Welcome to week three of The Love Your Home Challenge, the Spring 2016 edition! Glad you are joining us. I am so enjoying sharing the challenges in the Sunday weekly list and on Instagram each day. We are partway through with the 31 days and it’s been such a fun experience for me so far! I hope you are enjoying it, too!

Every time I think about the day’s focus, I’m reminded of the special little things that make a house a home. I find myself not only thinking about the day’s challenge throughout the day, but actually making progress on my home in some way.

The specific focus of each challenge helps us to zero in on a practical way to take action. Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and blogs offer us an overload of photos and ideas we can enjoy right at our fingertips without leaving our comfy chair. We are wowed and impressed by gorgeous makeovers and perfectly staged, curated and edited rooms, they are inspiring for sure, but theses little daily challenges offer us confirmation that the simple things we do right now, the things we can actually touch, see, feel and experience today, are really the most important things after all.

Enjoy this week’s challenges and come back to let me know which ones you are completing! Share these with your friends, too! You can also share with me on Instagram or Home Love Stories. 

Day 15 – Making Memories: Gone are the days when we send all of our photos to be printed. While there are some good things about the technology shift to digital, the not so good thing is many of our favorite photos live on our phone or computer. Today take a quick look through your phone or computer images. Pick a few candid moments or special memories and send them online to a photo printer (or print them out at home right from your phone! Here is a phone printer that looks really cool). Update your frames and send a few through snail mail to family! You’ll make everyone feel loved.

Day 16 – A Place of Your Own: Do you have a special spot in your home, a comfy chair or a desk? Today treat yourself to a little love by improving or designing that place of your own. Add a spring pillow on a special chair, declutter your desktop and add a vase of flowers, find a special cup for your morning coffee or afternoon tea, or gather a new stack of books and magazines by your reading spot. Treat yourself to an inspiring place of your own.

Day 17 – Lovely Linens: Today we are going to streamline and refresh our linens. Pare down excess sheets and pillowcases and only keep to what you actually use.  Tidy up the shelf or closet where you keep bedding! Now, make a fresh linen spray to keep your room and linens smelling divine! Here’s my current favorite blend: mix drops of lavender and lemon essential oil with water in a small glass spray bottle.

Day 18 – A Gracious Giver: Where do you keep your gift wrap? Is it hard to find, wrinkled and crinkled? Do you have pretty ribbons, gift tags or embellishments for gifts? Today gather what you need to set up a newly organized space. What will inspire you to give each gift your own special touch? Make or print a few gift tags, visit a pretty paper store to pick out something new, or just organize what you already have.

Day 19 – Make it Sparkle: Today let’s make the bathroom sparkly! Clean the whole room if you are motivated, or focus on one part that could use a little TLC. Clean the mirrors, polish the faucets or reorganize a drawer. Make it shine and step back to admire your progress!

Day 20 – Music to Your Soul: Music moves us, improves our mood and inspires us! Today get your home soundtrack organized and ready. Set up a house cleaning soundtrack, put together a fun dinner playlist or round up inspirational songs that speak to your soul. You can set up music with an online service or app for your computer or phone (Amazon Music, Spotify and Pandora are all great options).

Day 21 – A Cleaning Frenzy: Today we are going to clean as much as we can for 15 minutes. Before you begin, grab your phone and snap a quick BEFORE pic of the area you intend to tidy or clean. Now, crank up your cleaning playlist and set a timer for 15 minutes. Ready, set, GO! When your timer goes off, grab the camera and take an after pic! Amazing, right?

More Posts:

Healthy Home Fragrances {Scents of Well Being}

3 Secrets to Creating a Happier Home {my guide on eBay}