In this period of transition (as we wait to find a house, move and settle into our new city) I can admittedly get restless. All projects in our current house are completed, yet we are constantly looking for our next place to be. While I can feel pulled into the future, I try to stay in the present as best as I can. A busy toddler definitely forces me to stay where my feet are and finding little moments throughout our home and my day also helps.
I wanted to share some of the little moments/changes that are bringing me joy and I’ll start doing this every month – as a reminder that even something small can make your day a little brighter!
Feel good, classic movies. I admittedly do not watch a lot of TV or many movies. By the time 8pm rolls around and Josie is in bed, I want to crash myself versus watch a 2+ hour movie. However, I do have a list of movies I love/would like to watch if I ever get the chance. Whenever I see a review or someone puts a list together of feel good movies I take note! Here are some of the contenders for when the night rolls around where we plug a movie in: Forest Gump (my all time fav), When Harry Met Sally, Casablanca, Some Like it Hot, The Birdcage, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and It’s a Wonderful Life.
A new hobby. I’m on a non-toxic journey right now and I’m going to call this a hobby because there is actually a lot of learning and skill building that has had to happen. From cleaning products, to candles, to make-up, to home practices there are so many products and things I’ve used that have harsh chemicals in them. I’m learning to make my own cleaners and establish routines that allow me to do so. There are lots of other hobbies to pursue if you are ever feeling the pull to try something new: gardening, knitting, photography, letter writing, learning a new language, baking, etc. A new hobby has helped me find joy and excitement during this time of transition in our lives.
Adjusting content consumption. Since starting For This Home I have pretty strict boundaries around content/media consumption. I actually hardly ever scroll on Instagram and try my very, very hardest to not be on my phone when I’m in the presence of other people. I still love finding inspiration and learning from content creators on IG and keeping up with family/friends but it can be a lot to always stay on top of. I find myself going back to good old Pinterest and reading more books. I also don’t watch the news at all anymore and have notifications turned off on my phone. These practices may contribute to living my life under a rock (oops!) and obviously wouldn’t work for everyone, but constantly consuming media can be anxiety provoking for me. If there is something I need to know, I will look it up on my own time. These little habit adjustments have made a big difference in setting the tone for my day.
Curating. Since we are moving in a few months, nothing new is coming into our apartment. However, I still like to curate and change up some of the little spaces in our home using what we have. Restyling my bookshelves and end tables, switching up lamps in rooms, placing pretty flowers and candles in different spaces, and swapping art placement can bring the prefect refresh. I am slowly changing up some of these small spaces in our apartment and I find it to be really refreshing. I always have, but especially as I know we are leaving soon, I feel immensely appreciative for our living space.
Clearing the clutter. I go through de-cluttering in fits and spurts. Right now, I’m decluttering everything. All the drawers, closets, holiday bins, etc. Nothing is safe. Now, we don’t have any storage space in our apartment, just our closets, but you would be surprised what makes its way in there. Especially after having Josie, we have accumulated lots of “stuff”. I aspire to get to a “what you see is what we have” state where we don’t have excess things hiding in a deep dark storage space somewhere. Lofty, but it’s a goal. I have slowly tackled our kitchen, under the bed, bathroom vanity and a few other odd spaces that now not only feel less cluttered, but much more functional. I only do this when I am in the mood to clean up so it doesn’t feel like a daunting task rather a controlled stress reliever.
These are some of the little moments I’m spending my time in right now and hope they can bring you a little joy and inspiration as well!
