Listen, I know you’re inundated with a whole slew of New Year Resolutions right now so I will get straight to the point – one of the items on the list below changed my life. I do not say that lightly, I promise you. We always think about goals for ourselves for the New Year, but what about the place you call home? Here are some changes you can make in 2018 to bring good energy, love, and new life to your space:

1. Only bring in items that bring you joy. Not to get all woowoo on you, but imagine them as an energy. If something is there “just because”;  you don’t even like it, can’t remember why you bought it, serves no purpose whatsoever, or jogs bad memories for you – toss it. It’s only taking up space (mentally, too). Bye! Imagine how much better it would be if you had only things that brought a smile to your face? You wouldn’t mind dusting them, you’d be thrilled for friends to linger around your bookshelves, you’d be proud of the art on your walls.
2. The title above – Put Your House on a Diet. This was Jon’s addition, and I love it. We learned this lesson, hard, when we moved to Chicago. We had the moving truck packed so tight, it all came crashing down as we opened the doors on Lincoln Avenue in the heart of the city. I’d say 88% of the contents were donated, tossed, or given away on the corner. We didn’t even need most of them, a lot of it was just plain junk, and most didn’t fit in the (much smaller that our suburbia sprawler) brownstone. It made us take a long (let’s be honest it was pouring – toss and go!) look at our stuff, and make some cuts. We’re learning this lesson again now, only reversed. This time we’re in a large space again and it’s tempting to fill it. Take a pause, and really think about each item before it comes through the door. Thankfully, neither of us can stand crowds (that includes parades, concerts, and the mall).
3. Purchase with Purpose. Getting back to the first point, this will make it a lot easier on you. At least it did for me. In previous homes we’ve owned, we went for the deals and shopped at mostly big box stores and online warehouses. Nothing wrong with that. However. With this house, we made a pact to follow rule #1 and only purchase items that we both truly loved. Sure, some of the furniture is from the big guys, but the majority of the things you’ll find in our home are made by local artisans, were found at cool thrift shops, were sourced from awesome lady bosses who run incredible vintage pop-ups, etsy shops, you get the idea. They were made with love, and you can feel it. I mean it. The highest compliment we’ve been given has been said not once, but by almost every person who has walked through the door. You can feel the love in here. Don’t believe me? Stop by for a cup of tea 😉
4. Get on a schedule. Think about it. You schedule everything in your life – work meetings, doctor’s appointments, the gym. What about maintenance for your house? I literally put in my iPhone when I want to clean the bathrooms, when the furnace needs cleaning, when to run a cleaner through the washing machine. Sound a little OCD? Sure. But you couldn’t believe how much it helps. All of these things will keep your home running smoothly, and keep you sane. Give it a try for a month and let me know how it works.
5. Say Thank You. Every time we come in from the cold, Grey will say, ahhh, thank you warm house. It’s something we say pretty often around here. Thank you to the fireplace for warming us up on these 10 degree days. Thank you to the fridge for keeping our milk ice cold. Thank you to the dishwasher for saving us so much time so we have more time to play. Don’t take any of it for granted. We have so many blessings and the more good you see around you will only bring more good into your home. When your home is happy, you are happy, your partner is happy, your life is happy. And who couldn’t use more JOY?

Thank you so much for stopping by, friends! What are your home resolutions this year? We’d love for you to share in the comments below!