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    A Bag A Day Keeps the Clutter Away (Join our Fall Decluttering Challenge)

    This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

    A Bag a Day Challenge Fall 2024
    Clutter is a thief of joy and a distraction from the peaceful, welcoming home we long to have. For many people, including me, clutter can feel so stressful and overwhelming. I’m not referring to the manageable amount of every day things you need or want to have around you, but the accumulation so much stuff that it causes anxiety or frustration.
    I got inspired by the Bag A Day method many years ago because it is so simple, doable and effective. 
    Often people feel overwhelmed because they overthink clutter or procrastinate dealing with it.
    If you are eager to make progress on a decluttered home this fall, you’re invited to join us for our Bag A Day September challenge in our HomeBody Gathering Place community.
    No need to overthink or over prep for the Bag A Day Challenge, just fill one bag of clutter every day and out the door it goes! 
    It’s that easy. You can do this challenge on your own, but you’ll find invaluable community encouragement and support in the HGP to finally turn your home into the sanctuary you’ve always wanted.
    After 30 days, 30 bags of clutter will have been removed from your home!
    Basket / Photo Source
    The Bag A Day method is addictive in healthy ways! Once you get started, I promise going through the Bag A Day Challenge in the HGP will change the way you feel about your home.
    Of course you can also modify this simple method to your own schedule or needs. 
    Go on a clutter finding frenzy somewhere in your home every day or once a week— put your findings in bags. 
    Set a bag or a box by the door or a corner of the room and toss clutter in it every day.  
    Set a goal to fill a few bags every weekend. 
    However you choose to use the Bag A Day Challenge, we’ll do it together in the HGP!
    Homebody Mug
    If you are not yet a member of the HGP, sign up for your subscription here so you’ll be ready to go in September! The yearly membership is the best deal and you get additional freebies and perks, so I recommend being an annual member!
    There is so much more in the HGP to learn and be inspired by. We can’t wait to begin fall nesting and prepping our home for hospitality and holidays, too! This season we’re focusing on telling a story with our home. It all starts this September.
    Think of the HGP as your home therapy group.
    Together we decorate, putter and declutter all year round.
    Every week and every season in the HGP we learn, overcome challenges and change mindsets. We fall more in love with our homes — and I’m there to answer questions and help you every step of the way.
    Participants in the Bag a Day HGP challenge this September will also be entered into a giveaway to win one of our exclusive HomeBody Boxes! It’ll be a fun and productive challenge!
    Ready to get started? Let’s go! Our fall nesting session starts September 2. The Bag A Day Challenge begins September 5. More

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    Basket Storage Trunks

    This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

    It’s that time of year when we start turning our thoughts to making life feel cozier in our homes. I’m a big fan of baskets for adding texture and warmth to a room, but I also love to use them for storage and organization. Basket storage trunks can be used to hold anything from games to seasonal items to extra bedding (we use ours for blankets, sheets and pillows), too. I’ve even used our basket trunk as a small space coffee table!
    Click here for above sources (I have two of the bottom right one!)
    See more basket trunks in this folder of my Amazon storefront.
    Get inspired by organization posts on The Inspired Room here. More

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    Shoe Storage Solutions

    A friend recently asked us for ideas for shoe storage so we went on a quest for the most attractive solutions. Since we found such great ideas we thought we’d share them with you, too.
    Here are our favorite ideas and sources!
    Cabinets:
    Click here for all above sources
    Racks:
    Click here for above sources
    Cubbies:
    Shoe Cubbies
    Benches:
    Click here for above sources
    Bench

    Seagrass bench source above

    Wood bench source above
    More Ideas:
    Click here for above sources
    Space saving shoe rack for a closet like these
    Under bed shoe storage like this
    Shoe organizers closet bins like this
    A rolling cart like this
    Fabric stackable shoe bins with clear window like these
    Clear stackable shoe boxes like these or…these similar ones with magnetic doors
    Over door organizer like this
    Hanging organizer for closet like these
    More sources – click the images below for details:

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    7 Home Organizing Tips + Organizers That Changed Our Lives
    The Secret to Decluttering, Organizing, Decorating and Homekeeping Success that No One Tells You About!
    Small Space Hacks: Collapsible Laundry Bags (7 Ways They Can Simplify Your Life)
    Six Simple Secrets for a Less Cluttered Home
    All Organizing Posts on The Inspired Room

