Fall is finally here! I think this may be my favorite time of year hands down! With pumpkin spice, cinnamon brooms, and all the holiday decorations on the shelves; our homes will be completely transformed yet again for the next few months. As a cleaning lady I know firsthand how important it is to not only keep a tidy home, but to create spaces that feel organized, clean, and rejuvenated, while also staying functional for family needs. But when the holiday’s come around, it can be so difficult to keep our homes both stylish and organized, when too many holiday trinkets clutter our spaces!
“Are your spaces designed for functionality and style? Or just style? Or do you just live in your spaces without any thought at all?”
Does your home serve its purpose? I enter many different homes year-round and from my experience, there are hundreds of styles, and each space plays a different role. Most people live with tons of unnecessary clutter and don’t use their spaces with purpose! I don’t care if it’s a single person living in a large home, a family of 3 in a small apartment, or a family of 8 in a mansion, there is a right and wrong way to live in our spaces. And most people are clueless when it comes to home design and organization! Although Pinterest has some great ideas on how to stay organized, it usually never helps for long-term organizing in our own homes! I would say I live a pretty organic, organized, healthy, and Zen life because I do all things with purpose. Could I do better? Abso-freaking-lootly!!! We can always do better when it comes to organizing and managing our lives. That is why I love fall! Fall is a time where we get to regroup! We pull all of our holiday decorations out, create new spaces, and we can even get reorganized and prepared for the new year. Which is literally just around the corner! We can clean up and start from scratch at any time in our life, and Fall is always my favorite time of year to do this! Fall is an opportunity to get ready for those NEW YEAR GOALS to be set in place!
‘Your Home is Your Safe Haven”
Truth be told, I’ve never been the type of person who liked to move around a lot. Although I know some people who move once a year. My daughters will tell you the reason they’ve always felt so safe growing up, was because they knew they had a “safe haven” to come home to no matter how horrible their day was. Most people have a desire to move once a year for whatever reason. Maybe it’s a desire for that “new house feel”. I don’t know, but I prefer to stay put and offer my kids and myself stability. Therefore, instead I opt to “Clean Our Spaces and Create New Zen Places”!
When you decorate for Fall or any other season, you enjoy bringing those new pieces into your home each year, right? Of course you do! We all do! Because every time we head to any store there will always be new items on the shelf that intrigues us, or tempts our holiday (or every-day) addictions. These new pieces may not even serve any real purpose, but somehow make us feel good. For a few moments anyway! You know, like all those cups falling out of the cabinet that you have no more room for! (SMH)
It’s like the pumpkin spice sign some of us just can’t resist!!! It’s everywhere and in everything! The temptation for new decorative pillows, blankets, floral arrangements, table toppers, and designer placemat’s we just can’t do without! Did I mention all those cute mugs with quotes that clutter our shelves at home? Oh yes, I did! (Rolling my eyes scratching my head) We also have our lovely TikTok, and Pinterest posts that plant seeds to “buy more”! “Design with more”! There will always be a new idea someone will come up with that triggers an idea in our own mind. Did you ever notice, when you try these things in your own home it never actually looks like you pictured it? It definitely is not functional in our own spaces! It takes one idea to drive us on a journey down a very long road that leads to a tragically, cluttered, over stocked garage, and our home is filled with shit we don’t need, nor do we use!
How about that black Christmas tree? Oh, oouu I have an idea!!! Why don’t we start early and decorate that tree with Halloween decorations? Some cinnamon brooms would look so cute with some witch hats, and it would smell so delightful! NOOO STOP! Some ideas sound fun! But some are just unnecessary! So, how can we still indulge in all our pumpkin spice goodness and not be overwhelmed with clutter year-round? Well, I am about to tell you.
HOME MAKEOVER’S THAT ARE ORGANIZED, FUNCTIONAL & STILL INDULGE YOUR SEASONAL SENSES
So how can we indulge our senses during the holiday seasons, and still, keep our homes functional and organized? Well, we can start with a clean canvas! Spending one weekend a year with each member of the family redesigning your spaces can be fun and will also get the family doing things together! I used to tell my daughters that if they don’t get rid of old stuff they no longer use, they won’t be getting anything new for Christmas! “Santa doesn’t bring new toys to spoiled brats!” I know that sounds mean but it’s true! Com ‘on! You know I’m right! I know what you’re thinking, “the kids and my husband won’t want to do help clean and organize the house”! WELL, TOO FREAKING BAD! HAHAHA!! That is what I say! Just kidding! No really, I’m not! Everyone lives in the home; everyone has a part to play in cleaning and organizing the home! IF YOU MESS IT UP, YOU CLEAN IT UP!!!
