During my teens years, I watched Oprah while I worked the switchboard after school at my all girl high school. Oprah always referred to her light bulb moments, when a HUGE realization clicks. As I was reading Myquillan Smith’s book Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff, I couldn’t believe all the light bulb moments I had. If home is one of your favorite places, or you want it to be one of your family’s favorite places, then you are going to love all the ways that even a non-decorating mom can create a peaceful, cozy home!
Create a Peaceful Cozy Home Your Family Will Love
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Where have I been?
One of my goals for this year was to read through Myquillyn Smith’s latest book, Cozy Minimalist Home: Less Stuff, More Style. My current home is a remodeled farmhouse that is at least 120 years old. With all its unique rooms, wooden beams and tranquil setting, it is begging to be made into a cozy home inside.
But alas, I felt I had fallen short and not quite created the peaceful, cozy home I wanted for my family. So when I learned of Myquillyn’s book, I was actually excited to read a book on decorating, something I have never done.
I mean after all what was the purpose of reading a book on decorating. You either have the decorating gift or you don’t, right? Fortunately, I was ALL wrong!
Set Up a Peaceful, Cozy Room in Order
Did you know that there is an actual science behind setting up a room?
As I was reading, I wondered if maybe EVERYONE knew this. How did I miss this? As I read Cozy Minimalist Home, I was blown away by the simple logic on how to make a cozy home that anyone could learn and apply!
Now, granted my home is still not going to look like Johanna Gaines just stopped by, but I could learn how to make a cozy home!
So my biggest take-away from the book is that there is a basic formula to what you should pick first to add to a room. When you set up a room, you may have, like me, just started putting things in the room without realizing how the decorating elements affect each other.
But as Myquillyn Smith walks you through the steps to creating a tranquil, cozy, you will find yourself amazed. A cozy home is way less about having tons of money and more about following the steps!
Calm Your Room Before Starting
Ok, I need to back up a minute. I was so excited about sharing that a room had to be set up in a specific order that I shared that first. But Myquillyn Smith says that often we need to calm a room before we start.
If your room is already set up, it can be hard to see what it needs. So the first step to creating a peaceful, cozy home is often to take everything out in order to “listen” to the room.
At first, I started feeling panicked at the thought of emptying a room. Where is all that stuff going to go? What a mess my house will be.
But then I looked at the alternative. How often have I walked into that one room in my house and been like, “Ugh, something is off.” Wouldn’t it be better to be inconvenienced for a few weeks, but then love my room for years? Of course!
And as we all know by now, in the show Tidying Up, Marie Kondo has you take ALL the clothes out of your closet. THEN you carefully decide what you want to put back! And it works!
Create Less Than Perfect Solutions for a Cozy Room
Yes!! It is OK to create less than perfect solutions. If you don’t have the budget for something, and it’s going to more than a month or two, create an imperfect solution.
I still remember, walking into a high school classmates homes and being amazed at her flooring.
Their kitchen and family room flooring was all torn up, down to this slab concrete type floor. So her mom had painted/stenciled a “stone” walk way complete with flowers and moss growing among the stones. It was one of the prettiest floors I had ever seen. And the floor was the torn up one!
Myquillyn Smith encourages us to get creative and think up less than perfect solutions to make your home cozy NOW, not 3 years from now. She gives you several great examples in the book.
Vary Your Textures and Shapes to Cozy Your Room
The other week, I kept staring at my family room. I realized it was a square. No angles or cut our ceilings. It is literally a cube. So as I contemplated what decorative piece to put above the mantel, I wondered about bringing in some curves.
A few days later I arrived at the section of the book where the author talks about introducing various textures and shapes to the room. A room can feel off if you have too much of one thing.
After you have calmed your room and set it up in order, now is the time to decorate. Myquillan Smith said to think of decorating as accessorizing an outfit, something I LOVE to do and could totally relate.
So as you decorate be careful to bring in various types of decorative items, Some rooms may need more texture whiles others may need clean lines. Or you may need to bring in elements of several kinds if the room lacks them.
Which Format Should You Purchase?
I purchased the audio book of the Cozy Minimalist Home. If you are slightly overwhelmed at decorating, you will probably enjoy listening to the book. Lisa Wright does an excellent job narrating the book, making the book fun and lively to listen to.
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And even though I started feeling slightly light-headed as she talked about making THE “couch decision,” since I was listening to the book I was able to push on through. Something about purchasing a couch has always felt so serious! Anyone else?? I spent less time worrying about marrying my husband!
However, if you like to read, I would highly recommend grabbing a hard copy. This is a book that you will appreciate being able to turn to sections and reread. Myquillyn Smith shares so many tips, that you will find it super helpful to own.
The Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff will also teach you to:
- Decorate using the 2/3 rule
- Coordinate colors the easiest way
- Purchase a couch you will love today AND tomorrow
- Discover your unique style without using a style quiz
Ultimate Homemaking Bundle 2019 is Here!!!
