What Type Of Home Do You Want For Your Family?

When my family was young, (and I was very young), my thoughts, desires and money revolved around my husband, my children and my family’s home. I had little money to spend in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and most of what I did have went to what the children needed. I was last on the list, correction, I was not even on the list.

One day I was putting away freshly washed clothes in the closets, and I noticed something that startled me. My children had beautiful little dresses and cute little Grr Animal outfits (all purchased on sale, or only pristine items from garage sales), my husband had nice clothes (that I had bought for him), and my little section of clothes in the closet, were cheap K Mart specials.

It alarmed me, when I realized that I was dressing so shabbily, and that I had not valued myself enough to dress, at least as well as my family.

Isn’t that what mothers do? We sacrifice ourselves for everyone and everything else. I would buy something for the family or for the house, before I would buy something for myself.

In my first rental home as a newlywed, I had very little to work with, so our first Christmas, I used evergreen and a bit of red velvet ribbon in a glass globe for a Christmas decoration. It was our first Christmas with our baby daughter, and I spent $10.00 on ornaments, lights and a angel for our little Christmas tree. Ten dollars was a lot of money back then, especially because my husband made $1.80/hr. as an apprentice electrician.

I also made a nativity set out of empty toilet paper rolls and felt. Sounds gross? Well, they were really cute in my eyes, because I had made them, and I had nothing else. I would never use such a thing as a decoration in later years, but at that time, it was all I had. It made me feel happy that my home was a little bit prettier because of it.

When my first child was 3, we built a 1050 sq. ft. yellow ranch house with a basement. We had plans for a garage and a cement driveway later when we could afford it. I tried so hard to make my little home beautiful with such limited funds. I painted, wall papered, decorated the walls with Home Interiors pictures, sconces, candles and mirrors, and I made 70’s orange, yellow and green flowers felt flowers for the soffit in my kitchen, to match the new wallpaper. (Hey, don’t knock it, those colors were the bomb in the 70’s!)

We had a 5 and 10 cent Variety store in our town. One day, I saw they had some beautifully colored plastic tulips for sale. I found a basket at a garage sale, and I made my first flower arrangement with those tulips in a basket. I proudly put the basket of tulips on top of our console non-remote TV, and WA LA, the living room was beautifully colorful now, instead of the greens, oranges and golds of the furniture and carpet.

In the late 1980’s I organized a craft show, and for my part, I made many dried flower arrangements of different types and sizes.

I was bitten by the “flower bug”!! Never again, would my home be blah blah plain again.

I didn’t have much money, but I was creative, and I loved having a pretty arrangement on my dining room table. I loved decorating for the holidays, in just about every corner and surface. My decorating transformed my home from ordinary to sparkling at Christmas. In the spring, a flower here and there perked up the dreary overcast days. Easter and Halloween gave me more opportunities to make my house a cozy and fun home.

In the back of my mind, I was always thinking about making sweet family memories for my little girls. Will they remember there home as a cozy and pretty home?

If I had to do things all over again, there are many things I would have done differently. The first thing that I would have done differently would have been to have put myself on “the list” of priorities in the family. I would have spent the money (and maybe a bit less on everyone else), and I would have dressed better. I think it would have helped my self esteem, and that is another story for another day.

Another thing I would have done differently, would be that we should have invested more in our home. Maybe I would have insisted that there would have been more improvements in the house and yard, and less than three motorcycles in the garage.

Home is where the heart is, and you are making memories every day, whether you are consciously aware of it or not. Family memories at home are for your husband, your children, grandchildren and in-laws. When your home is cozy, and your family is happy, your friends and extended family like to come to your house to visit. (Uh, well, if they come to visit, that is your choice! LOL)

Express yourself in your home. Find out what makes you happy in your home. Maybe it is flowers, music, or maybe it is color, or art you have painted and put on the walls. Everyone has different taste in decorating. Do your thing in your home! Never tried being creative? It is never too late to start!

If I can help you find the beauty in your home, I would be privileged to do my best to help you.