Really Early, or Really Late Spring Cleaning!

  Shortly after we moved into our townhouse a whole string of craziness started in our lives. It began with Ryan's birthday, which was also when his family came out for the week and it was the first time I had met them. Then all of the crazy planning and weekends figuring out favors, and flowers, and fittings for our wedding which was only a few short months away. And of course all of the stuff going on after the wedding! They don't tell you about that stuff. I always assumed that after the wedding everything would settle back down and go back to normal, but that's not how it happens at all. It's thank you notes and finding places for your gifts and a weeks worth of cleaning after the final house guest has left. In fact, I just found a box of stuff from our wedding that I hadn't even noticed before! Needless to say, we have now been in our place for just over 8 months and we're still not quite settled in.

  This weekend I really wanted to tackle a couple of rooms, our front living room area and the unfinished bedroom in the basement which has become designated storage room. Along with all of the normal and deep cleaning I do on Fridays while Ryan is at work, I decided to redesign the front room. We've got a couch that was left here by the owner, one that we had already, my big red chair, a coffee table and 2 side tables. There is nothing in the world that can quickly change the entire feel of a room more than a redesign. I know that that seems so obvious, but I just don't think that we always think of it as an option. So often, once we put something somewhere, that just becomes the place where it must be. But you should play around with your furniture. Every few months I like to redesign my bedroom. Even if it's something as simple as moving our bed up against a different wall. 

  The front room I've been wanting to do basically ever since we moved in and I set it up the way I had it. It just never felt quite right. The couches were facing each other with the coffee table in between them. Seemed great for if people came over to sit and chat in there. The problem was that we never really had anyone came over that just sat down in our front room to talk! So why was that the situation that I was creating the atmosphere for. Instead I wanted a room that was a little more closed off and personal. For the longest time I've been looking for a big "L" shaped couch, which I thought would really create the feel I was going for. And then, just this Friday, it hit me, I have 2 couches, why can't I just move them into an "L" shape? Yes, I know, I too fall prey to the notion that once something is put somewhere than that's where it must live until it's dying day. So I moved them! And in the process, 2 things happened: 1) I finally got the room to feel the way that I wanted it to! And 2) I saved us $1000 by not having to buy a new couch! (Ryan is really happy about the second!) 

  The second room that I've been wanting to work on is the unfinished bedroom in the basement where all of our storage is. Now, let's keep in mind that we have a good-sized townhouse, and it is just the 2 of us. Also, Ryan and I are really pretty good about not frivolously spending money on things that don't have a purpose or a specific place they need to be, so our "storage" is mostly things like a box of Christmas decorations and some of my old writings, art stuff, and our camping stuff that just doesn't get used that often. But we had it all just thrown down in the spare bedroom and what little we have seemed to be multiplying and taking over the whole room. So off to Home Depot we went to find some sort of shelving unit to contain the madness. $40 later and no tools required, we quickly snapped together the shelf and started organizing the boxes. The shelf had 5 shelves, which was a little too tall for the closet space, so we did 3 and 2 side-by-side and they fit PERFECTLY!! Now I am able to get to the Christmas decorations, when it's time, without having to take out everything else just to uncover it! 

  It truly doesn't take that long and it makes SUCH a difference! It is true that we should try to think outside the box, especially when it comes to our homes. It is where we spend the most time and where we should feel the most comfortable. Redesigning a room can change your whole attitude. It has certainly changed mine!

  Just a quick reminder that I'm still working on reaching 50 likes on the Facebook page so that I can give away any awesome prize (CHECK IT OUT HERE). I've also now added a link to the Wonder Woman Housewife Pinterest page so you can check out where I get some of my ideas! 

  Thanks so much to everyone! Night!