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    Decorating with Fishing Baskets

    Source: Whale Tail Hooks
    Over the past couple of years I’ve gathered a few fishing baskets. A few people asked about this basket in my kitchen from a recent post, so I thought I would share about my little collection.
    You can find similar baskets in my Amazon shop, or if you have secondhand shops near you stop in now and then to see if you can find one!
    I discovered my first one tucked into the back of a local vintage store before I knew they had a name. The unique shape of the basket just caught my eye!
    Baskets of any kind are wonderful for decorating and organizing, but these definitely have extra character and charm.
    Click here for basket sources
    Source: Whale Tail Hooks
    We have a larger fishing basket hanging in our mudroom right now. I noticed my husband is using it for some of the dog supplements! So clever :). Love that it has the long handle — I think a basket looks so charming on a hook.
    How to Style Open Shelving in a Kitchen (+ secret ingredients to add to the mix!)
    This one that we had the apples in my recent shelf styling post moves around the house all the time. It really comes in handy to hide or elevate the look of a room with useful things inside.
    Wall Sconce and Shade Details
    These baskets also look adorable with a plant or flowers. I love using unexpected pieces like this.

    We hung this one on our door (on this white rope) with plants in it for our fall porch! You can line a basket with a plastic bag or put flowers in jars or drinking glasses.
    Sources: Whale Wallpaper // Lighthouse Guest Towel (comes with a sailboat one as well)
    I love the texture, shape, character and multi-purpose function of these baskets, don’t you?

    I’ve even used them as a charming way to hide extra toilet paper in our powder bath!
    You can find several similar basket styles in my shop here.
    Happy decorating! More

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    How to Style Open Shelving in a Kitchen (+ secret ingredients to add to the mix!)

    This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

    Sources for above — click here
    Styling shelves can feel daunting, but it can be fun and less stressful when you know a few designer secrets for selecting the right items and how to style them.
    Here are some of my favorite tried and true tips for selecting items to display and how to style open shelving in a kitchen (or anywhere!).
    Botanical Plates // Brass Bells // Blue and White Chinoiserie Ginger Jar
    Pair practical and pretty
    I like to use both practical and pretty items decorate a kitchen. This philosophy is true of shelves, too. Often some of what I choose to display are pieces that are stored on the shelves because they are practical. They could be brought down off the shelves and used, such as a stack of plates, a pitcher or a basket.
    Seascape Art Print in This Wood Picture Frame //  This art print and others are in my Amazon Art and Frame Storefront // Blue and White Plates // Stoneware Crock
    Set the mood with a palette
    Determining a mood for your shelves will help you narrow down what you want on the shelves and ultimately brings everything together. The mood can be built around your style or the items you have to work with. It can be altered through the selection of colors and textures to give your shelves a more intentional, cohesive, streamlined look.
    A cohesive palette doesn’t mean everything has to match, or stay neutral or that you can’t use your favorite colors.
    Pick a mood word or two to describe the overall feeling you want to achieve. Do you want your shelves to reflect a certain season? What word would help you to describe the overall vibe? Moody? Happy? Colorful? Serene? To establish a strong mood, be intentional with what you add to the shelves. If something doesn’t contribute to the mood or is a distraction, it can go.
    Sources: Blue and White Chinoiserie Ginger Jar // Botanical Plates // Brass Bells // Favorite Cookbooks // Artificial Artichoke // Seascape Art Print in This Wood Picture Frame // This art print and others are in my Amazon Art and Frame Storefront
    A formula I use often in my home:
    A few shades of two colors + a wood and a white tone + a metal tone. Any additional hues are included in small doses.
    On the top two shelves you can see I used shades of blues and greens with mid-tone woods and whites. Then I included a few very small pops of reds and yellows only within the dishes on the plate rack.
    Blue and White Chinoiserie Planter Pot on Shelf // Seascape Art Print in This Wood Picture Frame
    Use unmatched + unexpected
    While you certainly can style shelves with one kitchen collection for impact, such as a matching set of dishes or all cookbooks, you can also mix pieces that don’t necessarily match or are unexpected in a kitchen. This makes it easier and more affordable to change the look through the seasons and show off smaller or growing collections in fresh ways.
    Mismatched pieces can look pleasing together because they all contribute to the mood and color palette you’ve selected. While it can be nice in a kitchen to display every day items on my open shelves I like to include pieces that aren’t necessarily just “kitchen related.”
    I use various collected or vintage items, interesting textures, a few plants, books, faux or real organic elements like florals, vegetables or plant stems, as well as artwork and vessels.