Seriously, I know the kids can sometimes be difficult, and even men can be stressful with all their “organized chaos”. Especially with kids being homeschooled and more and more people working at home. Upkeep can be so much more demanding. But I promise there is a way to keep your own sanity, while also maintaining a clean and organized, happy home. If you include your kids and allow them to have a say in how their spaces function best for them, they will be so much more engaged. And they just may surprise you in the process! They may even keep their rooms tidy and organized year-round. If done correctly!!
Everyone and I mean EVERYONE living in your home should have their own space to just “Zen”! Remember this one rule, “your idea of calm and relaxed, is not equal to your kid’s idea of calm and relaxed”. Every single one of us give and receive energy differently. I believe kids today have a lot more pressure (due to social media pushing ideas at them), to figure out what they want in life and who they are as individuals. Everyone wants a success story, with love, financial freedom, and yes, a beautiful home that is organized, clean, and a place we can feel safe. But what we all desire more than anything in this world, is a sense of security. That security looks different for everyone! Remember that! Sometimes it can be more difficult for kids to find and define themselves when they don’t have an example of what it looks like to be different, independent, or unique. As a parent we must give them security by allowing them to explore the different stages of their own life without planting our own desires and seeds. Ask yourself, “am I being a good example for my family? And do I allow my children to feel safe in their choices”? Okay enough of the heavy! Back to your fall makeover!!!
What is the Purpose of your Home?
First things first, ask yourself “do you know the purpose of your home and does your space foster to the needs of everyone in the home?” How are you utilizing your spaces? Do you ever wonder how interior designers do such amazing transformations on those shows like HGTV? It is simple! First, because they have a trained eye for lines, shapes, lighting, spaces, etc. But mostly, designers look at each space with a lens of “space purpose”. They start with asking questions. What is your favorite piece? Colors? What do you want this space to symbolize? What is the sole purpose of this space? They even go as far as asking the kids and everyone in the home. Considering handy cap, disabilities, etc. So, are you looking at each space through a lens of purpose? You must ask yourself, questions about your spaces and be very clear on the ‘purpose’ of each space. A space can serve its purpose but still appear cluttered and unorganized. Or it can serve its purpose and appear minimal, clean, and welcoming. My favorite way to add holiday spirit to each room is by using diffusers. You can keep these year-round and change the aroma for each season. I believe essential oils are safer and better for our health then candles, incents and burners that expose chemicals into the air. I’m aware that some people will disagree, I know! I’ve read many articles! But as a cleaning lady, I can tell you, it is doing more harm than good. Even some essential oils can be harmful. This is why when I clean a home, I keep each individual in mind. No matter what aroma you’re using in your spaces, you need to be mindful of allergies and other health risks for each person living or entering that space!
If you walk into your home after a hard day and feel overwhelmed, you’re doing something wrong!
You should come home and feel a huge sense of comfort and relief. When you walk in the door, you should feel a sense of Zen as all your senses indulge in the look, feel, and smell of your home. Your home should serve a purpose and feel inviting. If your home doesn’t attract you and your guests, you will indulge in unnecessary spending and constantly feel overwhelmed with your home decor. Purchasing more shit is not the answer!
Getting into a system is key
Getting into a system is always the most difficult part of any project, but once we get started planning, redesigning, organizing, and cleaning our home; it can be so rewarding and life changing. A home needs a system. Some may say it takes and army to run a home! But I say, you only need an army big enough to defeat the mission you’re on! And you should only take on one mission at a time! So, start with one room.
The following are ways to get the makeover you want by adding touches of fall to each space so you can indulge in the season too! Ask yourself some questions for each space in your room.
For example: The kitchen –
- How many people do you have in your family eating food?
- What kind of food does each person like?
- Does everyone eat dinner together? (This should be a requirement in each home for raising children with proper family moral values. But this is just my opinion! This will help everyone stay connected, teaches our youth communication skills, and make everyone feel included, engaged, and loved.) Don’t have signs that say “We gather together” when you don’t actually do that! Have purpose in your decorative pieces.
- Is everyone on the same diet or is everyone’s eating habits different? (The best way to run a home is to discover foods everyone can eat and likes while also being considerate of those who may require special diets. Don’t rub bad eating habits in the faces of those who must eat healthier choices. It is rude, disrespectful, and causes stress and anxiety while also causing division in the home)
- Pantry and fridge – are they organized and labeled? (If everyone must eat separate keep labels and name tags. Don’t fall short here! “Think less stress” when organizing and designing your spaces)
- Promote good eating with good food. Persuasion works best when you’re fridge and pantry are organized with containers. (Always think of the space with purpose creating a place for every item to be easily accessible.)
