I value finding meaning and beauty and inspiration in my daily housework. When you reduce homemaking to simply "chores"...endless cleaning, laundry, and organizing...it can easily move from being meaningful to being drudgery or duty. Nothing is worse than feeling like a mere maid in your own home. But when I treat my home like it's a "Bed and Breakfast" , then decorating and organizing and cleaning can become fun, creative, and meaningful. Having a Bed and Breakfast mentality moves me from thinking I am a mere maid to living as a Hospitable Hostess!
How can we begin to live this way with limited time or limited resources (whether that be money or energy or creativity)?
The first step costs nothing and require no resources. It's simply to change your thinking. Begin to view your home as a lovely Bed and Breakfast. A place of hospitality and beauty. A haven of rest and peace. Walk through your home with an eye towards simplicity, beauty, order, and welcome. Think through the aspects of what draws you towards the thought of going to a Bed and Breakfast and maybe jot down some of those ideas or concepts.
Altering your homemaking mindset from domestic duty to domestic hospitality will give you a framework to begin making small adjustments and changes in your home...and you will be really excited to live and be there because your creativity begins to come alive which nurtures you and the small touches that you implement nurture your family and friends.
This week I am going to share small and simple ways to make your home feel more like a Bed and Breakfast...a warm and inviting space where you, your family, and your friends want to be. A place where everyone (including you!) feels nurtured and cared for. A place with intentional spots of comfort, beauty, and rest.
And do please share your own ideas of how you do this in your own homes. Let's inspire one another to a greater love of home, service, and hospitality!
photo by tengtan
12 comments:
What a lovely idea! I look forward to reading your posts this week. For me, a home that reflects the owner - their tastes, their style, that is "them"...is most comfortable to be in, whatever their sytle. I also love picking up simple little things that I use, need and love from travels - it give a personal touch.
You always have such great ideas. I really enjoy reading your blog. I am looking forward to this weeks blogs. My decorating style is minimal. I try to decorate with only things that serve a purpose. Less things = less stress for me.
I'm eager to see what your ideas are. It sounds like a wonderful plan to me.
I can't do a lot with decorating overseas, but I do try to feed my family meals that replicate that "Bed and Breakfast" experience.
Thanks for your lovely blog and outlook on life! Bring on the ideas I am so excited! :)
An eye for organizing is key for me. I have believed for decades that utility and organization = a beautiful home to me. Less to clean and pick up. And having systems in place that help me complete chores more quickly, or to help me get things put away more easily and efficiently, is what works for me. It doesn't mean that my home is cold or sparse, more that I like my horizontal surfaces uncluttered and my closet spaces organized so things can be put away with little thought.... the easier it is to get put away, the less time I spend on it, and the less "bogged down" I feel by the chore. :-)
Looking forward to reading your tips and learning new ideas to try out!
Love this idea. I'm excited to read your posts! And, I'm encouraged that if you, a homeschooling mom to many, including an infant,can accomplish this, then I can too.
This'll be fun! One thing I need to start doing consistently is washing ALL the dishes before going to bed. I hate getting up to a sinkful of dishes. If my home were a B&B, you bet those dishes would always be washed.
Hi Aimee,
I just found you through another site and wanted to let you know we have similar interests! I blog about homemaking a lot, too! Love your thoughts!
Very inspiring. I found this post through E. Foss (though, I never noticed the shared posts in the sidebar until my own was put there, lol). What a useful tip. Sometimes perspective is the biggest factor!
That is a fantastic way to look at things! Very inspiring! I'm very much looking forward to your next posts!
I love this concept!!!! Duty can suck all of the joy out of the simple, mundance tasks... but they can easily be turned into a meditation with the right heart. This weekend as I was grocery shopping I was noticing myself becoming rushed and frazzled, then I took a deep breath, slowed down, and chose to use it as a time to talk to the Lord, to be aware of His presence and walk in His Spirit as I selected our food for the week. It made a huge difference!
Shannon
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