Organized Simplicity...the home

ReDesign Concepts

As I mentioned previously we are reading Organized Simplicity and as I continue to digest this topic I have been struck by the notion of the simple home.

When we were newly married, we were stationed in California. I sold my car so that I could be a stay-at-home mom and we made adjustments to being a one car family. The kids were young and we walked everywhere we needed to get to. Fridays were set aside to clean the house and catch up on laundry which I could have finished before school got out. Our weekends were also simple. Long leisurely nights sitting on the back porch swinging, looking out over the fields and talking into the wee hours.

Often my husband and I comment how much simpler life was back then. The house was less cluttered, our commitments were not so scattered.I think I have always had a desire to live as simplistically as possible, but life tends to happen. Children are born, we collect more things, we make more commitments and before we know it we are tired and worn out. I certainly recognize that life is full of seasons and as I am currently leaving one and entering a new season, I can not help but ponder the simple home.

What does it look like now?

First of all I would like to say that God has blessed me with some incredible women in my life and I glean from them all. First my mother. I describe her as June Cleaver. She made our house a home. Her housework was never displayed as a burden. She took great joy in being a homemaker, wife, and mother. The atmosphere in our home was welcoming and filled with happiness.

Then there is my sister. I describe her as the ReDesign Fairy. She is so talented and just an all-round wonderful person. A few years back she took what little I had and made both my husband and I fall in love with our home. She set the wheels in motion. Paint, a few pictures, and creative decorating made our home something we loved. Before long she has transformed our home in to a place where we could school, put it all away and enjoy dinner by candlelight. I am thankful for that gift. The decorating was the icing on the cake but the real joy came from the atmosphere she helped me create for my home.

When my husband is not travelling we try very hard (stress the word, try) to have the main living area cleaned up before he comes home from work. For me this is a simple act of love telling him that we appreciate all his hard work and long hours to provide for us. I don't want him to feel the stress of housework or schoolwork when he walks through the front door. Making sure that everything has a home is important to me. Clean up should be simple and can be beautiful as well. It's all about the atmosphere you create in your home. Having homes for our things and putting all together with fabrics and textures and paint help create the right atmosphere.