Love your home.

Make your home a place you love to be.

By: Casey Nester

What you put inside your house can make the difference between whether you enjoy spending time there or not. No matter the size or style of your home, incorporating your style matters the most. Follow our simple tips to transform your house into a home that’s the right fit for you.

Make It Functional

Don’t put away all your utensils and appliances; incorporate them into your home’s design. Fill large, colorful jars with the items you use most.

Add Warmth

Sure, expensive furniture and a spotless home are appealing, but that won’t add warmth. Fill your most-used spaces with plush rugs, throw blankets, and comfortable furniture the entire family can use.

Dress Up Empty Walls

A collection of picture frames can make a room feel cluttered. Instead, display family photos, kids’ artwork, and memorabilia from your travels on blank walls.

Make Guests Feel Welcome

Nothing makes a house a home more than when your closest friends and family visit. Place comfortable outdoor furniture and lush plants on your porch to make guests feel welcome before they walk in the front door.

Create a Lived-In Look

If you don’t look like you live in your home, you won’t want to spend time in it. You can keep things organized, but you don’t necessarily have to put everything away in storage. Showcase your hobbies, display fresh florals and collect furniture over time instead of buying matching sets.

Add Personality to Every Room

Unless your style is a cohesive, minimalist look, give each room personality with a different color palette. Add color by painting the walls or adding bold furnishings. Each room’s color palette should reflect its functionality.

Light Candles

Nothing will make your home feel as welcoming and cozy as the smell of freshly baked goods. You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen baking — just light candles around your home that smell like your favorite dessert.

Get Organized for Back-to-School

Keep back-to-school time from becoming berserk by getting things in order before the first day. Get your back to school printable here.

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Putting the following strategies into action now will save a lot of time and anxiety later!

1. Shift your schedules. The lazy, unstructured days of summer are ending, and so is your child’s freedom to sleep in and eat erratically. Ease him back into a school schedule by shifting his bedtime back to a school-day rest and waking him closer to the hour he’ll need to rise.
2. Have a morning routine run-through. The week before school starts, start getting your child up, dressed, and fed at the exact times as you would on a school day. Both you and your child will benefit from a few practice runs to smooth out trouble spots and get comfortable with the routine.
3. Clean house. Hopeful for a good school year? Take some time and clean the house. Go through your child’s clothes, and get rid of anything they have outgrown or worn threadbare. It’ll be easier to choose outfits if there’s less clutter.
4. Stock up on supplies. Now is the time to stock up on school supplies. They are easy to find, and they are really on sale. 👏🏻 Make a list of everything your kids will need for the coming year, from socks to crayons. Ask their teacher 🍎 or the school for a list of supplies, and check what’s missing. Buy extras of essential items and store them for later. You will be thankful you did when it comes to school projects and homework! 📚
5. Get papers in order. Get those papers in order! Take a minute and call the school, ask what paperwork your child will need to start. Take care of any missing vaccinations or forms ASAP, then gather all the papers in a large, clearly marked envelope or file and photocopy everything, or collect all required documents into a folder on your desktop. Bonus points for storing them in a file on your phone!!
6. Create calendar and file central. Now is an excellent time of year to create a family calendar. Set up an area with an extensive calendar so everyone in your family can see everyone else’s plans for that month. For added organization, color-code each family member and keep colored markers nearby so everyone can easily mark goals—pen in after-school activities, lessons, play-dates, and family time. Even if your kids add Minecraft and TV time to the schedule! 😂
7. Keeping a place for your important files is a must for families—file central. Set up file baskets or bins marked so you can easily find what you are looking for.
8. Keep your books in order, so they are easy to find and grab. Try the rainbow 🌈 method from @thehomeedit; it makes finding your library beautiful and straightforward!