We all know that home is where the heart is, so why not show your home some love this Valentine’s Day by taking care of projects on your to-do list? Not only will you feel great about it, but your home will love you too. You can also get the whole family involved in making your home even cozier while you spend quality time together.
Start by organizing and cleaning
Assign each family member an area/room in your home. Gather all the clutter or anything that doesn’t belong in that room and sort through it. Recycle what you can, create donate and sell piles, and throw out anything that can’t be repurposed. Be relentless – if you haven’t used anything in a year, get rid of it.
Donating and selling unwanted items is a great way to keep useful things out of landfill and help others or make some extra money to put towards something you’ll use.
Pick a charity/organization to donate unwanted items so that you can get rid of them right away. Some organizations will pick things up from your front door/porch while others require drop off.
Household items and clothing in good condition can be easily sold or given away online through local Facebook community groups, buy and sell pages, Kijiji, and so on.
Then, once your home is organized, be sure to go through items regularly as you bring new things into your home so you don’t get overwhelmed with clutter. Home organizing isn’t just a do-it-one-time-and-forget-it sort of thing. Tackling a small task or two each day, in fact, is one of the best ways to prevent all your organizing and decluttering work from being undone.
As you organize areas, give them a good dusting, wiping, vacuuming and/or mopping, working your way through the entire home.
Add some coziness
We spend the most time in rooms that are comfortable and pleasing to the eye. After organizing and cleaning, you’ll be able to take inventory of what you have and then decide how to add even more of your personal touch and coziness to the various spaces within your home.
Be sure to love your bedroom. This should be an escape where you enjoy spending time – not just where you sleep. Buy some new bedding, pillows, throws and other décor that
make you happy.
Plants are another great way to add some life to any living space. Be sure to research plants based on where they’ll be located and how much sun exposure is required to ensure they thrive.
Use art to express yourself and love any room in your home. Are there local artists whose work you really enjoy? Why not put the money you made by selling unwanted items towards a piece you’ll enjoy for years?
Repair and paint
Practically every household has areas that need some love, like a scuffed entryway that could use a bit of filler and a fresh coat of paint, a cabinet with a loose door or that piece of furniture you’ve been meaning to assemble. You’ll feel so much better about your home once you tick these to-dos off your ever-growing list of household projects.
If you have kids, household maintenance and chores present a great opportunity to show them how to complete a few tasks that will prove helpful when they move out on their own. Show them how to repair a wall and then paint, use a drill to hang a picture frame or assemble furniture. All of these are life skills that every person should at least try. Show your family the love by passing on your handy skills, no matter what they may be.
