Creating Peaceful Organized Homes
I was having some trouble trying to decide where to focus my attention on the blog in 2014, when out of the blue my 8 year old son brings me a piece of paper with some writing on it. He’d found it in one of the books he’d inherited from his older siblings and I’d never seen it before. It was my daughter’s (16) handwriting and when I read it, it took my breath away.
It says:
HOME
I like my home
My home is great
I love my home
Ahhh! home.
My daughter must have been about 8 years old when she wrote that. It makes me so happy to know she felt that way. I immediately knew that that’s what I wanted for all of you….that feeling of walking into your home, exhaling and saying Ahhhh! home. Doesn’t that sound grand?
To confirm I might be on the right track I asked my Facebook readers what one word they would use to describe their homes and while some of the answers were about love and warmth, too many included words like this:
- sad
- pitiful
- chaotic
- disaster
- cluttered
- over-stuffed
- ugh
- overwhelmed
- overwhelming
- crowded
- messy
- disorganized
- horder
- neglected
None of that says Ahhh! home to me. I think it’s time we changed that, don’t you?
It’s time to create sanctuaries in whatever spaces we’ve been blessed with big or small, house, apartment or condo, owning or renting. Whatever the situation, what if we could be content with what we have right now? What if we could turn clutter and chaos into uncluttered and calm? What if when we walk in to our homes we felt at peace and comforted by our surroundings rather than frustrated and discouraged by what we see. It is possible you know, it most definitely is.
My goal is to help you turn those words above into new positive ones:
- warm
- cozy
- calm
- comforting
- peaceful
- organized
- decluttered
- simplified
- relaxing
- peaceful
- neat
- happy
- homey
- inviting
Will you join me on this journey to loving our spaces and creating peaceful organized homes in 2014? Will you respond in the comments by sharing what one word you would use to describe your home now and the one word you wish your home reflected instead?
I want everyone to be able to walk into their homes and immediately think “Ahhhh! home”. Wouldn’t that be a beautiful thing?
Let’s do this!
See all posts in this series:
6 Things You Can Do to Bring Peace to Your Home
Getting to the Root of Clutter
Are Your Expectations too High?
Take a Picture and Edit Your Stuff
The Clutter Creep and Why We Allow It To Happen
How to Stop Clutter Before It Even Happens
Welcoming but would like to be organized
I would describe my home now as cluttered but I would like it to be relaxing
A disaster but i would love clean and calm. Always
Lived in….unorganized…not peaceful bc of clutter
Now: Love
Later: Same
Now – overwhelming
Looking forward to – Retreat
Can’t wait!
Now caothic
Then relax
Scattered —- Progressively Peaceful
Cluttered
Cozy
horrific
sanctuary
Now overwhelming
Want peaceful
Now: Stuffed
Later: Comforting
Now- disheartening
Later- relaxed
I have an almost 2 year old and almost 4 year old, and I feel so stressed trying to keep up with basic housework that I feel like I never have the time and freedom to enjoy them.
Overwhelming
Relaxing
Now – chaotic
Would like it to be – peaceful
Now: potential
Hoped for: sanctuary
I’d like to keep plugging away at those projects, both small and large, that make our home prettier, cleaner, more organized, and more comfortable.
Now- dirty
Would like to make it- Blissful, Spacious and Happy! (couldn’t keep myself to just one word- whoops 🙂 )
Scattered
Peaceful
Sanctuary…….. My home is my sanctuary, in every respect. It is our home, nest, place of love and comfort. Our sanctuary………. Ahhhhhhh!
Cluttered….. I am the pile queen–piles everywhere. I would like my home to be simply peaceful.
now: in progress
later: relaxing
Now- cluttered and chaotic
Later- organized and relaxing
now – chaos
later-order
With my ADD I am disorganized which makes me uncomfortable about inviting anyone over.
Now: chaotic and cluttered
Want: calm and restful
I am queen if piles! Stuff everywhere and it’s overwhelming and disorganized.
Years ago I would have said my house was cluttered. But over the last few years I’ve had people say that my home is welcoming and cheerful. I must be doing something right. *smile*
Your blog is always a source of inspiration. We think very much alike so I can always relate to what you’re talking about. Thank you for the time and effort you put into your blog and for caring for those you have never met.
Hugs
Kim
Now: embarrassing
Goal: inviting
Cluttered
tranquil
Very well written blog article. Thank you for encouraging us and challenging us.
