So this month has been crazy busy for us! I am sure many of you can relate. With the weather finally warming us, but snow still threatening, I decided to take my whole family to Indonesia for a month! Crazy right?! Yes crazy but so worth it.
Since this was my first big family travel trip, I wanted to make it special. Of course I planned on hitting the beach and touring local furniture stores, meeting some of my suppliers personally. As Sannie and I talked about it though, we realized that we wanted to get a little more out of this time. With a business that grows as fast as our, you never know when the next month-long window is going to present itself. We really wanted to do something that would serve or uplift others. Since Sannie loves singing with the girls, we decided to see if we could arrange a few singing concerts at local churches. We had no idea how to do this so we started asking around.
After many question we were hooked up with this amazing guy who made all the arrangements. This has been the best fun ever!!! We have loved every moment and all the wonderful people we have met. We are nearing the end of our trip. We have loved the sun and waves, but are anxious to get back to our own Canadian paradise.
Luckily my mother who adores gardening, has been working some magic back home in which we have heard many rumors of, but she refuses to send us any pictures. That is okay. As she works wonders in the garden, I am dreaming and planning of all the great ways I can bring spring into my indoor.
First, before I even think of bringing something into my home, I have to clean out. Now that I have lived for a month in Indonesia and seen so many incredibly happy people with so little, I am even more determined to do a thorough house clean before I even start decorating. I am going to go through my whole house and getting rid of extra clothes, shoes, toys and even my house accessories. I just did this around Christmas time so it should be easier, but I am guessing that my tolerance for stuff is going to be even less than it was before because of this trip. I realize that I need a lot less stuff than I thought I did.
After you have your home de cluttered, take time to clean it thoroughly. If you have some money saved up, hire a professional. It will be easier for them to make your home sparkle after you have gotten rid of all your random stuff. If you are like me, just divide the house up into area’s and get your kids to help you do the spring cleaning themselves. Hard work is good for kids ;-) !
When your house is clean from clutter and dirt, this is the perfect time to refreshed all the bedrooms and switch your heavy quilts over to lighter ones. Make sure you have an extra throw available for those chilly spring nights.
Wall decor is fun to switch around and play with. It is an easy way to bring in Spring.
If you are like me and want to lighten up your home go for light colored accessories. The dark wall will be off-set by your light accessories.
Bring a little bit of nature into your living room by using nature to inspire you. A fireplace mantel is the perfect place to start.
Unique containers with potted flowers or succulents are a perfect way to add a breath of fresh air into your spring decor. Or even hang the flower from the ceiling! Who wouldn’t want this in their room to remind them of all the gardens that summer brings?
Now is the time to repaint a wall. Look around and see what room or wall you have always wanted to repaint and just do it! You can paint it a classic white or be brave and bring in some great bright colors to welcome spring with a bang!
Wreaths are not just for Christmas. Just pop by Pier 1, or Homesense and you will have a ton of wreaths to choose from. Or if you wanted, you could make your own! With so many flowers to pick from at your local craft store, you will be delight with your results I am sure.
Since you have just purged your home from all your un-needed stuff, now is a great time to see if you need to freshen up your rugs. With the mud and snow from winter, my rugs take a beating. Since I usually take a ton of things to the thrift store each spring, I do not feel bad in the least about bringing in something beautiful and useful as a new spring rug. Decluttering and decorating is a balance between what you need, want, and don’t need.
In the spirit of refreshening, check out those bedrooms again. Do they need a pillow swap to something brighter? Also, maybe you don’t need a many as you did in winter when you were Hygge’ing. Remember, you aren’t going to be spending as much time inside (hopefully) as you did in the winter-decorate accordingly.
Check out your curtains. Do they need to be switched out for lighter brighter ones. It is amazing how just changing your curtains can make your whole room feel larger and more open, even in a bathroom.
It will still be a few weeks until we return to Canada, but when I do, you can be sure I am going to be excited that I am returning to Spring and not the endless Winter we had this year ;-) !
