Baby Steps

It's been a year and two months since my husband, my son and I made the cross country trip to Austin Tx. A lot has happened. My baby became a toddler. My in laws moved closer. I turned 35. My husband started home brewing his own beer. We signed on to be partners in a brewery start up. We made new friends. We joined a great church. We didn't miss our snow blower. At all.

On the home front? I painted and set up the garage. 

And I am almost done with the office that I started a year ago.

My last home was fixed up, decorated and staged to sell in two and half years. My one bedroom condo before that was renovated, decorated, painted and staged to sell in two years.

Our current home, which was built brand new with nothing to fix, seems to have a task list a mile long, lots of empty walls, and an endless shopping list. 

Yes, I do have a destructive toddler and a husband who says things like 'why do we need more than one dresser?' but that's a separate conversation.

Maybe some of you are in the same boat. Whether you've been in your house for years or are the first owners, I'm sure you can probably relate to feeling like there is so much to do and you aren't making any progress. 

I've seen different approaches to home improvement and decorating. Some people just want to get it done. They just put stuff up and get a bunch of stuff quickly so they can be done and feel like it's their place. And there is nothing wrong with that. Others don't ever do anything because they wait a long time, and then lose the motivation. When they have to sell the house they need the Property Brothers to intervene. Some people are those annoying weekend warrior types who just love home improvement and do it as a big family bonding event every week.  They are not reading this blog because they don't need to. 

My challenge is that I'm trying to balance my designer mind with what is practical for a growing family and a modest budget. And if you are like me and most of my neighbors, you simply can't spend 400 dollars on a lamp or spend your whole weekend constructing shelving from reclaimed barnwood, no matter how super simple the DIY network tells you it is. 

Even when I have some money to spend, or a little time to myself, sometimes I need some motivation to move forward and just do something already. 

So here are some ideas to motivate those of us who feel stuck in a rut:

First, recognize the small steps you are taking. Instead of thinking about what you didn't do yet, try to enjoy the things you have done.

Second, try to do on one room at a time. Set a budget, then make a list of items you need, and action steps like painting, fixing, etc. That can keep you focused, especially if you moved into a larger home and you are starting more or less from scratch. We focused on the office since my husband works from home and needed that up and running pretty quickly. When he traveled, I would plan to try to get some stuff done in there while he was out of town.

Third, be realistic about what you need vs. what you want. Decorative open shelving may be cool, but what are you going to put on them?  Maybe you can do better with a framed picture or something you already have in that space. 

Fourth, try to focus on the functional items first before you decorate. These are practical things that you use all the time like cabinet hardware, towel bars or hooks, storage, shelving, light fixtures and ceiling fans. Determine what rooms should get priority based on how often they are used. these items typically are easier to pick out since there are only so many options. I hung a few towel hooks in my bathroom, and not only was it nice to have a place to put my towels, but it was a short quick project I could do in under an hour.

Finally, try to enjoy the process. If you look at your house as one big to do list you'll never be able to relax. Enjoy looking at pictures of things you enjoy in magazines or online, and then pin them to Pinterest or cut out a picture and put it in a folder as you collect ideas you may use at a later date. When I pressure myself to finish a room I never like the result as much as when I take my time. I will often make shopping lists at stores I like online, and delete items when I decide I don't want them or track them to see when they go on sale. If you are out shopping, take a photo and save it. That way you won't purchase things out of emotion or pressure. Don't feel pressure to buy just because the store has a sale. They will have one again. Even if you have a coupon. Even if it's your birthday.

So take a deep breath, enjoy the process and take it one step at a time.