10 TIPS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR SANCTUARY: PART 1
A Par LaChance Exclusive
No matter where your sanctuary is, there’s a universal guide that can help in optimizing the space for you, ensuring your best and fullest use! Throughout our life stages, we’ve experienced a variety of “boxes”, you know, those four walls that come together to provide shelter? From a house to an apartment, a car to an apartment, a hotel to an Airbnb, and an apartment to a house. You see, there’s no one “standard” house that everyone can look at and say: “That’s my Sanctuary!”, at least not until YOU CREATE it that way! So throughout the years, we’ve both accumulated our own tips and tricks, original tweaks to any space, making sure that WE are comfortable and in our own Sanctuary.
Without further ado, in no specific order we present our 10 most Useful Tips for Optimizing Your Sanctuary:
De-Clutter & Organization
Bottom line is that we all have an “aversion” to cleaning at some point, but let’s look at the definition of the word cleaning: which is the action of removing dirt from things. So now let’s take a look at the word organization: how something is arranged. Got it? To clean is not the same as to organize and vice versa, but they DO work together in many ways! The way we see it? Everyone has a “preference” of how things should go and look in their sanctuaries and shouldn’t let go of that “preference” but rather understand that sometimes, you need to de-clutter your space to make room for yourself and your mind! We go through so many phases of life, like the Mrs’s obsession with coffee cups from around the world that has since passed (but not before accumulating one too many coffee “cups”!!!). It’s an understanding to honor and appreciate what previously had “value” in our memories and how we can either integrate it with ease or….let it go! Either way, don’t be afraid to do either!
2. Cleaning
Okay, sorry to say this, but cleaning is a big one on the list and it’s only right that it's near organization. Trust us, it doesn’t matter how many times someone tells you that they don’t “see” how dirty something is when it's clean they’re definitely surprised by a few things: and the most important one is their STATE OF MIND! It takes repeating, we ALL have an aversion to cleaning at some point, either exhausted from work/obligations/family or just never really “bothered” with it. The way we do it? Start small! Carve 5-10 minute tasks to tackle one area and shape that into your daily routine. Suddenly you’ll find that when it comes to a full-on “cleaning” day there will be significantly less pressure on what to do!
3. Decorating
Filling your sanctuary with items that speak to you contributes to your feeling that the sanctuary is your own! See how it's a win-win situation? Find personal items, create them or collect momentos from any memories and put them in areas where you’ll appreciate them. We found that something as simple as a collection of seashells from the bluest sea we’d seen had a place right next to our house keys. Why? So that whenever we get home or leave our eyes to fall on those seashells an unseen reaction occurs: the memory peeks through and reminds us of the beauty we had seen and look forward to seeing!
4. Incorporate a Touch of Nature
One of the best ways to brighten your sanctuary is by putting in a touch of Nature! Oftentimes when we visit the farmer's market for our weekly shopping, we indulge in the luxury of a few vibrant flower bouquets which the Mr. creatively arranges and distributes throughout the house in areas that we both frequent (including always making sure I have my own special arrangement by my vanity mirror!). It’s not just floral arrangements though that bring in “Nature”, house plants serve that very purpose, last MUCH longer (with the proper care), AND OPTIMIZE the oxygen in your sanctuary. Seriously. Maybe you have a backyard or garden, plant a few bushes that flower, and harvest your own arrangements (we do that often!)!
5. Open that Window
This is often highly neglected. We are so used to cornering ourselves in buildings that circulate cold crisp air during the summer and comforting heat in the winter. It is so beneficial to your Sanctuary when you allow it to “air out”, and allow the cycle of air to change, clearing out the old dust and debris and replacing it with fresh air for your lungs! Through Summer or Winter, don’t be afraid to crack open a window or door. Fun fact: In many Nordic countries such as Denmark it is standard practice to let babies nap alone outdoors (obviously well covered) seeing as the cooler temperatures and fresh air provide a deeper slumber.