February wears two very distinct hats. It’s the month of candy hearts and valentines but it’s also the last full month of winter and even though it’s technically the shortest month, it seems to last for about 197 days. We’re stuck inside and all those new toys and gadgets from Christmas just a few weeks ago are now gathering dust and driving us insane. You know what I’m talking about. One might say it’s the best and worst of times. February is a lot.
We’re focusing on small changes this month and I do think that’s am important way to show your home some love, but that can also be really hard if you’re in a season where you just feel stuck (and cold. February is so cold) Maybe it’s a $0 budget, or no time or kids with all the toys, or maybe you find it hard to move forward even with the smallest tasks in your home because you don’t love where you are.
Here’s the thing we must remind ourselves… no matter how big or how small, how clean or how cluttered, how new or how old, our homes are a huge gift. They’re quite possibly our biggest financial investment and the fact that God provides shelter for us in the way of beautiful homes is amazing and gracious in every way. Even if we don’t feel the love toward our homes, or wish they were more, there is so much to love.
You might not want to spend an afternoon sprucing up a space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t show your home some love in other small ways. Here are a few ideas that cost zero dollars and can help you grow to love your home even more
- Open the blinds and curtains: Let that light in and immediately a space feels brighter and happier.
- Take a walk around at golden hour: Your window coverings are open (see step 1 if not) so just take a little walk around your house. Notice how the light makes that one corner look so cozy. Or take not of the faces in the frame in your hallway. Your home is full of joy. Just take a moment to savor it.
- Gather people around your table: Whether it’s just your immediate family or you invite a few others, there is no better way to breath life into your home than to gather your people around your table. If you love to cook, do it. If not, order pizza or just make coffee and have some cookies. Whatever you do, get those people who make you happy in your home.
- Light a candle: It sounds so simple but it does so much. The gentle glow, the soft scent that works its way through the room… a candle can transform a cold winter room in seconds.
- Pray: Find a favorite chair or soft spot on your couch, or even walk around. Pray for the people who live in your home, the people who will enter it, the people it will serve. Thank God for this amazing gift. It can shift your heart and help you truly fall in love with the home you’ve made.
No matter how you like to celebrate (or not celebrate) Valentine’s day. Just take a moment to show your home some love too. They may not be perfect, but our homes do love us back and do a pretty amazing thing for us.
Wishing you all the love in your home this week!