    Blend a mix of sizes and shapes
    Rounds, cylinders, rectangles, spikey or feathery shapes … blend together elements with opposite or unique shapes to add interest! Don’t use too many small items, but a couple of smalls will make the overall look more pleasing, interesting and natural.

    Pair, Lean and Layer
    To make mismatched pieces look more intentional and cohesive on shelves, practice the pair, lean and layer techniques. Start in the back. Depending on the length or height of your shelves, you may be able to lean a piece or two against the back wall of the shelves. Artwork and large platters or plates work well for this. Then layer / slightly overlap some pieces in front of others. Pair different heights, allowing some breathing space. Try to style three items together at least once for a cohesive grouping. Combine textures and colors for style and function — for example, placing apples in a basket.
    Kitchen Hardware // More Kitchen Details
    Step back and look
    Does the overall look feel natural and pleasing? Step back to look around the room, too, not just directly at the shelves. If it’s too cluttered or crowded or not interesting enough for your taste, nudge items around, add or take away colors, sizes or shapes, until you like the way it feels!

    Would you like to go behind the scenes of my home and be a part of a community of like-minded home lovers? Join me in real time each week to get insights into creating a sanctuary you love. You will learn my simple homemaking and decorating tips, be able to ask questions and get help decorating your home! Join us in HomeBody Gathering Place!

    Click here for mood board sources (and see more below)
    Botanical Plates
    Brass Bells
    Blue and White Chinoiserie Ginger Jar
    Seascape Art Print in This Wood Picture Frame // I ordered this art here because I wanted a specific size but you can also get these prints (and others) HERE on Amazon in a variety of sizes and some already framed as well!
    Blue and White Plates
    Stoneware Crock
    Favorite Cookbooks
    Artificial Artichoke
    Kitchen Hardware
    Blue and White Chinoiserie Planter Pot on Shelf
    Basket plant is in (pineapple lidded basket)
    Paint color: Classic Light Buff Sherwin Williams
    Kitchen Tour and Details
    Shop More of My House and Style
    Shop My Amazon Favorites More

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    How to Get the Look of a Nancy Meyers Kitchen

    I have always loved the cozy timeless homes featured in Nancy Meyers movies such as Father of the Bride and Something’s Gotta Give and It’s Complicated.
    Increasingly I’ve been receiving messages on social media from people saying they spotted my new kitchen in several online “inspiration” videos and Pinterest boards that people have labeled as the “Nancy Meyers Aesthetic.” Two more showing my kitchen were messaged to me just today, so it seems that I’ve inadvertently captured a trending “Nancy Meyers” style in my own home. I do love this classic look and always have. I’m happy to hear that people love a timeless look as much as I do (but of course I wish people would at least credit my photos when they feature them.)
    I know it helps to break elements of a room down so you can see what it is that achieves a certain style, so that’s what we’ll do here today!
    Sources: Rattan Cart // Click here for all above sources
    The real magic behind “Nancy Meyers” style in many of these movies is that her kitchens are always feel so warm and welcoming. Don’t you agree? They feel like a place where people want to gather and make memories. Each kitchen is different, but there are some common threads that make these spaces feel like home to so many people.
    Choose appropriate architectural elements
    If a kitchen renovation is on the horizon for you, I think one of the keys to getting this “come in and make yourself at home” style is in selecting a mix of classic, interesting elements that are also appropriate for the home.
    In each Nancy Meyers movie, you can sense the feeling of being welcomed into the home as you go from room to room and into the kitchen. If the kitchen style didn’t make any sense with the rest of the home, you’d feel like you walked onto a different set! To get that same feeling in a real home, the elements chosen for a kitchen should make sense within the style and context of the rest of the home.
    The style of my own home was influenced by traditional cottages on Nantucket. We carried this same style through to our kitchen with choices that will make our home feel cohesive and welcoming for years to come.
    Architecture is a place where you can get creative in a renovation, but you really want to select elements that will make you feel at home there years from now, too. We’re still talking about Nancy Meyers movie kitchens decades later!
    Sources: Wood Oval Tray // Scalloped Lampshade Lamp and more
    Incorporate elements that aren’t pretentious
    Nancy Meyers kitchens are very nice, but they never feel pretentious!
    Regardless of your style you want to add a mix of elements that will feel warm and inviting so they feel lived in.
    For our new kitchen, we chose timeless elements such as honed Carrara marble and soapstone. A nickel faucet. Tongue and groove paneling. Creamy white cabinets in a traditional style. Timeless elements can feel classy yet unpretentious. They always feel like a home that has been around awhile, rather than one designed around the newest looks from a designer show room.
    It is true that organic finishes such as marble or soapstone will show the patina of age. While many people fear those signs of life, I embrace them because to me patina from daily use feels more welcoming and unpretentious. I wanted our own kitchen to feel like it has been in our family for years. Those signs of life will simply be evidence that our kitchen is enjoyed and has been a gathering place for family. (I wrote more about our countertop decision in this post.)
    Sources: Farmhouse Sink // Nickel Faucet (linked the same brand, finish and style of faucet I have but I bought mine through deVOL Kitchens, it appears to be a special deVOL edition and the price I paid was far less than the version on Amazon) // Rug: World Market (washable, Niko Blue and Rust Distressed Rug) or here is another similar washable rug, and one other similar rug // Kitchen Hardware // Brass Pendant Lights (other finish available)
    Include an inviting center island
    You sense that a Nancy Meyers kitchen is a gathering place. Whether it is large or small, or built in or free standing, center islands offer a sense of invitation. Islands are a destination where people can gather around to help in the kitchen or talk about the events of the day.

