About six months ago, my husband and I made the huge decision to put our house up for sale and majorly downsize. We went from an 1800-square foot, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home of 25 years to a 1000-square foot, 1-bedroom, 2-bathroom home.
We also got rid of a lot of stuff. A LOT OF STUFF.
I'm embarrassed to admit that we filled an entire dumpster with junk. We made countless trips to Goodwill. We even set stuff on the curb with a "free" sign.
It was an amazing feeling. It was so freeing. We never want to accumulate that much stuff again.
Not only did we downsize, but we moved to a new town. We essentially packed up our stuff (what was left of it) and started over. We looked at it as an adventure and a fresh start.
It was scary, but we have no regrets. Our little house is old and needs some updating, but we immediately felt at home. Surprisingly, we have room for all of the essentials and then some. We have a basement for storage, with plenty of room for my at-home gym and workout space. We have a large, gorgeous, fenced-in backyard filled with plants and flowers. There is a large, covered patio space. Our dogs are in heaven, chasing the squirrels and smelling all of the smells. We call it our backyard paradise. There are lights hanging around the patio area, so at night our little house is lit up in the back. It's truly magical.
I work from home and my desk sits at a window that faces the backyard. While it can sometimes be a distraction, it is quite relaxing to look outside at the flowers, the birds, and squirrels.
Maintaining a smaller house is less work. We no longer have a bunch of clutter. Housework takes a lot less time. You learn that you can get by with a lot less stuff. I feel a lot more organized and I don't get overwhelmed when I look around our home. Everything is neat and tidy and has a place. It might sound silly, but this has been a game changer for me with my stress and anxiety levels. I may not have control over the craziness that's going on in the outside world, but I can make our home feel like a relaxing, peaceful retreat.
I feel a bit sad that winter has arrived. We had to put all of the outdoor decor away, along with the patio furniture. All of the flowers and plants are done blooming and have turned brown. We are supposed to get some snow tomorrow, but as much as I hate winter, I am excited to see what our backyard looks like with a fresh blanket of snow.
A new season in a new home. Stay tuned! In the meantime, I'll share a few photos of some of the views we got to enjoy over the summer and fall.
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