7 Ways to Simplify Your Home

There are some things in life that I just like to keep simple-my home being one of them.Home should be a place to enjoy and de-stress instead of a place that just reminds us of everything that we have to do. Chaos, mess, clutter and disorder in our home can lead to similar feelings within us. I personally do not like to feel chaotic, messy, cluttered or disorderly–it’s just not my style.

As ironic as it is, sometimes we over-complicate the idea of simplifying. We can get overwhelmed with all the things there are to do. The key is to THINK simple. If you want to simplify your home but don’t know where to start, here are 7 things that you could do today – right now - to simplify your home.

1. Take out the trash. Empty all the trash cans and pick up any other trash lying around. Once the trash is out of the house – light a candle or some incense. This will give your house a nice clean smell.

2. Make your bed. This is probably your largest piece of furniture in your bedroom and the focal point. If your bed is made, the rest of the mess in the room isn’t as noticeable.

3. Open the curtains. Go through the whole house and open those curtains wide. Let the sunshine in! Having the curtains open makes your whole house look bigger and brighter. If the weather allows, open the windows and let some fresh air in as well. Sunlight and fresh air always puts me in a good mood.

4. Use the same glass all day. This is a great tip if you have kids. Everyone gets one glass for the day. You can keep them on the kitchen counter. When someone is thirsty, they grab their glass – not a new one. At the end of the day you will have 4 glasses to wash- not twenty.

5. Have a place for everything. I always find the same things sitting around my house. At one point, I realized this was because I have not clearly identified a place for them. Shoes, bags, keys, wallets, paper are all things that often get left sitting on counters and floors. When everyone in the home knows where things belong, they will likely put things in their place.

6. Get rid of things you don’t use. Take a walk around the house with some post-it notes. Check the shelves, closets, drawers, under the beds – everywhere! Stick a note on all the things in the house that you don’t use at all. Collect all these items and put them together. Find a good place to donate them. Remember – one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure!

7. Disconnect often. Disconnect from what? From the things you are connected to all day. As a real estate agent I am constantly on my phone, checking email, or on social media connecting with clients and peers. Sometimes I just need to disconnect for an hour or two and spend some quality ME time. This makes life much simpler, even if just for a little while.