    Add nooks for display
    Nancy Meyers kitchens feel lived in by real people! Built ins or free standing furniture such as a little nooks or shelves, a bar cart, bookcase, plate rack or china hutch will bring a sense of personality, warmth and character which is essential in the “Nancy Meyers” kitchen aesthetic.
    We added several book nooks in our renovation so we can have our collection of books and cookbooks, art and other pretty pieces within reach and to add style through the ever-evolving seasons.
    Favorite Cookbooks // Favorite Home and Garden Design Inspiration Books
    Sources: Toile Cafe Curtain and how I hung it // See the stool niche behind the curtain here // Click here for all above sources
    Try Touchable Textures
    A variety of touchable textures help create more interest in a kitchen. Look for ways to bring in softness, color and personality through fabrics, curtains or rugs. In our kitchen we added rugs, pillows on the nearby banquette bench, as well as cafe curtains on our “stool niche” and window. We also incorporate a variety of other textures that add to the “touch-ability factor” such as such as a mix of marble, bamboo, rattan, soapstone, and wood.
    Click here for above sources
    Bring in plants and flowers
    Flowers and plants bring a sense of life to a kitchen which creates a more welcoming atmosphere. Put them into collected vases, pitchers and pots for an additional sense of character.
    Source: Rattan Basket
    Set out bowls of fruit and vegetables
    A bowl of fruit or vegetables adds to the simple charm of a lived in kitchen. Whether they are real or not, they make you feel like this is kitchen where people cook and eat real food!
    Sources: Toaster (color options) // Gold Frame // Kitchen Hardware
    Decorate with plates
    Plates are a classic element that can be used for more than just a meal! Hang them on the wall, stack them on a shelf or a plate rack to give it that charming “we live here” Nancy Meyers’ kitchen mood.
    Related Post: How I Hang Plates, Platters, and Bowls on the Wall
    Put every day on display
    A Nancy Meyers kitchen doesn’t feel cluttered or messy, but a glimpse into the every day lives of the people who work in that space makes it feel so much more like home. Hide what isn’t attractive but if your toaster is pretty, don’t hesitate to leave it out! If you use your stand mixer often, let it sit on the counter.
    Incorporating glass front cabinets for pretty items you don’t use as often will help items stay clean but still allows you to enjoy them as part of your decor.
    Place cooking or serving tools into stylish crocks, baskets or other containers. This adds style and but also organization and practicality where everything needed is within reach.
    And no need to fear of everything getting dusty. Items stay cleaner when you use and wash them often so if dust is a concern, reserve display for every day items!
    Find kitchen accessories here in my Amazon Storefront and more at the end of this post!
    Sources: Pendant Lights (similar to mine) // My Pendants
    Invite in lighting
    Pendants over islands, wall sconces or lamps on a counter are an opportunity to add personality as well as make a kitchen feel warm and welcoming even at night.
    Paint cabinets
    A soft or creamy white cabinet never goes out of style. You see them in several of Nancy Meyers movies. Her own real life kitchen is a soft white, so similar to the Something’s Gotta Give kitchen! We chose a soft creamy white for our English Tudor kitchen years ago and I still love that classic look today so we chose it again in our current kitchen!
    Paint is a “simple” way to update any kitchen. Not always cheap or easy, but much simpler than a renovation.
    White isn’t the only option for a Nancy Meyers look, try a color you love. Or mix in traditional wood tones for cabinets or islands!
    Someone had messaged me years ago after seeing “The Intern” movie because the kitchen cabinet color and subway tile reminded her of my own kitchen at the time. My kitchen had been updated before the movie ever came out. Dark painted cabinets were not yet trending at the time of my renovation, but I just felt like that darker color contrasted with classic white subway tile is what my builder grade kitchen needed. The email sender was convinced my kitchen inspired Nancy’s movie kitchen! Wouldn’t that be funny? Perhaps it did. The power of Pinterest …. and classic kitchens.
    My cabinet and wall paint color is Classic Light Buff by Sherwin Williams.

