You know how we fuss over things when we know company is coming? We clean like we haven’t cleaned in ages. All the linens are freshened, everything smells good and is sparkling clean. We know our guests are going to feel so comfortable and just appreciate all that we have done to prepare for them. It feels good to do this and we even appreciate the way our home now looks all perfectly arranged and organized.
During 2020 most of us didn’t have regular guests or reasons to prepare the house for a party. Here at my home we did some major cleaning out of things over time but admittedly I even loosened up on some regular housework. It wasn’t that I don’t appreciate a clean home but since it was just the 3 of us who else was going to see it? I would let dusting go a little longer than I would normally and didn’t get as worked up if the floors went an extra day without a sweep. My time was taken over with work and stress of what was going on with our country. My attention was on spending time with my family and appreciating the quiet evenings on the porch.
As I spent one Saturday recently cleaning I realized how much I really needed to get back in the routine of cleaning each week. Honestly, what specifically went through my head was it would be so nice to have a cleaning person come for some of these tasks. That’s when the proverbial light bulb went off in my head too. We often don’t treat ourselves like guests coming for a visit. What I mean is we give our best to others so they feel special and don’t give ourselves the same treatment. Think about it. We will often do for others what we won’t for ourselves when it comes to positivity in our words and actions, love, caring, kindness, sharing, treats and special treatments. Why is that?
Maybe a clean house isn’t your description of a luxurious treat but here me out on this for a moment. Having the floors sparkle, not having to step on toys and a sink free of dishes is nice. I appreciate that. Being able to look out the front or back doors without nose and hand prints everywhere is wonderful too! What I really love is when the dishwasher magically empties itself. Oh yes that my friend is a luxury. Want to know my absolute favorite? Getting into bed between clean fresh smelling sheets. Pure Heaven! Just like staying at the best hotel but not having to care when check-out time is the next day.
The point is whatever makes us feel special and appreciate our home, the environment around us is where luxury lives. Those things do not have to be grand or expensive to create this feeling because it is those small details we can create around us to give that sensation of being well treated. Tapping into that is something we deserve to create in our own homes for us as much as we do for our guests. This is about how we feel in our homes that makes us notice what is around us, feel confident, calm, aware and strong. For me that is a sparkling clean home that looks and feels guest ready. It is also the guilt free time I can take reading a book in the bath surrounded in bubbles and incredible essential oils. Luxury.
With luxury being a sensation we can mold, there are multiple ways do this in our home within our family budgets too. It is however very important to remember this is more than just cleaning our homes. Natural cleaners for instance that are made with good quality essential oils (I only use doTERRA) are pennies to make and work great! Air fresheners that smell fantastic without the chemicals are easy to use and disinfect the air as they work. DIY bubble bath, couple drops of good essential oils and a dollar novel from the local library sale and poof you have a spa guilt free spa session. It feels good to do things for yourself that make you feel good. Treat yourself like a VIP guest coming to stay at your house and see what I mean.
I think when we create this setting for ourselves we not only become more aware of our homes but we value them more. Sure there are things in my home I would love to update or redo but when I walk through the rooms I can see why I first fell in love with this house. That value is there and I feel enriched from it which in turn makes me feel stronger, confident and assured. These feelings are what luxury feels like. It is how we describe the person we see that seems to have it all in life and lives well. That feeling doesn’t need a price tag and unsurmountable bills to struggle to pay. It is often about how we treat ourselves.
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