homeinapinch

Home has Four Paws, Wet Noses & Wagging Tails

What Makes Home, Home?

My rescue pooches, Lou (left) & Charlie (right)

<p class="has-drop-cap" value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">Home has Four Paws (or in this home, 8), wet noses, wagging tails and everything else that comes with that. Anyone who has a dog knows that it could not feel more like home than when you walk up to the door and hear their toenails clacking on the floor and maybe a happy tail hitting the wall as they try to contain their excitement. In our house there are cries and howls and hugs. Sometimes I think I don’t know why I bother coming home if they are not there. Home has Four Paws (or in this home, 8), wet noses, wagging tails and everything else that comes with that. Anyone who has a dog knows that it could not feel more like home than when you walk up to the door and hear their toenails clacking on the floor and maybe a happy tail hitting the wall as they try to contain their excitement. In our house there are cries and howls and hugs. Sometimes I think I don’t know why I bother coming home if they are not there.

Of course, then I remember there are other reasons to be home. I feel a sense of pride in the home that my husband and I have created and I feel incredibly fortunate to have a place to call home where I feel safe. When I walk in the door to my house, I feel a sense of relief that I can somewhat leave behind whatever I had going on outside these doors. I can take my socks off (or let’s be real, pants) and let my hair down (or really put it up in a frizzy bun on top of my head). I can put on some comfy clothes, not care what I look like and curl up on a couch topped with blankets.

My mom always told me a house is not the same as a home and a home should be warm and cozy that looks a bit lived-in. This has inspired my decor and style to be cozy, comfortable and functional. I love being home and feel that everyone deserves a place that they can call home. If I can’t convince you to adopt a four-legged friend, or if you already have one, I hope to at least share some tricks and tips to make your house the home of your dreams for every season.

What’s on my desk

I spend more and more time at my desk these days, doing everything from preparing the family taxes to working on this blog. Because of this, my workspace is constantly changing. Holding the clutter at bay is challenging, so I prefer to keep nearby only a few quality items that serve multiple purposes over a stockpile of things I might never need.

My daily planner

My planner is one of those simple ring binder journals you can pick up from any stationery supplies store. White paper. No ruled lines to cage my venturesome handwriting and doodling. I’m an obsessive note-taker and fill pages to the margins with to do lists, rough sketches, and ideas for blog posts. I usually go through one planner every month.

Travel Tips

There are millions of tips out there on how to fly with kids, what to bring on camping vacations, which suitcase to buy, where to go and what to see in just about every corner on Earth. What I want to share today is something a little different – something that we discovered last summer during a family hike in the Appalachians.

Staying Organized

Who me? Organized? My husband might tell you otherwise, but I do find it hard to keep track of our weekly schedule. You know: school, swimming, grocery shopping, tidying up, paying bills, remembering appointments and so on. Fortunately, in our house we all pitch in. No one person does everything. But we do have a little secret that helps our day run more smoothly.