    Keep it classic
    I’ve loved designing all of my kitchens with classic elements and I love them all still! Over the past 17 or so years I’ve been messaged about ALL of my kitchens at one time or another feeling like a Nancy Meyers kitchen. We definitely share a love of classic kitchens! (Take a tour of my last kitchen here, and the kitchen before that here)
    The truth is that a Nancy Meyers kitchen incorporates the elements of so many classic kitchens that have been around for ages, long before the movies came out. Yet it is so fun that we can all watch and rewatch these movies and fall in love with them over and over again. They are timeless so they will continue to be loved by so many! These kitchens have captured our hearts and the longing we all have for our homes to be warm and welcoming.
    I hope you are inspired by all the ways you can create a kitchen you love by incorporating classic elements found in the Nancy Meyers aesthetic.

    Sources:
    White Lamp with Scalloped Shade (several color options and 2 size options)
    Patterned Rug (washable)
    Brass Hanging Bells
    Bamboo Roman Shades (see photos of these in our home here)
    Spode Blue and White Sugar Bowl
    Blue and White Striped Linen Napkins
    Stoneware Crock
    Wood Salt and Pepper Mills
    Cookbook
    Wood Cutting Board
    White and Wood Kitchen Island (Freestanding)
    Tea Kettle (many color options)
    Landscape Artwork
    Woven Scalloped Bowl
    Pendant Lights (similar to mine)
    Faux Boxwood Topiary
    Looking for more of my kitchen sources and details? Find them in my Kitchen Reveal + tour post here!
    More Get the Look Sources below (click the thumbnails for details): More

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    Decorating For Winter The Easy Way

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    Now that the holidays are over and I removed and stored all my Christmas decorations until next year, it was time for me to figure out how to give some new energy to my living room and kitchen for the winter months.

    Back in November, I went in search for blue fabric.

    I wanted it to make pillow covers for the sofa that would pick up the blue accents in the area rug in my living room.

    I forgot all about my plan for the fabric over the holidays. Then last week I read about Benjamin Moore’s color of the year and remembered that I bought the fabric.

    I am not one to jump on the bandwagon when the tastemakers of color forecasting tell us each year what colors will dominate design.

    I rarely like any of the color picks, but this year I was happy to find out that a pretty color of blue by Benjamin Moore, called Blue Nova is one of the 2024 colors forecasted.

    Blue in general is a color that I can get behind. My bedroom is blue and white and blue and green is the color scheme in one of the guest rooms. Then there is the hallway that I refer to as the “Hallway of Darkness” where blue is a dominant color.

    In the past I have used blue in my living room and kitchen, but usually only in the summer.

    Changing the color accent in a room is fairly easy when the basic color scheme is neutral. This is one reason, I like to keep the color scheme of living room and kitchen neutral so I can change the look up seasonally or on a whim with whatever color I want so it never gets stale.

    To cozy up the color for winter that runs more on the cool side, I added lots of candles and fur throws and pillows. At night the living room is very cozy, just how I like it.

