May 23rd, 2008 How to Make Our Homes and Our Lives More Enjoyable

We all know that our economy is in the tank, (Gas Tank That Is). It seems that every extra dime we have goes into the car to get us to work and to do those things that must be done. I don’t know about you, but it is definitely putting a damper on my activities. I am making different choices than I did a year or so ago. I stay at home more. I cook at home more. I use my home to entertain rather than meeting friends at a restaurant. I don’t go to movies or plays this year. Shopping is a rare indulgence. I watch the grocery ads much more closely and try to buy only what we will eat. I always have been a sale shopper but now I look even harder for the occasional bargain.

Well before we all get too depressed, I want to talk about a way that we can make our homes more enjoyable. It can be done without breaking the bank. Since I am spending more time at the old domicile, I have been looking around. I realized the other night that I hadn’t really looked at my surroundings for a while. When I was busy running from one thing to another, I just didn’t have the time to notice that there were things that needed work. My curtains are dirty, and need cleaned. The windows those curtains cover need cleaning badly also. I need to paint. The carpet in the living room looks like a parade has passed through on a rainy day. Needless to say the old place needs work. Now my quandary is: what can I do without breaking my already fragile budget?

Well I don’t like to paint, so that is out, and besides paint costs money I don’t have right now. I guess I will just wash down the walls. Perhaps hire my grandsons to come do that chore. The curtains will cost a small fortune to clean, so I think I will just take them down and while those same grandsons clean my windows, I will put the drapes outside on the porch and air them out and use the furniture brush on my vacuum to get the worst of the dust off . Now, the grungy rug. I have a carpet machine in the basement. I can dust it off and use it instead of hiring a carpet cleaning service. It all looks pretty good, now I can have company without dimming the lights to hide the dirty windows walls and rug.

With the house looking fresher, I need something to make it smell fresher. For that I will use fragrance. I will put some candles around the house. Perhaps Harvest Apple Scent for the kitchen. Make them think they are getting a homemade pie or maybe Vanilla Toasted candle to give them the calming influence of vanilla. For the living room, maybe Jasmine and Lily Essential Blend., Green Tea & Ginger or Gardenia for the bath. And just because I love it, Ylang Ylang & Sandlewood candles for my bedroom. All these candles are reasonably priced and now that I have saved so much money on redecorating I feel that I can buy them without too much guilt.

Now look around your house and see what you can do cheaply to make it a better place to be, since we all are going to be spending more time at home, it will be worth it. And don’t forget to use your favorite scents in your home to make it a haven for you and those you care about.

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Hope these ideas help you. Gloria - grandmotherhandleyscloset.com

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