If you are passionate about creating a home you love, YOU are going to LOVE what I share with you next!
Have you heard of the Ultimate Bundles? The company Ultimate Bundles puts together products from both your favorite authors and bloggers and up and coming creatives you may not have heard of yet! They brought you the fun free decluttering challenge we did the last week!
Check out my decluttered closet here!
Ultimate Bundles put all of the BEST products into ONE fantastic bundle…for a super ridiculous low price!
I have purchased 2 different types of bundles! What I really appreciate about my bundle purchases is that:
- The work is done for me! UB goes out and finds amazing courses and materials that they know I will love
- I learn so many new things! There is such a wide variety of topics offered in a bundle. Some I wouldn’t probably have purchased for myself, but because I have access to them, I try to find many new fantastic books and courses.
- Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is such an amazing bargain! My money is NEVER wasted on a bundle. Even if I only use 1/3 of the products, I’m still getting a bargain for my money! Yay!
All you have to do is wait for your favorite bundle or two to go on sale and snatch it up! And it’s FINALLY here!
So in other words, in Your Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, you will receive:
- 28 Ebooks
- 25 Printables
- 16 Workbooks
- 30 Ecourses
- 3 Summits
- 2 Membership Sites
All for ONE low price! That is a $2294.37 value if you purchase all the items separately.
Who is the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle for?
This year’s bundle is for YOU if you are ready to say NO to disorganization and YES to real strategies, to get organized! The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is for you if you are interested in the following topics:
- Self-Care
- Organization
- Creativity & Decor
- Home Management
- In the Kitchen
- Faith
- Work at Home
- Parenting
- Marriage
- Faith
- For Kids
- Creativity
- and Homeschooling
Everything you need to care for yourself, your family and your home!
What Products are in the 2019 Ultimate Homemaking Bundle?
Click on the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle link or graphics and you will be taken right to the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle and you can start exploring all the amazing products.
If you want some help navigating ALL these courses, I pulled out a few, I think you will relish, to give you some examples!
Here are a few products I’m eager to jump into:
- Encourage My Tween’s Heart Workbook by Lee Felix ($5.95)
Learn how to connect with your child, build character and parent their heart. - Family Moments: 12 Months of Themed Family Nights Workbook by Keri Snyder ($20.00)
Provides you with the opportunity to connect, grow, and serve as a family. - Chore Board Printable Pack Printable by Jessica Evans ($10.00)
Takes the battle out of daily and weekly tasks by neatly packaging them into a fun and straightforward contribution plan geared toward positivity and suitable for children of all ages! - Declutter Your House in a Weekend eBook by Abby Lawson ($7.00) (Abby is the Queen of organization!!)
Provides a tried-and-true process to help you knock out a huge chunk of the decluttering process all at one time! - 2018 Digital Homeschool Convention Sessions Summit by Holly Chubb ($79.00)
Get all the benefits of a homeschool convention brought right to your door. - The Humbled Homemaker’s Meal Planning Printables Bundle by Erin Odom ($4.99) (Erin is a VERY popular blogger!)
This bundle comes with a two-week ALDI meal plan, an additional “7 Gluten-Free Dinners from ALDI” printable pack with recipes and shopping lists, a printable weekly meal planner, and a “Kids Eat Free” printable. - Mom’s BFF Planner Printable by Antoinette Walker ($25.00)
A library of PDFs that provides busy moms with printables and checklists to make managing your household easier! - Calm Connect Correct eCourse by Penelope Webster ($39.00)
The step-by-step process that enables parents to calmly respond to behavior, discover the motive behind behavior, connect with your child during the hardest times, and dramatically transform your relationship! - Creating Family Vision Boards to Strengthen Family Culture eCourse by Greg & Rachel Denning/ Worldschool Family ($19.95)
Live as the hero of your own life story, rise to challenges, unite as a team, and reach new heights as a family! - Bust Out of the Makeup Rut eCourse by Alison Lumbatis ($29.00) (LOVE, Love Alison from Get Your Pretty On)
This class encourages you to get out of your makeup comfort zone, empowers you with step-by-step tutorials, and gives you printable shopping lists so you know exactly what to look for when you head to the store! - Mom to Momtrepreneur: Guide to Conquering Your First 30-Days Blogging During Nap Time eBook by Cassie Scroggins ($7.00) (I know several of you have asked me about getting started blogging!)
Learn and complete the 12 essential tasks that should be done FIRST after launching your blog to set it up for success, all broken down into daily tasks that can be completed during your child’s nap time! - Courage Amidst Uncertainty: How to Ride Life’s Waves and Do Amazing Things eCourse by Katie Dutcher ($15.00)
Invites you to engage awareness, compassion, and your own innate wisdom to face situations of fear and anxiety, helping you to access the courage that is already within you.
Find all the specific details here at Ultimate Homemaking Bundles 2019! CLICK to learn more, but only for a limited time! Sale ends Monday, May 6th!
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