Now: MANCAVE
By 2015: Peaceful Mommy Heaven
I would say my home is in transition….. I’ve been busy raising my 4 babies, but they’re all finally old enough to let me get back to keeping my house together… I started a few weeks ago and won’t stop until I find my zen… 😀
Now: Thrown-together
Goal: Serene
Spacious and open. Want inviting and cozy
Now: unorganized and messy
Goal: tranquil and enjoyable
Now: Organized and uncluttered
Goal: to clean more regularly and be more efficient at doing so
Sanctuary…..to me that embodies all the wonderful things such as warm, safe, neat, organized, etc
Happy 2014 everyone !
Now-Disaster
2015- Clean
Unorganized and cluttered
Organized and calming
(Couldn’t just pick one word! ????)
2013: full
2014: peaceful
Now: Cluttered & Dirty
Goal: Retreat
Cluttered (like a lot from our 10 days holiday trip)
What I want…LOW-MAINTENANCE!!!!!
Semi-cluttered- now.
Fluid- after
Now: Deceptive
I need to explain – My home looks nice and inviting. But if you look in my secret places like the lovely decorative storage boxes or under the gorgeous table with the ruffle skirt or even the dryer at times (I once stashed some unclean dishes in there when company arrived unexpectedly!), it is an unorganized stash of craziness. Guest may walk in my home and say, “How inviting!” But I want to walk in to my house and say “Ah…home” without the voices reminding me of hidden messes and the guilt of procrastinating to take care of it.
Now: cluttered, disorganized, yet welcoming
Later: light, maintained, serenity (still welcoming)
Now: A place of Relief
Future: A regularly cleaned place of relief 😉
Now: overwhelming. Goal: peaceful
Now: Messy/cluttered.
Future: Aaaahhh!
Now: hidden messes, overwhelmed, unorganized
Future: welcoming, peaceful, organized and NO hidden piles
Our home must be inviting because lots of people seem to enjoy popping in on us for coffee or lunch! I feel it is cozy and warm and that its furnishings reflect who we are. I joke that the living room looks like the Day Room of a home for Seniors but that’s ok; we ARE Seniors! The one word I’d choose to describe our home is “DELIGHTFUL”. I am sooooo very grateful.
Chaos ~ Serenity
Inconsistent –> Reliably calm
(we have moments of ahh & moments of overwhelm – 3 kids 4 & under & chronic health issues for me. I’m being patient (sometimes) with myself & taking baby steps. Would like to turn routines into habits. )
Frazzled
Peaceful
cluttered/cozy
before: a work in progress
after: comfort and joy
Now: Messy
Future: Organised
What a wonderful note to find from your child (sign that you’re doing an amazing job!) and also what a great theme for your blog. So often we focus on “just organizing” when the real goal is to have a peaceful home. Thank you for sharing the note. Wishing you a wonderful 2014!
Now: chaotic
Future: a haven of rest
So sweet! Have you heard of Apartment Therapy’s January cure? It’s all about curing your home in the month of January. I usually don’t participate because my January is crazy at my day job due to year end closing but I’ve decided to this year.
Hopping over from Smart & Simple Matters, listening to your podcast with Joel right now.
Happy 2014!
Oops forgot to include my two words.
Now: Abundant
Future: Minimal
Now: Chaotic
Later: Like Home
Now-crazy
Desire-peaceful
Now: Cozy. (We don’t entertain a lot and actually want the house to be comfortable for us, not those who would visit for a couple of hours. Call us anti-social but we don’t mind having people over, but just prefer not to feel like we’re putting on a show for others benefit.)
Later: organized. (Clutter isn’t a huge problem, but a few more systems to deal with the extra that we need to keep would be lovely! As would the energy to set them up! LOL)
Now: cluttered
Later: peaceful and organized
Now – overwhelmed
Latter – organized/ peaceful
Ahhh—Home!!! I love my home!!! There is always room for improvement–organizing and decluttering is an ongoing process, but I do love my home and caring for it!! 😉
Laura,
That poem is awesome! I am totally in on this!
Now: Overwhelming
Goal: Peaceful
To help me work towards that goal I am getting rid of 365 things this year and posting about it on my blog. Thank you so much for your continued inspiration!
I’ve been back to work for 18 months….it’s been a while since a picture of my dining room table appeared on your blog. Many more possible changes this year…..but most of all I want a ……Refuge.
A cluttered mess! Would like it to feel comfy, warm, inviting and organized. I’m excited for your input and assistance as 2014 is the year I will make this happen!
