Here's another great post from Susan!! Enjoy...
Especially at this time of year our homes need a little brightening
and changing up. Maybe it’s just that we’re inside so much now that
we THINK that we need to make some changes. Instead of going out and
spending a lot of money to do that, here’s what I do. Simple,
simple, simple!
1. Move your wall
décor around. This can be as simple as moving a picture/painting
out of one room where you may not see it very often to a more visible spot in
your home. Move a lamp; shift the furniture around; add a plant to a
room. It’s amazing how small changes can change a whole room.
2. Burn those candles! For some reason, I’ve
bought candles and been given candles as gifts but I must have thought that I
was taking them to Heaven with me because I didn’t burn them! Well, now
I use them and what a difference! The fragrant ones are so enjoyable
as they freshen the winter air. The
plainer ones can help change the look of a room as they burn.
3. Put a strand of white lights up somewhere in your
house – on a mantle, in some plants, in a hutch, anywhere! You will
be surprised at how warm and inviting they make your room feel.
4. Buy some fresh flowers for a room that you are in the most.
Walmart has very affordable flowers – just a small bunch will do – and the Flower
Boutique was selling a dozen roses for $12.00! Not around
Valentine’s Day of course – but there’s nothing wrong with buying yourself
flowers to get through these drab months.
Let us know what you do to brighten up your home in the winter!
I like to simmer citrus rinds and herbs de provence on the stove for a nice scent. And I had someone come clean for a few hours (many hands made my load much lighter)! I like your ideas a lot, Maria!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds wonderful, Jan! Having some help with cleaning, especially when you have little ones, is such a blessing.
DeleteLearned this from a bakery: When you have the oven on for whatever reason, put an oven-safe 2-cup glass measuring cup in the oven filled about 3/4 full of water with some cinnamon stirred in (the cinnamon won't dissolve completely). Makes the house smell delicious and cozy, and is cheaper than candles if you do it when the oven is already in use and use the cheapest cinnamon you can find. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're right, cinnamon is a "cozy" smell and a little goes a long way! Thanks for the tip!
DeleteAlso, I got a jump on spring cleaning, because when spring comes I want to be out in it! I took advantage of the dry winter air and machine-cleaned the carpet (it dried in record time), and used the stay-inside wintry days to scrub my kitchen cabinets, inside and out, with Murphy's oil soap. Just enjoying the results of those two jobs is a real morale-lifter! :-)
ReplyDeleteWay to go, Lisa!! The dry winter air is a great time to get cleaning done, if you can. I agree, it does feel good to get some things done. Spring is around the corner (I keep saying that to myself!) and I'll want to be outside too!!
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