Create an Entryway

Create the perfect mud space/entryway with no built-ins! Having an entryway set up helps keep clutter out of other areas and it also helps you get out of the door faster. Have you ever wasted 10 precious morning minutes looking for your keys? Having an entryway will solve that. What you'll need: hooks, a mirror, a bench, a basket, and a rug!

When looking for hooks think of what you'll be hanging on them: jackets, coats, backpacks, purses, hats, keys, etc. Make sure you select hooks made in a shape that accommodates what you'll be hanging up. Hooks with an end too wide to get keys over usually also don't hold jackets well-they just slip off. You can pick individual hooks that you can screw in yourself or you can pick a piece of wood with hooks already attached. These can usually be put up with command strips if you don't want to put holes in the wall; just keep the weight limit in mind.

Next you'll need a mirror for your last minute check before you walk out of the door. Make sure it's big enough and make sure it's something that represents you.

When searching for a bench consider that you may put dirty shoes on it so make sure it's something you can clean easily. Some benches open up and you can hide the shoes inside. Think about what you would prefer and choose something that will suit your needs.

A basket can be for umbrellas, backpacks, bags, etc. Think about what you'll want to put in your basket before selecting one. An umbrella won't stay upright in a short basket, so you'll need to pick something tall. If you'd rather put your backpack in a basket than hanging it up (or if your backpack is too heavy to hang), measure the backpack before you pick your basket to ensure it will fit comfortably.

Now you'll pick your rug. Pick something durable and fun; it's the last and the first thing you'll see when coming in and out of your residence. Try to find something that will keep a grip on the floor when you wipe your shoes on it. As always, make sure to pick something that reflects you!

The fun part is hanging everything up and getting everything just as you like it. You'll be able to make tweaks to get everything just right-enjoy your entryway!

Moving In Checklist

Congratulations on finding your new residence! Now comes the fun part; making it your home. Before unloading all of your boxes make a quick trip to the store and get: cleaning supplies, dish soap, laundry supplies, a broom, a mop/Swiffer, a vacuum, hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels, some flowers, and a treat for yourself. Take this opportunity to clean the floors, doors, windows, drawers, and shelves/closets before you put all your stuff away.

You can tackle the next step one of two ways: distributing the boxes to their rooms or filling one room with all the boxes. If you've labeled all of your boxes take them straight from the vehicle to the room they will go in. If you havent labeled all of your boxes, drop them all off in the living room.

After all of your boxes are unloaded open them all! Every single one. This will prevent not being able to find something and therefore buying things we don't need. Moving is expensive enough! After you open a box, take everything out of it and pick one place to put your boxes. Go ahead and break them down so you don't accumulate a pile of cardboard. You can take a picture and post them on Facebook marketplace or craigslist and guaranteed someone will come pick them up shortly.

Now that the boxes are out of the way, start putting like items away. Start a list of small items you notice need like a paper towel holder, a utensil organizer, hangers, a shoe rack, a basket for towels, etc. If you don't know where something goes yet, try to group it with similar items and after grouping all the items consider if you would like a piece of furniture to house them, a basket or a shelf and add this to your list. When you start putting things away, really consider where you will need them. You may reshuffle things a few times but that's okay!

Don't know where to start? First, put your flowers on full display-nothing says welcome home like a fresh bouque Put your kitchen items away so you can eat-youll be hungry soon(thank goodness you got yourself a treat)! Then put your bathroom/shower items away because you're going to feel like you need a shower. Next, make your bed because you'll be tired tonight!

The first day is a big day so you probably won't get everything done in one day unless you have help. If you use anything that hasn't been put away yet, put it in its new place immediately after using it. You'll have all your things in their new place in no time.

Enjoy your home!

How to Choose Color

Choosing a décor color for can be stressful. There are so many options, so many hues, so many mixes to match. But when we understand what color does and what space we are putting it in, it helps the decision-making process. Color has more power than we often realize, it influences the way we feel, how we perceive time, how we respond, even our appetite. We can walk in to a room and feel instantaneously at ease or suddenly agitated and overwhelmed. This can be attributed, largely, to color. A room can be neatly organized but still instigate anxiety just because it is painted in an agitating or overstimulating hue. So, ask yourself what would you like to feel when you enter a room and let’s get started!