Now: Neglected
Want: Comforting
My home now is embarrassing (unorganized, messy, a decorator’s nightmare)
I want my home to be inviting (warm, decluttered, a place where I wouldn’t be uncomfortable if people dropped by uninvited)
now = vanilla
desire = pistachio!
What it is: chaotic
What I’d like: restful
Now: post-Apocalyptic
Then: Cozy and mindful
Now: survival
Want: peaceful and fun
overly-abundant
inviting minimalist
Now: pell-mell
Desire: Haven
I’ve been wondering what wonderful inspiration you would have for us in the new year 🙂 the last few years you’ve motivated me to tackle things I had been avoiding, helping me to make life better for my family. And you have not disappointed! This is just what has been on my heart. Thank you, Laura. It’s going to be a wonderful year!
Now – overwhelming
Then – inviting
Now: cluttered, unorganized, too much stuff!
Then: less stuff so I can have a clean, organized and peaceful little home.
Now: Overwhelming/disaster
Soon: Sanctuary
Chaos
Haven
Now: cluttered
Soon: cozy but airy
Now: Messy/unorganized
Soon: Comforting
My home is my safe haven but I would also like to say Ahhh home! because then it will be organized as well as safe. Thanks
Now: stressful
Later: calming
Now: chaos
Goal: haven
Chaotic, unorganized, cluttered, stressful
I want the opposite of what it is now…. An Ahhhhhh relaxing home!!!!
(I currently clean one room then go to clean another and when I go back to the first room, my children have already messed it up…..so frustrating!)
Due to two small kids: chaotic, but full of love.
I’d love to have: in order AND full of love
Now it is Cluttered and I would like it to be relaxing.
Embarrassing!
Welcoming!!!
Now: sanctuary-in-progress
Soon: total peace and order
Now – Haven
Soon – A tad more organized Haven
now: disorganized
want: useful
Total disaster
Peaceful
Diasteresqe want ahhh home
Over-stuffed
Calm
Now: Tired and too much stuff
Later: Welcoming and simplified
Now: Cramped
Later: Peaceful
Hmmm, right now my one word is stuff (aka, too much stuff). The one word I would like for it to be is open. Oh and warm…really can’t have one without the other in my opinion. I don’t want my “open” to be sterile because that is one of the first things to come to mind when I use that word so I have to match it with warm. Hope that is not breaking the rules too much :).
Current word: Crowded
Desired word: Tranquil
Unfinished but want cozy!
We just moved 12/22! So the goal is a sanctuary for the family!
Now: Remodeling-unfinished, unorganized, crazy
Want: DONE Peaceful
My home, right now, is a constant, never ending chore. I want very much for it to be a sanctuary for everyone, including myself
now – UNORGANIZED
need – STRESS-LESS
Now-Cluttered, chaotic, messy, unorganized
Future-organized, peaceful, relaxing
Now: Chaotic
Someday: Harmonious
Now: transitioning clutter
Future: Harmoniously settled space
Now: stressful and uninvitting
Future: relaxing and inviting
Going to be first grandma soon and so got to get organized
Now: cluttered and stressful
Future : peaceful and simplified
So very overwhelming! I have the most terrific organizing ideas and most of the products needed to complete the organizing projects, however I also have a very large family, a disabled husband, and three elderly relatives for which I provide much care. I’m an only child, as well as my husband, and we have no other family to help us. I just need encouragement and support to keep moving forward and to lovingly give to these family members all they need. First, however, I have to find my keys, step over the pile (many) of clothes, remember where I placed my purse and then try to figure out why my wallet isn’t in there…and then once I get out the door to start my day, wish that I would have put gas in the car before the blizzard arrived…where’s my coat???
Suzanne, you might find my next post in the series helpful:
https://orgjunkie.com/2014/02/poh-prioritizing-chaos.html
now: stressful, chaotic
future: inviting, love
it was hard to narrow it down to even 2 words! lol I’m just getting starting reading your POH series & am excited about it. THANKS
our family is me, DH & 4 kids (3yrs to 13yrs) & we’ve gone from a relaxed, company-enjoying, active couple to a stressed out, overwhelmed, never-have-company, stay-at-home-to-hide, buried-in-mess family & I am at my whits end 🙁 help!
