Warm the Home

At my last women's group meeting, one of the ladies mentioned that a goal of hers was to "warm the home" on a daily basis when she got home from work.  As she elaborated it became clear that she didn't mean just turning on the heater on chilly days, but to create an overall warm and inviting atmosphere for herself and her husband. 

I immediately decided that this was something I wanted to do when Aaron gets home from work.  Since I'm at home most of the time and Aaron doesn't come home until fairly late, it's easy to get into a routine where the TV is my companion in the evenings.  But what husband likes to come home to his wife absorbed in reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond?  (Answer: Not even Raymond.)  So I've been thinking of ways I can warm the home for my hubby and make his coming home a pleasure.  Here are some of the things I've come up with:

Tidy up the living room and light some candles

Make a couple of simple appetizers for "at-home happy hour"

Have a beer or cocktail ready for him when he walks in

Start dinner (Aaron loves to smell dinner cooking when he walks in the door)

Bake something - there's nothing like the smell of fresh banana bread!

Turn off the TV and turn on some music

As I thought about the things I could do to make coming home a pleasure for my hubby, I realized that as a temporary stay-at-home wife, I wasn't feeling particularly excited to be home all day myself. So why not "warm the home" during the day for myself as well?

Daily warming the home tips:

Keep the spaces I use most often tidy at all times. It gets real depressing staring at a messy desk or end table every day.

Make myself a cup of tea or coffee when I get up

Turn on some music

Place bouquets of flowers throughout the house

Work on home-beautifying projects that I enjoy (not necessarily just the things that need to get done)

Set the table / arrange a simple centerpiece display for the dining table

It can be fun playing the 1950's housewife if you have the time!  I realize, however, that most people don't have the luxury of not working, and creating a warm atmosphere when you get home from a long day at work isn't always a top priority.  I know when I was working at my old stressful job, most of the time I'd come home, hunker down on the couch and not want to move for the rest of the night.  I'd be so exhausted that it wouldn't occur to me to do even the most basic things - sometimes even something as simple as turning on the light until it was nearly completely dark!  Even if you're that worn out at the end of a long day, try a couple of these simple warming the home tips and I bet it will improve your mood and make coming home more enjoyable:

If it's dark, turn on the lights! (It had to be said.)

Turn on the heat if it's cold; if it's warm, open the windows and enjoy some fresh air

Light a few candles

Light incense or a scented candle

Turn on some music

Make a cocktail or pour a glass of wine

Your home is your sanctuary!  Use it to its best advantage to help you and your partner/roommate/pet relax and recharge your batteries every day.

P.S. For the ladies - check out my latest post at L&T about shopping in your own closet :)