I had SO much great feedback on the Love Your Home challenge over on Instagram that I wanted to give it a permanent spot where you could reference the tasks and come back to them again and again. As I’ve said before, loving where you live is more about intentionality and rhythms than it is about fancy, professionally designed spaces (and I say that as a professional interior designer!) Implementing these routines will help you love on your home, regardless of if it’s your first apartment, a spare bedroom, or your dream home.

The 28 Ways:

1. Two-Minute Rule – walk around your house, and create a list of everything that drives you just a little crazy. the “important, but not urgent” tasks that drive you nuts every time you see them, but they aren’t urgent enough for you to tackle right then & there. Most of the time, they’d only take a few minutes. Make a list of all those things that would take you 2 minutes or less, and then do them. Examples from my list: tightening the screw in the front door knob, replacing the vanity light bulb, replacing the hardware on the coffee cabinet, etc.

2. Implement a 15-minute tidy – set a timer for 15 minutes and just tidy what you can. Bonus tip- set up a time-lapse to see all that you got done!

3. Use cozy textiles – gather up blankets from around your home, doesn’t have to be expensive. Take a trip to the thrift store or implement a Decor Rotation (like a toy rotation, but for decor! Swap decor from room to room for a whole new feel without spending any money)

4. Add fresh flowers to your space

5. Use natural lighting + low lights – avoid overhead lighting, use warm lights & swap out your bulbs if you have bright, white/flourecent bulbs.

6. Give Everything a Home. Think about the things that always end up left out on the counters- does it have a permanent home? This is key not only for you but for those who live in your home as well! If you don’t know where it goes when it’s “away”, they probably don’t either.

7. Decorate with meaningful items – I love target decor as much as the next girl, but when it doesn’t mean anything, you’ll get sick of it sooner. From family photos to hand-me-downs and items you’ve gotten on your travels, let sentimental items do the talking & use “filler”/non-sentimental items to support them!

8. Clean and organize your fridge + learn how to store your food properly to reduce food waste.

9. Take note of your patterns – stop trying to change your habits, but make your home work for you. If a backpack always gets left on the same chair, or keys on the same table, try to find a way to conceal or contain them near that location. If clothes always get dropped in the same corner, consider relocating the laundry basket there!

10. Incorporate aromatherapy/ scent. the postage stamp-sized olfactory lobe, which is in charge of smell, is also part of the limbic system, which manages emotions and long-term memories! we use essential oils in our house-
here’s a little cheat sheet of oils by category:
⋒ CALM: lavender, stress away, northern lights, palo santo, White Angelica
⋒ FOCUS: frankincense, rosemary, vetiver, orange, Geneyus blend
⋒ ENERGY: peppermint, citrus oils, basil, geranium
⋒ HAPPY: any citrus oil, Joy blend, Valor, spearmint, Inner Child
⋒ WELL: thieves, raven, oregano, frankincense
⋒ REST: chamomile, cedarwood, Dream Catcher blend, patchouli

11. Declutter your home! When you have too much stuff, you spend more time cleaning & less time enjoying. If it’s never used/worn/played with- donate or sell it!

12. Freshen up your carpet/area rugs. We have a Bissel Green Machine which is great for spot cleaning, but sometimes it’s less about the stains and more about the overall dingy smell. Use baking soda + lemon essential oil, sprinkle it on your carpet/rugs and leave for a few hours, then come back and vacuum it up for a fresher space.

13. Invest in a good mattress/ good bedding. If you’re not in love with your sleep setup, consider investing to improve your quality of sleep (and life!). We love Parachute bedding, specifically linen, because it feels cool and lightweight.

14. Hang art + photos that you love. Include family photos!

16. Make your bed (but let it breathe first). Airing out your sheets and mattress is key to fresher, healthier beds. After you sleep, the sweat, body oils, etc. get trapped in your bed if you make it right away! So give it a little time before you make it- your skin will thank you.

17. Implement a dishwashing schedule. Load the dishwasher throughout the day, and run at night (no matter how full). The dishwasher uses 4 gallons per load. The sink uses 15 gallons in FIVE MINUTES. That means, even if you don’t have many dishes, you’re using nearly quadruple the water. Unload the dishwasher every morning + make it a practice to run it every evening.

18. Vacuum or sweep daily. This one is so hard for me, but I feel like a new human when we’re consistent! With a black lab & a baby who’s quickly becoming a toddler, this is beyond necessary for us. We also have a robot vacuum, which helps in the common spaces!

19. Air out the house frequently. Did you know our indoor air quality is significantly worse than it is outside? Throw open the windows and allow your house to breathe deeper.

20. Keep the front door and entryway clean and tidy. Set your entry/exit space up for success and consider what is needed as you come and go from your home. Could it be set up better to make mornings easier?

21. Laundry Stripping – Towels & Sheets. This will gross you out, but also give you peace of mind knowing all the dirt trapped in your towels and sheets is no longer there (even when your linens are clean!)

22. Use a Stair Basket – If you have a multi-story home like us, the stairs may become a filing cabinet for items intended to go up or down the stairs. Implementing a stair basket can give you a single spot to put things and carry them up or down as needed. When you pass the stair basket, bring it along and put those items where they need to go.

23. For the moms- create a Yes Environment for your kids. If you’re finding yourself constantly saying “no” or “don’t touch that”, a yes environment can help. Think of ways you can rearrange your cabinets and spaces so that non-breakable or damageable things are out of reach. I personally don’t love locking/babyproofing cabinets. I want our kids to be able to explore! But within reason and in a semi-controlled environment.

24. Look at your closet for a color palette you love & won’t get sick of. More on that here.

25. Swap your cleaners for nontoxic, natural alternatives. We use ONE cleaner for our whole house and it saves me so much time and mental energy. It’s safe for babies and pets and I never even have to think about it. Plus, one bottle literally lasts us years because it is so concentrated. This is what we use:

26. Create intentional “zones”/ baskets for items you always need. Bakets for diapers and baby things in my nightstand. Maybe it’s having all your supplements/meds in one spot, putting the makeup or skincare you actually use on a daily basis together and putting the rest to the side, etc.

27. Invest in functionality – Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Storage are where you’ll get the most bang for your buck. Create a list of “larger” home projects you’d like to do & make plans to actually accomplish them. Whether it’s DIY or hiring it out, build it into your monthly budget so that when you’re ready to tackle a larger project, it’s not a financial burden.

28. Write a love letter to your home – it’s cheesy, but it works! Have the rest of your household do the same- it’ll create a whole new perspective.