Somehow, it seems like it was just yesterday that along with several billion of the world's finest specimens, we were waiting in line to purchase enough rice, beans, and toilet paper to last a lifetime. Now, here we are, it is the beginning of August, and some of us have virtually nothing to show for this forced hibernation other than a notable deterioration in our abilities to have face-to-face interactions. Taking that into consideration, I am going to dive in to a few ways to quickly make it seem like you have been the busy bee everyone thinks you are.
Since it's still summer, and I'd like to think it is 5 o'clock while you are reading this, you should make yourself one of my favorite summer drinks, sit back, and enjoy just a few more minutes of sedentary bliss, because I've got a few nifty tricks up my sleeves to make your updates as painless as possible.
Recipe from bon appetit
Makes 1
Ingredients
2oz. Campari
3oz. dry sparkling rose
Splash of lemon soda
1 lemon wheel
Preparation
Pour Campari and rose into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top off with soda, stir gently to combine, and add lemon wheel.
Now that we all have a drink in hand, we can get into the part of this post that you really need.
Speaking for myself, and I'm sure a significant portion of the quarantined people out there, it has been hard to motivate to get anything done around the house to give it a refresh. The excuses are running through my head:
Well, my kitchen needed an update like two years ago, it can wait a bit longer.
Why today when I am still probably going to be quarantined in a few months?
I already did one productive thing today, do I have to do two?
Marie Kondo would be so disappointed. I can see her smiling at me now, asking with an unnoticeable bit of passive aggression clearly intended to inflict pain, "Does it bring you joy to neglect your home?" The answer is no, it does not. But what does bring me joy is friendships, family, and being outdoors, none of which are dependent on whether my home got the summer refresh it so desperately needed. However, it's August, the school year is going to start and before you know it, your in-laws will be here for the holidays and you will regret not taking advantage of some free time now.
Let's start with something easy.
Replacing your old cabinet hardware throughout the house is relatively simple and not nearly as expensive as other home renovation projects. Swapping out those dated or generic cabinet handles or knobs can make your home look completely different in an instant. Check out Sun Valley Bronze's cabinet hardware. Their solid bronze is incredibly durable and will virtually never go out of style. Also, because their hardware contains 94.89% copper in the silicon bronze and 61.36% copper in the white bronze, the brass alloy contains 60.25% copper. This means that those beautiful pieces are hardware you are now considering installing are also naturally anti-microbial and have self-decontaminating properties. So, not only will you have reinvigorated your home, you have also upgraded your peace of mind knowing that your new finishes can prevent frequently touched surfaces from being the source of spreading pathogenic microbes.
Sit back, take another sip of that spritz, and imagine your toddler who just so happens to be at the age where he/she must put anything and everything in their mouth. Tell me - that new hardware sounds pretty great now doesn't it?
Next up - your front door.
This is the first thing that your mother in-law will notice about your house. That old faded front door that was cute and kitschy when you first bought your home is tired. I know it was wonderful before, but let's be honest, it needs a fresh coat. If you still love that baby pink that came with your abode, great, to each his/her own. Sand it, prime it, and paint it the same color of baby vomit it was before. However, this is a great opportunity to try something new. Why not go with a forest green? Or the 2020 Pantone Color of the year? Whatever you choose, your neighbors (or mother in-law) will thank you.
Okay, either you have a few sips of that drink left, or you just finished. Either way, go grab yourself one more. Take a couple deep breaths and get yourself ready for my last suggestion.
I'll wait...
Let's take a look at those window treatments you have. Maybe you don't have anything up at the moment. Maybe you have some of those cheap blinds that you bought a Home Depot when you were young and thought to yourself, "These aren't that bad right?" Wrong.
It is worth the time and effort to find yourself some classy window treatments that will last you a while. Windows have a habit of getting overlooked. But I can attest, your windows long to have a snazzy covering, whether that be new blinds or curtains. Not to mention it is a whole added layer of decorating that you might have never known you had before. You could consider going with something trendy and printed. Or maybe you would rather have the hands off approach and select something that will be appealing for years to come. Regardless, the investment for something new to cover your windows is well worth it.
Picture it: your kid gets dropped off after soccer practice by one of the other moms. You invite her in for a brief happy hour. She exclaims, "Wow, I love what you've done with the place." You cheers and laugh to yourself remembering how you did it all in one afternoon. Pure bliss.