    Once I got the no-sew pillow covers made and put them in place, I shopped my house and gathered up anything that I could find that was blue. I didn’t have a lot, but just enough to make a difference.

    I had fun placing and moving the items in the rooms until I liked what I saw. I even found one item, a small blue ceramic planter that I have had forever as an exact match to the Benjamin Moore Blue Nova color.

    I mixed in a few brown accents on the open shelves in the kitchen to warm the overall feel of the shelves.

    When at HomeGoods over the holidays I bought this X-Side table as a Christmas gift from me to me. Everything else I used to add new energy into the spaces, I already owned. If it was blue, I used it.

    For the rest of the kitchen, I placed blue and white plates in the plate wall and hung blue dish towels on the towel bar.

    The blue accents were subtle, but an effective way to update the rooms. I didn’t even have to pick up a paint brush to make the changes.

    If you are looking to re-energize a room in your home, consider choosing a favorite color or a trending one and add touches of it around a room to add new energy when a room starts looking stale to your eyes.

    Adding an accent color to a room is also one way to make a change that doesn’t require a long-term color commitment.

    Lastly, if using a favorite color, you may find that you already have decorative items in the color that you can gather and use in new ways in your home. Shopping your house for the items to add a new accent color to a room won’t cost you a thing.

    Decor Resources

    DIY Decorating Projects Shown

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    The Secret to Decluttering, Organizing, Decorating and Homekeeping Success that No One Tells You About!

    If you’ve ever struggled with creating the atmosphere you want for your home, I got you! 
    I will share the secret no one tells you about.
    Many years ago I started out my home-creating journey with so many dreams of the kind of home I hoped to have — one that was welcoming to us day to day as well as to the people we invited in.
    Perhaps you have similar dreams for your home.
    Even though my heart was in the right place and I worked hard at it, I felt like I was always struggling to create the atmosphere I desired.

    I often felt like I was failing as a home keeper. 
    While I always loved decorating, much to my dismay I quickly discovered that decorating alone wasn’t enough.
    There were always new messes being made, meals to prepare, laundry to do, needs to tend to, rooms to update, clutter to deal with, endless home projects and jobs to keep up with. 
    While I wanted to be a good home keeper, I wasn’t naturally skilled in figuring out how to do it all well and take care of myself and a family at the same time. I was often frazzled and frustrated. 

    One mess or another always seemed to stand in the way of the atmosphere I wanted.
    When I felt like my home was a cause of stress, anxiety would creep in and make me feel like I was a failure in all areas of life.
    I knew that wasn’t what I wanted for myself or our family. 
    Yet I could not figure out for the life of me how to keep all the balls in the air without causing more stress! 
    I read all the books on decluttering, organizing, housecleaning, and decorating yet none of them seemed to offer the simple holistic, sustainable solution I needed. It was all overwhelming. I just wanted to feel at peace with my home day to day, not create a perfect designer-approved showplace!
    I really didn’t need a perfect home. The truth was, a growing family and every day real-life experiences at home created ongoing understandable chaos. I wanted to savor the people, the moments and seasons of life, but trying and failing to keep up with resulting mess in our home was the opposite feeling I wanted in my surroundings.
    How in the world do you find a balance so you can create the type of home you really want without feeling so stressed and overwhelmed?
    Three homes, three kids, one dog and a lot of anxiety and home keeping trial and error later, I finally had an epiphany. This epiphany changed everything!

    I always knew I wanted my home to be a peaceful and welcoming place, but the peaceful and welcoming feeling I craved wasn’t just about the house.
    *I* needed to feel that way! 
    I needed to feel a sense of peace in our home for my own wellbeing, so I could offer that to my family as well.
    I needed my home to be welcoming to me day to day, too, not just to be welcoming to others.
    I couldn’t just bless the mess. Ha! To me, mess = stress.
    Yet all the methods I had tried to keep up with the mess created new kinds of stress.
    It makes sense that people just give up.
    No one tells you the secret to achieving what it is you really want.
    What most of us want to create is a sanctuary, not a showplace.
    That’s what I longed for all along — a home where I felt at peace.

    No wonder I was stressed!
    No wonder I was floundering! 
    It all began to make more sense. 
    I had been trying to get somewhere worth going, but doing it the wrong way led me to the opposite results.
    I was working hard at keeping up with what I thought was necessary or expected, but I didn’t stop to consider what a sanctuary would feel like.
    To be a nurturing place, living in it or caring for it couldn’t be a stressful experience!

