As we get to know each other better, you will find that I sometimes give new meaning to certain words, kind of in the same way that I like to give new uses to items around our homes (more on that later!).
My definition of beauty with regards to the living environment stems from a pleasantness that is both physical and healthful, with its effect on our moods and behavior considered as well. I feel that a living space should help you to be, feel and do your best and its effects touch on so many different aspects of our lives.
So, a space that is pleasant to the eye, has no negative effects on our physical health (rather we can make it the other way around…more on that later!), makes us feel good and one that makes it easy for us to go about our acts of daily living, is one that meets my criteria for true beauty. Phew! What an exhaustive definition of a beautiful space!
Also, I have a weakness for ‘functional beauty’ and so you will see that a lot of what I use as décor would serve double-duty and usually also be used for another purpose around the home, whether it be for cleaning, cooking, laundry, entertaining, whatever! I just love beautiful pieces that get the work done.
So, if you are looking for inspiration and resources to help you to create and maintain a space that is beautiful in every sense of the word, then you have come to the right place. This is where we talk about:
- Cleaning products, routines and tools
- Home fragrance solutions, preferably natural
- Stylish home organization
And then we examine how it all comes together to lift our mood plus increase our productivity AND looks good to our family and visitors.
A Naturally Clean Home
When the average person thinks of cleaning, what comes to mind are the array of cleaning products on the shelves of the department stores with a different one for every single cleaning task and space. From kitchen and bathroom cleaners to floor cleaners, from window sprays to tile scrubs, from stainless steel polishing sprays to car upholstery powders, from dish washing liquids to laundry detergents and fabric softeners…you name it, there’s a cleaning product for it…with all sorts of chemicals mixed up in these products to get the work done. And the process of cleaning, wow…some of the routines are so complicated that I almost get a headache just thinking about it.
However, we at BodySoulnSpaces like to simplify things. Firstly, we consider the agent to be used for our cleaning task, whether it be for washing the dishes, cleaning our rooms, washing our clothes or cleaning the floors…
- Does it have any harmful chemicals? Check.
- Can we get the task done with a milder, more natural agent? Check.
- And do we really need a cleaning product with a different name to get the work done? Check.
- On top of that, who does not love a sweet-smelling home and a fresh scent from our laundry? Are there more natural, less chemical-laden products to get the same effects? Check.
To get answers to some of these questions, please see some posts that I’ve written on the topic below:
- Why You Should Consider Switching to Natural Cleaning Products
- DIY cleaning Recipes: Kitchen counters, Bathroom spray, window and glass cleaner etc
Routines for A ‘Naturally’ Clean Home
Next, let’s consider the cleaning routines. If you’re anything like me and millions of others…we decide that we want to get on top of our cleaning game and start with a good intention, trying our best to get all the cleaning done when and how it should best be done.
But if the process is very complicated with so many steps and requirements, it eventually becomes overwhelming and you just find out one day, that you’ve fallen off track…again!
So, the trick is to establish a simple routine, with as few steps as are needed to get the cleaning done and with a procedure that blends easily into our daily routines.
Plus, we love, love, love finding beautiful cleaning accessories to get the work done. It definitely helps to make the process more enjoyable. Sounds good, huh? Here are some posts we are preparing that may be helpful in injecting some pleasure into your cleaning:
- A ‘Naturally’ Clean Home 101: Zone Cleaning to Keep Each Room Beautiful Always
- A ‘Naturally’ Clean Home 101: Daily Tasks to Keep Your Home Clean Always
- A ‘Naturally’ Clean Home 101: Cleaning Kits for Your Major Cleaning Tasks
For more of our posts on simple and efficient natural cleaning, please click here.
Home Sweet (Smelling) Home
Who does not love to enter into a home that smells yum? For me, it’s like heaven on earth. It gives me a cozy feeling and makes me want to snuggle under the covers…or to get kicking with the work I need to do and get my productivity spilling.
Seriously, a nice smelling home gives that extra punch that makes your home one that you really want to come back to. And your guests would thank you for it, although you might have a hard time getting them to leave! Lol
It’s much better to get the scents without releasing any nasty chemicals into your home though. And if you do it with the right formulas, the
For tips on creating a home that smells amazing, here are some articles that I’ve written to help you get on your way:
- Home ‘Sweet’ Home: The Secret to a ‘naturally’ sweet smelling home.
A (Beautiful) Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place
If you have been working on trying to get your living space organized, then you might have found that your home doesnt quite look as nice as you had hoped. And sometimes, your efforts just seem wasted shortly after because the rooms all look messy again!
Don’t worry. Perhaps you did not realize that there are certain steps which should never be left out and and I’m here to help you to discover the easy steps that make the real difference with regards to organizing your home and keeping it that way for much, much longer.
So, if you are ready to get further down the path to a forever beautifully organized home, these posts that we are preparing can help you to create your stylishly organized spaces:
- 4 Steps to a Forever Organized Home
- Less is the New More: Ongoing Decluttering for an Organized Home
For more of our open organizational secrets to get your home organized and keep it that way, kindly click here.
Conclusion
Finally, we believe that a clean, pleasant smelling, well-organized space has huge pay-offs when it comes to our moods and state of mind. Believe it or not, lots of people find that they cannot focus and are less productive when their environment is messy. And this includes our outdoor spaces and our time spent outdoors too. If you would like to read more about the link between our environment our productivity, please click here.
We love being able to assist our readers with their home-making and we hope that you get some motivation and resources to make the journey simpler and more enjoyable from our posts. It’s always nice to have someone holding our hands and cheering us on while we make small changes that would hopefully have huge impacts in our lives. Here’s to your beautiful spaces…
Isha