mall and purchased two pair of good black pants and one khaki pants. Then bought a couple of thin over sweaters.
I have three sleeveless tops that i can wear with thin sweaters over which can be worn with any season.
This can go with pants or skirt.
These can go with pants or skirts.
These were "part" of my $5.00 purchase. Very good brand name clothes here. This day I had at least 5 tops and two skirts in my bag. I will not have to go shopping for a very long time. The Khaki skirt under all of this is the most comfortable skirt I have ever owned and it came out to under .75 cents.
$1.00 sweater
Some of the clothes have very nice fabric. These clothes been donated by people that bought clothes and got them home and they did not fit comfortable or they gained or lost weight. The thrift stores need to sell these items to make money for their cause so I helped them, they helped me.
If you need clothes and need to be thrifty, my suggestion is find a thrift store in your area and keep a look out for a good deal on clothes.
Now I am getting rid of a lot of worn out clothes that I have been hanging on to. Also I am donating clothes that I cannot wear that I have been holding on to. This has helped me to get rid of clothes clutter. Because of my choices I have clothes for any occasion and will not have to shop when something unexpected comes up.
I don't want our home to be uninteresting but I also do not want clutter so there must be a balance. I am much happier to have a nourishing home.
Take Care, Grandma Donna