• Red - appetite, passion, determination

  • stimulates urgency, caution

    • intense

• Pink - youth, caring, emotion

  • stimulates energy, action

    • friendly

• Orange - enthusiasm, optimism, adventure

  • stimulates freedom, curiosity

    • excited

• Yellow - communication, joy, attention

  • stimulates awareness, energy

    • joyous

• Green - health, nature, peace

  • stimulates encouragement, growth

    • refreshed

• Blue - calm, trust, productivity

  • stimulates productivity, order

    • calm

• Purple - creativity, wisdom, royalty

  • stimulates intuition, inspiration

    • powerful

• Brown - dependable, organic, stable

  • stimulates reliability, authenticity

    • stable

• Black - authority, power, mystery, elegance

  • stimulates authority, intimidation

    • confident

• White - simple, luxury, security

  • stimulates openness, timelessness

    • composed

• Grey - conservative, practical, formal

  • stimulates composure, maturation

    • balanced

Now that you’ve chosen your color, you can tone it down by opting for a more pastel version or amp it up by going for a more pure version of that color. Cool undertones lean more towards blue/green so keep in mind what the color blue evokes and warm undertones lean more towards red/yellow so keep in mind what the color red evokes. So, if you want to calm your color down, choose a cool undertone and if you want to wake a color up, choose a warm undertone.

How to Influence Change

Everyone has something they want to change. The ultimate goal is clear, it’s just the steps to initiate the change that seem blurry. There’s no roadmap with the ultimate goal as the destination so how do we draw a map? One direction instruction at a time. Just like every other map. Envision your goal: someone treating you differently, the addition of a new habit, the subtraction of an old habit, a change in lifestyle. Think of it as clearly as possible, how it would make you feel, how you would know it has been accomplished, what other people would say about it, what it would mean to your life. Go into detail and resonate with your goal for a moment. Now, what are you doing that doesn’t fit with that goal? What is the first step that you can take today that aligns with your goal? Lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. It develops slowly over time. You’ll know when you’ve created a lasting change because you won’t have to think about it, it will be thoughtless because it will be your reality. When we make sudden changes that aren’t true to ourselves it feels like a constant nag, like a “have to”, and it doesn’t last. Change is influenced, not enforced.

If your change is to be treated differently then you, not the other person, must behave differently. You cannot change another person, only that person can change themselves. So, begin to examine your interactions more closely. Hold your head higher, be more direct, speak with clarity, see how the world’s response to you changes. Envision the person that is treated how you want to be treated. Emulate that version of yourself and your reward will be a changed response. People who have become accustomed to treating you a certain way may need boundaries established. What you will and won’t accept must be communicated. People can accept this or they can become accustomed to a distance from you, initiated by you. You control your environment maybe not completely in what happens to you but completely in your responses and the direction you emit your energy.

If your change is a habit, for example, to keep the house more tidy, begin with your response to your house. Think of your home and understand the feeling that comes with your home. If you feel overwhelmed, begin to take control of your home one area at a time. Go you your closet and set it up exactly how you would like it to be and the next time you do your laundry, you will be encouraged to put things away how they were before because you chose that. You are responsible for the way your closet looks, you chose how it looks, and you make the decisions for the items that are there. For other people in your home, lead by example and guide them through the same process you went through. If your children throw their clothes on the ground, maybe it’s because they haven’t taken ownership of where their clothes go. If they are holding a shirt, do they know where they want to put it? Some people like to hang things and some people like to fold things. Which does your child prefer? Do they understand categories? These are not lessons we learn all at once, but over time. We develop our sense of what works for us and what does not work for us, what we like and what we don’t like.

Change your mindset by understanding why you choose an action. Why do we choose to leave a plate on the table? We walk away from the table anyways, why don’t we take the plate? We either put the plate in the sink/dishwasher now or later, why don’t we put it there now? Are we waiting for someone else to take the plate? If they haven’t established that habit before, why would they start now? Our expectation for others cannot be cultivated in our own mind without including the other person. If we reach a conclusion on our own and then hold another person responsible, that’s not fair to the other person because they didn’t come to the conclusion with us so they simply don’t understand the expectation we have reached. Once you understand your own actions, then you can begin understanding the actions of other people without blame. Start by establishing an expectation for yourself. Start by understanding why you choose an action without including others. Then, you will begin to understand your home more. If you find the answer is “I don’t take the plate because I just don’t want to deal with it right now”, you have just uncovered the first step in changing how you feel about your home; to reaching the ultimate goal of loving your home.