Truly a man’s home and for that matter, a woman’s home is her castle and every woman should live like a queen. While living such enormously busy lives it seems like there is never enough time in one day to get it all done. Nevertheless leave enough time to luxuriate in our dwellings. Where does the time go? Will you ever get it back? How can you get back to holding “court” in your own home? Better yet, what does it mean to be a queen? Many women might say, “Well I live in a very tiny apartment or studio“or “my place just isn’t big enough to do what I want to do.” We will address these points later.
As the son of Jamaican immigrants, I grew up in a modest household with a mother and three sisters who ran a clean, beautiful, well-organized home. Out of all of my numerous chores I had as the only boy, nothing compared to the task of washing dishes. Washing dishes meant learning how to wash them until they were “squeaky clean.” My older sister rinsed while I washed and would literally run her fingers across a plate to make sure it made that familiar squeaky sound. If it didn’t pass inspection it was rapidly returned to the sink! My point is, there had to be a standard and my mother, the queen of the household, set that standard. She passed it along to my siblings and me and frankly I’m grateful to her for having done so.
In our home there was a delicate and harmonious balance between organization, design, class, and quality. Every few months my mom would take stock of our home. Quite often she would spend an entire Saturday rearranging furniture, installing purchased or hand made (Yes, physically sew) curtains, while making subtle touches to the house. I learned that clutter and chaos made for a very confusing atmosphere that was in direct opposition to peace and harmony. A larger home doesn’t make all the difference; it just makes for a larger, messier, and more chaotic living atmosphere.
An incredibly valuable lesson I learned from my mother was that if one does not learn to take care of the small things, then he/she will never be able to take care of the larger things in life when blessed with them. In fact in a smaller place you can design to your hearts desire, keep it organized, and most importantly keep it clean. We are trained to live with excess and often live in squalor from things we think we really need. That’s no way to live free.
Start by thinking of your home, no matter what the size, as your castle. Become the “queen of your court.” Begin by being thankful for the space that you already have. Rid yourself of all the clutter. Sell, give-away, or donate items that keep you bogged down and trapped inside your own home. Find colors that make you happy and surround yourself with a pallet that lifts your spirit. Be simple in your choices. Less is always more. Keep your patterns simple, small, and or linear to add dimension to a small space. Lighting is essential in any home so switch those energy-burning bulbs to smart bulbs and free up a few dollars per year in your electrical bills. Start organizing yourself by purchasing inexpensive storage bins at any hardware store. Live with just the bare essentials. If you spend just 30 minutes per day taking on just one chore at a time, you would be amazed how clean, organized and beautiful your home would be in no time at all.
Make it your mission to reclaim your throne and live like the Queen that you know you are!