My husband and I are in the middle of chaos right now because we are moving at the end of June and we have a million things going on this and next month. We have wonderful friends from Toronto visiting next weekend and then the following weekend we are headed to Acadia for our anniversary camping trip. June is then filled with graduation parties and a necessary huge yard sale. This is causing some imbalances in my life right now but I am looking forward to moving into our brand new apartment overlooking Lake Champlain. It will be a very positive (and necessary) change for both my husband and myself.
I have discussed self care in previous post and this is another key to taking care of yourself- living where you feel comfortable. A home should not be a hotel and nowadays it seems that people are constantly on the move and the majority of time spent at home is to shower and sleep. I would like to challenge you to take 1 or 2 days a month and spend the entire day at home and see how it makes you feel; do you feel comfortable? do you enjoy spending time at home?
If you don’t feel comfortable or enjoy being home try and recognize what is making you feel that way. Maybe it’s because your house is not as clean as you would like it or maybe it’s because the people above you won’t stop playing their fiddles at all hours of the day. If there are things that are making you not want to be home consider making changes to create a place where you do feel comfortable. This may mean hiring someone to clean your house because frankly between work, events and fitness classes you just don’t have time or motivation to go home and clean your house. If hiring someone is not in your budget consider enlisting a friend to help you get things in order so your home is in a state that is manageable.
If your living situation is not ideal for other reasons such as you are living with people that surround you with negative energy or in an apartment where you can’t get comfortable because the person above you won’t stop having fiddle sessions that include the stomping of feet then I encourage you to seek a new living arrangement. If you are in a lease that you can’t get out of make the best of your situation and surround yourself with positive things while looking for a new place to move.
This is the general layout for our new apartment which I can't wait to move into!
For us it has been a combination of the state of our house and how it has turned into a hotel since we commute and it’s hard to keep up on household chores, as well as the fact that we live in a shared house where we are unable to be comfortable because of all that incessant fiddling going on above us.
This new apartment will bring a lot of positive changes to our lives:
- NO MORE COMMUTING! That is one of the biggest ones because right now my husband and I commute 80 miles a day and since my hours are different than my husbands I spend half my day hanging out in the coffee shop next to his work waiting to go to work and then waiting for him to get out.
- I can get back to my yoga practice – I have started to lose touch with my yoga practice due to all the chaos that has filled our lives right now and the fact that I am never home and am unable to attend classes right now.
- We will have a new space and live in an area that we know that we will be happier. How can you not look forward to living in an apartment with a view of the lake and a 2 minute walk from the bike path? We can finally spend our evenings relaxing after work, not feeling rushed to fix meals and finally have a home not a giant hotel room. Also we will now live in the same area as our friends so I plan on having tons of dinner parties…..as soon as we get a new dining room table….but that’s another story.
Now that we are moving we are trying to get rid of the clutter before we move but have also come to the realization that we are going to have to do some shopping. We need:
- A washer and dryer
- A vacuum (we have hardwood floors in our current place)
- Items for a second bathroom
- Curtains
- Blinds
- 2 Bar Stools for the island in our new kitchen
- A dining room table
- A bedroom set
- A new desk
A lot of items right! We won’t be getting all of these items at once but hopefully over the next year. Q: where do you like to buy your furniture, house decorating items and any suggestions of a w/d or vacuum?
Also in more blog related news Cook.Vegan.Lover. is in the works of getting a face lift and will hopefully be ready by the end of the weekend or early next week. So keep your eyes peeled!
Furniture I tend to buy at IKEA, house decor at either IKEA or Target, vacuum – I’ve never had a problem with my Bissell, w/d I don’t own one but I hear the LG or Kenmore brands are good w/ a lot of options.
I never really thought about home comfort coming from the vibe of a place before. I guess I complain a lot about my small apartment, but I sure am grateful to come home to it! Good luck with your move!
Try new ways to create space in your apartment http://www.bhg.com/decorating/small-spaces/apartments/ideas-to-steal-for-your-apartment/;jsessionid=H1M2XZ0BCHVR4CQCEAQSBHQ?page=2
learn to love what you have and create a space that you love
We moved from a very oppressive house (lousy neighbors) to an area that really suits us more with a private backyard. It made a huge difference in our quality of life. Your apartment sounds ideal- and in one of my favorite places.
Well this is a funny one…..we actually spend a ton of time at home. Our work, yes, I suppose WE are the “fiddlers” here (violists actually), let’s us spend a lot of time at home. And it’s not that we have a really comfy home, because we really have no furniture! Ok, we have 2 papasan chairs my parents gave us and a folding table for a dining room table. We move SO much, it’s easier this way. Although, I would LOVE to be able to move into a real home one day and have real furniture, not a box for a side table, LOL!
I love being at home, and am there 90% of the time when I’m not working…making food, reading blogs, snuggling with the kitties. Your new apartment sounds lovely! I used to live right outside Burlington (in Essex Junction) for about 6 months. Vermont is really a lovely place, I hope I get back there sometime soon. Good luck with all your upcoming changes!
I love the new look!!! Awesome. And I love being at home. I usually spend at least one weekend day completely at home, maybe only leaving once for the gym or a grocery store run. And I tend to stay home after work on week nights. Good luck with the move. Sounds like your new place will be awesome!
I spend nearly all my time at home, and have for most of the last 3 years. As a grad student, I could work at home. I was also unhappy and created a safe space for myself in my apartment. I’ve always found it really important to be comfortable in my living space, though sometime I’m afraid I may isolate myself a bit by getting TOO comfortable. But at the same time, for my sanity, home is so important.
Now I only work a few hours a week on my stipend and have loads of free time. I’m also on a budget, and my friends are spread out throughout the country, so I’ve got a lot of alone time. I spent way too much money on furniture when I moved in here, but I need a comfortable place to spend my time. I cook a lot, do work, keep in touch with fam & friends in the US, relax…largely all at home. I need the opposite of your challenge…spend more days out being completely busy!
I work from home so it is easier and sometimes I feel I need to be out but I know I am blessed be home and working at the same time. My hubby wants me not to work anymore in the near future so I can focus on other things.
We buy furniture and try to find good deals on Craigslist. We have not had bad luck. We also like going to estate sales because it is good solid furniture.