Omg, in a word, not possible..but I was able to cut it to the Top 2 feelings I get when I wake up & look around, or heading home for the night and another when someone knocks at my door, and they are
1. Anxiety
2. Embarrassed
My apartment is small, and decorated Primitive and it CAAAN be cozy, but bc I’ve somehow went from ‘collector & crafter’ and contain mess to bedroom to total (to use another posts description) pile queen!! Spread out in various spots, and flat surfaces! I have a huuge beautiful dining table we (my lil one, 4.5yrs old, and I) can’t even eat at, it has sooo many of my ongoing projects that I DO work on every night when he’s in bed, but bc I’m a sucky shelf hanger, and my craft closet is so cluttered w crap that can go on shelves…that are piled in the corner awaiting the magical shelf genie to mysteriously appear & hang them for me…and hooks so that my works in progress CAN go into the craft closet without falling over & spilling or breaking!! My bf refuses to help bc his OCD overwhelms him now & he can’t deal w any of it, he’s a great organizer…if u don’t mind ALLLL ur stuff being tossed out and living like a minimalist in a sterile mental institution like environment! Lol! So, I just stumbled onto this and after reading the posts, wowwwww, I feel like I’m Not alone, or a loser, or a shameful woman who neglects her ‘womanly duties’ or IS less of a woman…and I will make myself commit to reading these posts and following advise written here, bc I WANT to open my door again, and invite people in, and hear them say Ohhh its sooo cozy in here’ again, instead of Wow, ur really into crafting or Wow, look at allll this stuff, how can u stand it?! Uhhh, I caaant, I’m just so overwhelmed I don’t even know where to start….so, what I want:
1. To feel like “there’s NO place like home” without a huuuge sigh & eye roll after!
2. To have friends and neighbors look around in amazement bc they can SEE my finished crafts, and Primitive deco, and let that be why they say Wow…followed with “Its sooo cozy in here, I can see how u can hang out at night and do ur crafts”!!!
So, thanks again for waking me up from the nightmare of being a future Hoarder show, and mayyyybe a DIY magazine cover…hey, one can dream, right??!! Lol! ????
Oh, and OMG I can sooo relate to what Suzane wrote about tripping over piles of clothes, box of drying crafts, shoes, and the general I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT TO DO W THIS STUFF, BUT its important papers I can’t toss yet, to the bottomless pile of coupons that expire before I even reach halfway thru, to the pile of Uhhh,WTH ISSS this crap anyway, and WHYYYY do I save this juuuunk!! And then there’s also the totes of stuff my child has outgrown that I sell on CL site or FB uard sale sites that I do well with…when I can stick w it on a constant basis…between taking care of my son alone, looking for another job BC mine ended when my private duty clients family decided to mover her 2 stayed away to be closer to family. And, the endless apts daily, and my son dealing w his dad living apart from us right now, having anger issues regarding it, and lashing out at school to where I have to go get him, and my mother demanding to have me come clean her house 1x a week BC I’m out of work & can’t pay her the weekly loan payback amount like I did when I was making $18 an hour, to zero income!! So, ya, I lose keys, have to put EVERYTHING back down to find them, pick it allll back up,head to door and wait…what did I do with my stupiiiid phooone?! Ughhh…!! Lol! Its so so so so helpful knowing I’m not alone in this! On top of it, I have ADD, and thankfully my medication helps…when I REMEMBER to take it ????
Where to start
House of Horrors & in desperate need of some TLC to create a warm & welcoming Haven
My home is organized and decluttered which makes it very cozy, comfortable, and welcoming. I’m looking to bump it up a notch and add those extra special things that would make it into a sanctuary or retreat like place for my husband and I along with our family. I would like to have that bed and breakfast feeling of being pampered.
Upstairs is à stuffed garage!
Only THE nessasary stuff on THE updatings rooms, please?
Sorry: upstairs rooms …
I currently live in “a house.” I feel overwhelmed when I come through the door everyday.
With your help and some hardwork on my part it will become “my home.” A place where I can walk in and say, “Ahhh, it feels so good to be home. ”
Thank you! 🙂
Now: chaotic
later: relaxing
After our 12/29/13 wedding, moved into my husbands house…….total bachelor pad. As Steph said above, MANCAVE………..I would like less manly and more ahhhhhhh.
Currently- Wreck
Future- Relaxing
Now scattered
Later warm, inviting and comfortable
Now – work-in-progress
Later – Santuary
We have been trying to redo our kitchen for a year and had other major works done, so I’ve constantly been cleaning up after tradespeople and dust. Not much time for organising really. Just patching up after major problems. Now all big problems are done, so hopefully can get back to being a home.
Lived in with chaotic, love! After I read and bleed.. (Ha!) Simplicity and Serenity