Comments on: Ask the Audience: Making Your Home a Haven

By: Jasi

Jasi — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:32:20 +0000

Near-extreme minimalism for sanity.

I love being a mom, so much! But I’m not a natural at all. It doesn’t occur to me that kids will ingest everything, dangle from every cord and basically scare the wits out of me at every opportunity. So I’m pretty grateful that I don’t like having a lot of stuff up. It’s safer and way easier to maintain cleanliness. And most moms will agree, I think… when you have -no- energy, when the toddler is refusing to wear pants again and dinner is a complete mystery still- having the house neat (if not clean) is heavenly.

By: Angela

Angela — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:30:02 +0000

We have a very small house and so our living room has turned in to the office, dining room, play room, guest room, library, craft room and much more. One thing that we like about that s that we are always together. There is not a lot of places to go in the house and for me I like that. My kids are always near by and I can do lots in my one room. This just makes me want to be here and the hussle and bussle makes me feel good. Don’t get me wrong I would love a bigger house but I do not think I would give up my multi-purpose room.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:53:43 +0000

I will take some time to put stray things away, have a clean sink in the kitchen, and floors swept. Then I will light a candle and turn on some soft music. Sitting down with a good book and a hot cup of tea always works too!

By: Connie

Connie — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:47:35 +0000

Part of making a home feel like a haven is the level of comfort your family has there, and that doesn’t just mean physical comfort. The ritual you have with pizza night is most likely already doing this. In one place I lived, I had a favorite easy chair in the living room, an oversized coffee mug that didn’t match the rest of my dishes but I loved it and it was ONLY for my use, and a throw blanket next to that chair to snuggle up under while watching chick flicks. The ritual of watching chick flicks in that chair with that blanket and that coffee mug was probably more important to the haven-making than the actual objects were.

By: tink

tink — Sat, 17 May 2008 02:19:36 +0000

Fresh sheets on the bed.

By: trixie

trixie — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:47:26 +0000

Great topic!

I think back fondly to my childhood home and growing up years. Our home was very modest, always a little dirty and cluttery with everyday life stuff but it was HOME. It brings back such warm fuzzy feelings.

So, what made it so homey? Hard to say! I think it was a combination of a whole bunch of things and the number one ” thing” on the list was Mom.

We didn’t have great furniture, scented candles, pretty throws or anything of the sort. Instead, we had contentment, creativity, hot bean soup us kids helped to make, a ratty old sheep blanket we wore out because we loved it so much, (we still speak of the sheep blanket , and beloved story books we would take turns reading over and over.

Home is so much more than where we park our shoes at night. Home is where love is.

Take Care,

Trixie

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:01:21 +0000

music. I try to keep my husband’s guitar handy enough that he’ll play it frequently. I also sing a lot. Not very well but that’s not really the point. Singing is completely free.

By: newscoma

newscoma — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:01:28 +0000

I love the line about bare minimum.
Heather, you are awesome.

By: Heidi @ Carolina Dreamz

Heidi @ Carolina Dreamz — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:54:03 +0000

All I can come up with are very selfish. What does this say about me, today? All my ideas are strictly for me/mom.. LOL

I dollar tree acrylic tumblers with bright flowers for summer. If they have matching little plates for me to sneak my own cookie snack.. its even better.

I only use handmade face/wash cloths. They are cotton crochet and have ruffle edges. I could have made them, but I didn’t.

I buy myself white daisies, when I see them. Sometimes a small white mum plant works, too. It distracts my attention from a semi-messy room.

I make home made lemonade. Wish I had a back yard lemon source.

I have an electric stove. I quarterly replace the reflector/liner/whatever its called thing, under each burner. I buy the cheap ones and rarely clean them anymore. I cover the stove-top with a pretty burner cover set. Right now they are hydrangea’s.

I just ordered a new apron from etsy.com. Its part of my “decorate it with usefulness” approach. Again, I could have made it, but I didn’t.

OH and your home should have “adult only” chocolate. The real good stuff. Just in case.

By: Mom of three

Mom of three — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:50:48 +0000

Flowers-fresh cut or potted
Soft music playing instead of tv