Hello! From under construction to mid-construction.

As we have almost finished the cleaning and moving articles of our home back into place, we’ve also taken this opportunity to further minimize the number of items in our home. As I’m reading through The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up for the second time, I’m letting the words and the lifestyle wash over me. Absorbing the basis of the book, “…to live in the most natural state possible.” (p. 197).

I can tell you, living in a construction zone — not natural. Constantly cleaning up dust, at these levels, not fun long-term. However, in the end, we have something to show for it. A space that we love, seamless flooring, and a new appreciation for our home and the limited number of items in it.

Bikurgurl 2015, Wood stair installation

Bikurgurl 2015, Wood Floor Installation

When moving back into our main living area, we literally did have to touch every object that came back in. We held it, lifted it, moved it, cleaned it. Many items needed a good once-over, some needed maintenance (as the new felt pads on the bottoms of our chairs), and some didn’t make it back in. Some items are still in the garage or a bedroom. I’d say many of those items won’t make it back in. Some we will say a fond farewell and that will be all.

Some items will make it back into the space. For instance, my husband and I haven’t had proper desks for a number of years. We’d used a variety of tables, mixed with filing cabinets, shelving, and bookcases. However, we decided that we really can’t improve upon the function of an actual desk. To hold things. To work behind. To store items. To provide order and visual grounding for the space, there’s nothing like an old-school looking desk. A teachers desk, if you will, but impractical (and likely wouldn’t fit through the door).

Ikea Hemnes Desk

Ode to Ikea

Ikea

How I

Love Thee Flat

Packing, Mashed Potatoes, Lingonberry

Sauce – You are

a true

Delight

We initially wanted very minimalist desks, but after evaluating surface space and what we were planning to use the desks for, we realized that having traditional desks made the most sense. We wouldn’t have to have separate pieces of furniture for all our organizational and storage needs, we could have identical desks to streamline the space. My husbands’ desk will hold all the electronics, like the router and the printer, as well as the home phone and his few office items. My desk, however, is the workhorse. Where I hope to do a fair share of my writing, but really much of my homeschool planning and organizing. Sorting through my homeschool materials is quite another task. Pictures forthcoming.

So, that’s what I’ve been doing. Intermittent internet outage, coupled with my #EdgeFail issues on my laptop, I’m actually beginning to enjoy living in our home again! Of course, we have some more construction coming this year. A bathroom that’s 30 years old in desperate need of attention, but I am not dwelling on it today!

I’m focusing on the fun, because life is always mid-construction.

What is your focus? How are those resolutions coming along that some of you made, or are you more focused on an idea — like our year of quality?

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