    Little by little I made new discoveries about what it meant to create a sanctuary.
    My perspective on home keeping changed.
    I began to make progress and my family noticed and felt it, too! 
    Learning what to do and what not to do, when to do it and why it all mattered so much to me personally made all the difference. Everything changed for the better!
    My well-being improved and my anxiety and daily struggles diminished greatly.
    The care and keeping of our home not only became more manageable but more enjoyable and fulfilling for me (even with a busy household!). 
    My home became a true sanctuary!
    Once I began to see my new daily efforts for what they were, a worthy investment in our health and well-being, creating a sanctuary truly transformed all areas of my life.
    And the most amazing thing is: 

    It didn’t take a lot of money or a housekeeper!

    I didn’t need a perfect house or a perfect plan.

    I didn’t need ideal circumstances. 

    I didn’t need to be a slave to housework. 

    I finally had more freedom and creative energy to do what I loved!

    I felt better than I ever had before in my surroundings. 

    If creating a sanctuary resonates with you, I would love to have you join me in in this journey in 2024!

    I’ve shared many of my struggles and successes in homekeeping and decorating over the past 17 years through encouragement and practical tips on my blog The Inspired Room and in 11 books. 
    But now I am thrilled to be able to offer my secretes to success and support you in a more personal way. In HomeBody Gathering Place, I’ve brought these important decorating and home keeping concepts all together into a never-before offered format with a simple to follow formula along with my secrets to success!
    I am thrilled to be able to walk with you through this journey in real time through HomeBody Gathering Place!
    You’re invited to join me for A Year of Sanctuary, which takes place in 2024 in my member community HomeBody Gathering Place. If you are a member, you’re all set! We’ll begin the winter season on January 5th. If you are not currently a member, you’ll want to register HERE before we close the doors.

    What is a Year of Sanctuary? What is HomeBody Gathering Place?
    A Year of Sanctuary is our theme this year in HomeBody Gathering Place, a private member community where we focus on realistic methods and make joy-filled rewarding progress in creating a sanctuary.
    I’ve organized the concepts I teach into a new seasonal format so we can experience A Year of Sanctuary! In a Year of Sanctuary, we dive into each of my four essential sanctuary principles as well as learn how to savor the simple joys of a sanctuary week by week, season by season, year round.
    All HGP members get to enjoy A Year of Sanctuary, there is no additional fee or registration, it’s all included in your membership.
    How does a Year of Sanctuary work?
    We go through A Year of Sanctuary lessons together weekly in real-time (either in the optional Facebook community, or your own private dashboard and weekly emails we send), but you can also go at your own pace with previously taught lessons and resources that are all saved and available to you in a private dashboard any time.
    While you will be inspired with new ideas and tips every week, you can also see immediate results if you choose to take simple optional action steps through our weekly challenges.
    Of course, establishing your rhythms and experiencing the full benefits of a sanctuary will take time! But we make it more fun every step of the way. You’ll get access to HomeBody Notebook pages, prizes, printables and more!
    The decorating and homemaking principles we learn throughout the year can be personalized and practiced in a variety of ways in each season, just like we do in our real life homes!
    This is a gentle and sustainable way to bring more joy and peace to life and your home, too.
    You’ll find this to be a rewarding experience — one you can look forward to each week and through every season! 
    Do I have to be a new homemaker to benefit from HomeBody Gathering Place?
    Not at all! Whether you’re already a seasoned sanctuary creator or just starting out or somewhere in between, we can learn and grow together in our own ways. No one has it all together all the time, so we all can benefit from inspiration to connect to our homes in various seasons of life.
    Plus, in HomeBody Gathering Place, I bring together a lovely community of women who are all in different seasons, all creating a sanctuary! It is a joy to encourage each other wherever we are in the journey.
    One step at a time, season by season, I’ll teach you how to not only make your home look great, but FEEL great, too.
    Join us in HomeBody Gathering Place for a Year of Sanctuary. We begin January 5th with our Winter Session on Simplicity!
    Once we close the doors for this session, we don’t open again until spring session.
    TIP: I recommend that you join in January as a yearly member (it’s the best deal, plus this year we’re offering yearly member perks and resources!). We hope you’ll join us for the full year of transformative sanctuary lessons, resources, and activities! More