Fun and Laughter 

Most people love their families (well at least a few members anyway!) but we can get so caught up in the daily tasks of home management, stress of work, getting homework and everything else done that we forget to have some fun and laugh along the way. 

How to Get Started 

To begin creating more warmth in your home, think about the following questions:

•  How (and how often) do you show appreciation and gratitude in your family?
• When a family member comes home for the day, how is (s)he greeted?  Is it with happiness and energy or barely a grunt in that direction?
• How often do you give hugs and kisses or touch each other in your family?  When you kiss your partner, is it the pecking kind of kiss or the ‘let’s put the kids to bed early tonight’ kind?
• When was the last time you shared a really great side splitting laugh together?  Or even a few chuckles?

 Laughter is probably the most underrated medicine for relationships and improving the happiness scale in your home.  It takes away stress and bonds you tightly together (ala the “inside joke”).  Affection and appreciation also convey to your family how much you love and value them. 

 I challenge you this week to look at these areas and see if sharing a laugh, putting an arm around a family member, or expressing your appreciation doesn’t make things feel just a bit lighter and easier. 

Do you have a favorite memory or story of how laughter helped bring you closer to a friend or family member?  Share it with us!

 Have a fun week!

A woman’s home is a reflection of her life 

When I first heard this many years ago, I didn’t believe it.  I didn’t see any reflection of myself in my home.  All I saw were the kid’s toys, laundry piles, and my husband’s things scattered around the house.  Then it dawned on me, just as I was invisible in my home, I had become invisible in my own life.  I had put everyone’s needs above my own.   That was a wake up call for me. 

Today, you can see my imprint all around my home.  Right now on my coffee table, amid the baseball gloves and harmonicas, you can find my latest read, magazines I love, a great scented candle, and some work papers.  You can look at the household décor, the walls and shelves of my home and find things that bring me joy—pictures and keepsakes that remind me of great vacations and all the people that I love.  I’m even in a few of those pictures myself! 

How to create an authentic home that supports everyone to be the best they can be

The first step is to evaluate where you are and then cast your vision.  Your assignment for this week is to answer the following questions:

Describe the home that you have currently co-created with your family? Think in terms of the following areas:

• Physical Aspects (décor, organization)
• Emotional Aspects (what emotions do you feel in your home–happy, sad, relaxed, stressed)
• Relational Aspects (how do people treat each other in your home)
• Other Aspects

 What is your ideal vision for you home?  Think in terms of  the following areas:

• Physical Aspects (décor, organization)
• Emotional Aspects (how would you like your home “feel” to you)
• Relational Aspects (how do would you like people treat each other in your home)
• Other Aspects

 Next time, I’ll share some easy practical steps to begin creating  an atmosphere of support in your home. 

Happy Creating!