- Clean food and keep dry with paper towels before putting it away for less waste (The easier the access the more it will get eaten and less food will go to waste)
- Keep It simple and less complicated (Kitchen is for food. The fuller everyone is the less snacking goes on and the less mess you’ll have. Think of your kitchen with purpose considering each person in your family)
- Design happens in planning phase. When you plan the purpose of your kitchen your makeover will include items that keep it functional and organized.
I can really go deep into more detail, but the point for each room is this, “you must really get clear on your purpose” for the space. Including the things, you put in each space. I would even go as far as saying add your dining room area when planning your kitchen design. Dining should be included because it is where everyone in the family SHOULD BE eating together. I am not here to tell you how to live, but if you’re looking for more relaxation and peace in your life you should create systems that promote healthy habits. Eating in rooms, home office, or bedrooms, should not be a habit anyone gets into. Movie and dinner nights are fine, on occasion! My girls and I do this occasionally. But set it up with sofa tables or gathering around the coffee table on the floor with pillows and make it purposeful. Having a designated purpose for each space keeps your home clean, decluttered and of course, free of pests and bugs from those spills and crumbs.
Everything in your home needs to have a place to go, but it needs to also be easily accessible. When it is too hard to take out it won’t get used and honestly, it just collects dust! Like those extra holiday trinkets, you’re adding into your already cluttered spaces! DON’T DO THAT!!! Remember, when things are too hard to put away, it won’t get put back and will clutter our beautiful spaces.
See, the problem with those Pinterest pictures and all those gorgeous ideas online is that they don’t work for functionality! Those design ideas look great online! But when we try them at home, we end up having to “move shit to do shit”. Hell, Pinterest designs may look great when you try it in your own space! Until one day you decide to live in that space! How do “YOU” and your family use that space? You must have a purpose for each space, and there must be a purpose to every single piece you put in each space. Bottom line! When you go to the store next time, ask yourself “Do I really need another mug?” Or “Do I need this or just want this?” Don’t make purchases that don’t add purpose to your spaces and don’t make purchases that clutter your spaces!
DECLUTTER BEFORE YOU PURCHASE MORE CLUTTER!
I get it fall always gives us this holiday spirit that is dying to redecorate! With cool ideas you’ve been seeing all over the internet and in stores, you’ll surely be inspired! I get it! But if I may be blunt, your cleaning lady might consider raising her prices on you unexpectedly if you continue adding a little (or a lot) more work to her routine. When you begin to put more things in your home, your cleaning crew must do more work. Whether that cleaning crew is you, your kids, or some professional who comes in and out of your spaces. Someone must clean all those pieces in all your spaces. And coming from a cleaning lady who does this for a living, this shit collects more dust and it’s time consuming! By purchasing those new decorations, you’re about to cause a whole lotta’ stress on your cleaning crew and yourself! So, you better freaking LOVE WHATEVER YOU PURCHASE!
Do you need it? Probably not. But You want it. You want something new. You think it will make you feel better! I know, I feel you! I love redecorating my house for the holidays and bringing new pieces in. Especially since I have been renting the same home for over 7 years. It does bring a sense of newness to my spaces! But before you clutter your home with another trinket you really don’t need, consider decluttering first! Think of it like this… “OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW!” You must get rid of old stuff before you purchase new stuff. Make room for new items by getting rid of some items that no longer serve their purpose. This can be hard I know. Some things have sentiment. I totally get it! But listen, you can donate or sell your personal items to someone who really needs it. I like to imagine that my old items which no longer serve me, keep their sentiment when they serve someone who is in need. When I separated from my kid’s dad after 14 years, I took nothing from our home when I left. Leaving me to start over from scratch! It was a struggle to say the least! But every new piece I purchased, was from a thrift store or craigslist. I also received many pieces that were handed down from relatives, friends, and clients. And I can tell you this, I appreciated those pieces so much more, because of the story behind each item. It added sentiment, culture and purpose to my new space.
So, consider giving stuff away, donating, and decluttering your spaces before you bring in new pieces. Look at each space with purpose and remember every item you bring into your spaces should have purpose. Create spaces that cultivate your creativity and promote good energy by thinking of each room with purpose. This will bring clarity to your mind and help you enjoy all the seasons starting with a new FALL MAKEOVER! Add those new fall pieces after you have made some space! I promise you will have less stress when you design your home with purpose!
