Breathing Room

Photo by suzettesuzette

So it really only occurred to me today . . . We will spend close to 1/3 of our lives in a bedroom.

So I might have been slow to figure that out, but you know how scientists are always saying "25% of your life will be spent looking at grass" or "18.2% of your life will be spent blinking," blah, blah, blah?

I am not a numbers girl. What can I say? Why use numbers over words? Most of that info goes in one ear and out the other.

Needless to say, it was a bit of a shock when I did the math. Yep. The scientists are right. Since we're encouraged to spend 8 hours sleeping every day, it adds up. With the exception of mothers (who likely spend only 1/4 of ther lives in their own rooms) most of us will be spending a lot of time in those four walls.

So why not make the bedroom the very best it can be?

1. Put the TV in another room! (Or toss it completely.)
2. Keep dirty clothes at bay.
3. Shut the closet door.
4. Bust the clutter like a devil busts dirt.
5. Improve the scent.
6. Paint the walls a soothing color. (White is not soothing.)
7. Avoid over-accessorizing.
8. Clear the floor.
9. Put all paper out of sight.
10. Go easy on the number of furniture pieces.

Keep it simple.

"Go to Bed!" And Other Useful Strategies

Photo by twob

This Sunday is Daylight Savings, and I admit I would rather go to the dentist than reset my inner clock.

(My apologies if you are a dentist.)

See, adjusting to Daylight Savings isn't as easy as changing the setting on the microwave. It involves re-calibrating the body's internal clock. And that's no small accomplishment. Statistically, more accidents occur on Daylight Savings. Perhaps because--unlike the rest of the year--every. single. person. is . . . tired.

Imagine it. A nation of people propped up on steering wheels by their elbows, slurping coffee and trying to keep their eyes open. Disaster is bound to happen.

Here is my strategy beginning tonight:

Today, tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday: I will go to bed 15 minutes earlier than I did the night before. By the time Sunday morning arrives, I'll be none the wiser.

I plan to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed come Sunday morning. But it will only happen if I plan ahead. And, of course, it wouldn't hurt to avoid all major roads . . .

Go to bed.

Change Clothes

Photo by Editor B

It's that time of year again.

The left side of my closet is full of bright, summer, lightweights, while the right side of my closet is slowly filling with sweaters, jackets, and sweatshirts. Admittedly, this is my favorite time of year. But I hate one aspect of it:

Switching out my clothes.

It is nearly time for me to pack up and move out those items I won't be wearing until next year.

Here are some "switchover" ideas I've culled from readers and research:

1. Eliminate what you don't wear. (Research shows that we wear 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time.) If you're not wearing it now, why would you wear it a year from now? Unless you suffer severe memory loss or plan on undergoing a total personality makeover, you'll still hate it.

2. Keep only what fits. Truly, the closet is not supposed to be a scrapbook of memories. Unless you're King Tut, your closet isn't big enough to hold onto the items you can't even wear.

3. Wash your clothing before packing it up. This seems like an obvious tip, but it's such a pain that it doesn't always happen. Why add more laundry to the pile?! (I typed and re-typed an answer, but they were both unkind.) Remember to empty all pockets and mend all rips or missing buttons.

4. Give it away. Whether taking out the old or bringing in the new, consider giving out-grown items to someone who could use them. Who among us hasn't received a bag of clothing and marveled over it? (Likewise, if the items are stained, don't give them away. Rip them up and use them as cleaning rags!)

5. Only keep out what you will wear this season. As you unpack last year's boxes, keep in mind that you don't have to hold on to what you will not wear. Just because it comes out of the box doesn't mean it needs to go into the closet.

One reader passed along this helpful hint. When switching over her seasonal wardrobe, she places the boxes in a spare room and pulls out items to wear on a daily basis. Once she has worn the item, she places it in her closet. What doesn't get worn by a certain deadline, she eliminates as something she is no longer using.

Happy switchover!

Trend Watch

Photo courtesy of the I Love Lucy show

It's one of the things about shows like I Love Lucy that is era-appropriate and utterly charming.

Yes, I'm talking about the double twin beds--television's decision to keep things as squeaky clean as possible, even in the homes of the married faithful.

But the fact that we've crawled planets away from that mentality in our 2010-era television is not the theme of this blog. (Though I am making a mental note to come back to that discussion sometime when my blood pressure is safely under control.)

Today, I'd like to discuss a growing trend--one that has me perplexed.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, they expect 60 percent of custom-built homes to have dual master bedrooms by the year 2015.

Other home experts have suggested that homes with one master bedroom will soon be considered outdated. Perhaps where we used to discuss homes without indoor plumbing, our children will someday discuss the fact that Mom and Dad only had one master bedroom in their house.

[Insert snickering and rolling of the eyes.]

I'm not sure what this trend should be chalked up to, but it's certainly one worth watching.

The Daily Five

Photo by Trisha

I am a huge believer in routine.

One of my favorite places on the planet (apart from my oh-so-loved office at home) is a cabin owned by my husband's family. I am fairly certain--if I did not need money or relationships to exist happily in this life--that I would live in that cabin like a bonafide hermit. (Of course, I've never run this plan by the cabin's owners.)

But, even when I've had the opportunity to visit, it's always good to come home.

I crave routine.

I believe in our 3-a-day task system here on House Honcho. Apart from hundreds of e-mails from readers explaining the difference it has made in their lives, I have my own set of reasons it works. Not the least of which is my faithful friend, Routine.

Recently, I was asked if I could sum up the entirety of home management in 5 daily chores. Here is my answer:

1. Make the bed.
2. Leave no room without doing one thing to improve it.
3. Sort the mail the moment it crosses into your home and eliminate what you do not need.
4. Clean up after everything you do.
5. Plan ahead.

And there you have it. Agreed?

"Go clean your room!"

Photo by suzettesuzette

If I heard it once, I heard it one million times. "Go clean your room!"

My mother had a knack for knowing when I had hidden something under my bed or stuffed an armload in a dresser drawer. In the ultimate game of hide and seek, I'd hide my stash and she'd find it.

Every time.

But the older I get--and the more I love homemaking--I realize there was a method to her madness. Whether or not she realized it, a clean room is essential to good rest. And good rest, as we know from our doctors, improves our health and lessens our stress. Meaning a clean room is a healthy choice, right? Here are three things to avoid in your bedroom:

1. Clutter. It makes us feel crowded. And feeling crowded doesn't help when trying to sleep.

2. Televisions. Not only does the noise itself keep us awake, but the lights from the TV mess with our natural sleep patterns and can keep us tossing for hours.

3. Eating in bed. Unless it's Mother's Day, don't do it. Crumbs in the covers are not advantageous. (Unless, of course, you are an ant.)

Now. Go clean your room!