My plans for the weekend can be summed up in 2 words: beach house. Just thinking about it makes me feel relaxed. But now I’m back home and that beachy-vibe is disappearing quickly. I’ve always wanted to recreate a little of that beach house relaxation back at home. In fact, I could use some of that same magic in my car, in the backyard, and in my head.
I’ll forgo trying to move the ocean or fill the front yard with sand and settle for some interior rearranging. So what makes the beach house so relaxing?
The beach house is not home, and therefore inherently relaxing. I’m not thinking about cleaning or yard work and the bed is definitely not covered with clean clothes that need to be put away. Sure, I’ll wash some beach towels and wash dishes after making dinner and s’mores, but with none of the *blah* that accompanies these tasks at home.
Task 1: create a space meant for one solitary purpose: do nothing but relax and unwind here.
The beach house has what we need and nothing more: dishes, pots, pans, and tools in quantities appropriate for the size of the kitchen; bath towel sets for each of us plus a couple of extras, a spare pillow or two plus an extra blanket in each bedroom.
Task 2: reduce quantities of *select items in specific storage spaces: *linen closet for towels and extra bedding, kitchen counter “stuff” that isn’t for food preparation, and mud room for extra shoes, boots, and flip flops.
Each entrance to the beach house is welcoming. There’s a door matt, a bucket or basket for things that should stay outside (sea shells, rocks and sticks, dog leash), in other words, vessels that imply “keep those special things here.”
Task 3: place charming baskets or pails outside each entryway for kids to store their “treasures,” muddy boots, sandy crocs, and wet umbrellas. Squeeze in a potted plant that can survive the traffic level.
At the beach house, there are no incomplete projects laying around to remind me that my to-do list is over-the-top-long. Even fun projects can become stress-inducing clutter or “noise” when shoved into a corner of what is supposed to be “living space.”
Task 4: move incomplete projects to a master list, then to a plastic bin, and stored properly. (This list will appear in a future blog about prioritizing).
It seems reasonable to give this task list 30 minutes a day and I should be done with it by the end of the week. Task 1 will require some thinking, so I’ll start of task 2. Tasks 3 and 4 seem fun so I’ll save them for last as a reward for being focused and diligent. I’ll follow up with before and after photos.