On Saturday, I attended a class with Whitney Leigh Morris of The Tiny Canal Cottage on Creating Calm in a Small Space. At the start of the class, she pointed out that despite the chaos of having a full house, the space itself is calm and relaxing and that makes all the difference. As you may know, my family of 3 lives in an 850sq. ft., 1 bedroom apartment - definitely not tiny but it's a smaller space. I've worked primarily from home for years and really enjoy quiet "me" time, so like everyone else having a full home 24/7 came with adjustments (to put it nicely). At the same time, I'm embracing the good that comes with having a smaller space.
THE GOOD:
There are fewer spaces to clean and tidy when you constantly need to clean up - hello dishes and toys every time you turn around!
No clutter - we've maintained a clutter free and calm space with systems in place so that has helped a ton with managing the changes.
It's easier to move things around and redecorate - anyone else constantly rearranging or redecorating at this time? We moved our patio furniture to the living room, back to the patio and then to the bedroom as an additional workspace which gives us variety from week to week.
Since we don't have a ton of space, we manage our purchases pretty well which has kept us on budget. We did make one big purchase (see below).
ADJUSTMENTS:
There's no quiet space unless I demand it and hope for the best. I'm pretty sure no matter what size home, it's hard to find a quiet or private space with kids. My best bet is to rise early - that's so not me but I'm trying.
While we have a patio there isn't much outdoor space for our daughter to run around. We have our daily walks and paths with shared grass areas but it's pretty limited. We caved and got her a pikler triangle/slide - not quite the same but it helps and it doubles as a fort when covered with blankets.
Storage for extra food and supplies. We try to limit shopping orders/trips so we have to get creative to stock up more than normal without feeling like everything is bursting at the seams or creating a sense of clutter.
So there you have it - the good and some of the adjustments we've experienced with our space at this time. I can say we've created a pretty good flow and of course are grateful to be at home together.
If you want to chat about creating a calm space or have tips of your own on getting into flow while staying at home message me here.
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