In today's fast-paced society, it's sometimes difficult to achieve balance in life. All too often, we spend countless hours at the office and more hours commuting or chauffeuring our kids to and from after school activities. We wired to the max, with our cell phones, our BlackBerrys, our computers, and our iPods always within arm's reach. We pride ourselves on our ability to multitask, but somewhere in the process, our ability to simply relax and enjoy life gets lost. One of the best ways to get back on track and bring balance into our lives is to use home decor to transform our houses into our sanctuaries. The inevitable question is, Who has time for home dcor? But think about it for a moment. Work may bring feelings of accomplishment, but it probably doesn't refresh your spirit. When you make your home a priority, it becomes a place of respite, a place that helps rejuvenate your body and your soul. When you make a few simple changes, you'll feel a greater connection with your home environment. When you do that, you may find that your desire to multitask diminishes, and you just might turn off the electronic gadgets and simply enjoy your surroundings with those you love. The first step in using home decor to enhance your house is to take the time to inventory each room in your house. This isn't a furniture inventory, or a count of the number of clocks or lamps you own, but an emotional inventory. Take a notebook and a pen (or your PDA) from room to room, and jot down how you feel in each room. When you walk into the kitchen, do you feel energized, or do your shoulders sag? Does your bedroom make you feel as though you've walked into a safe haven, or does it feel sterile and uninviting? Next, take an emotional inventory of your outdoor space. Is the front yard a place you rush through to get to the front door? Does your patio make you feel relaxed, or is it simply additional storage space? Does your backyard conjure up feelings of community and sharing, or does it represent the yard work that you never get around to doing? Once you have completed your emotional inventory, begin thinking about the small things you can do that will change the tone of each room and of your outdoor space. Perhaps bath lotions and candles will make your bathroom feel more luxurious. Maybe well-placed mirrors will give a small apartment a more spacious and less suffocating feel. Picture frames with photos of family and friends will warm up any room, as will decorative plant stands with houseplants. When it comes to the outdoors, the possibilities are endless. You can choose to do major landscaping, or you can add simple things like bird feeders you can see from your kitchen window or bird houses that are visible from the living room window. Hammocks in the backyard absolutely invite relaxation, while wind chimes can calm even the most frazzled nerves. By taking an emotional inventory of your living space and adding simple home decor items, your home will become your sanctuary and you will feel the same connection with your environment that you may feel with your personal electronics.
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