August 2009 - “Making Changes to Reduce Stress”

Lately, my husband has been entering our home very hesitantly each evening. He’s not trying to sneak up on me. Rather, he is trying to prepare for the quiz that he knows is coming. You see, for the past month I have been redecorating our home. Even though I have asked his opinion about the ideas I have, he has bravely let me have my way. That means when he gets home each day, he has no idea what he may see upon arrival. And, he wants to be ready for my questions about if he noticed what is different and then if he likes it.

This obsession began when I had bumped my knee one too many times trying to get into the pantry. Cleaning out one area meant rearranging the whole room, then repainting a wall. Before he knew it, I had made new kitchen curtains and a friend was helping to reupholster my sofa.

There are times when we all need changes. We are usually pretty good about updating our hairstyles and makeup but we forget about our homes. For us, our house was pretty much the same for the past 15 years. All the things that we had planned on doing just kept getting pushed to the back burner. There are always more important things to focus on. But when I found myself dreading opening a closet and not being able to find the vacuum cleaner bags, I had to do something.

Despite the lack of funds, I made a game of it. Some of my favorite design tv shows are about how to make low cost changes. I had found my challenge. I am slowly making my way through most of the rooms in our house. My dear husband agrees that our home feels more comfortable. Even though he’s not quite sure what I’ll do next, he says he trusts me. Just getting rid of clutter and things we don’t use anymore has made such a huge difference. I believe that having lots of clutter in your home makes your life feel more stressed. So, take a few hours and clean out that junk drawer or closet. Donate what you don’t need to MAP or the Goodwill. It will help you and someone else.

Blessings to you,

Jacqui