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I posted a list of my main 2020 goals a few weeks ago, and we've already been making progress on those. I've started running again for the first time in years (it feels both amazingly good and absolutely miserable). We've talked to a lender and some realtors about our goals for an investment property. And we've decided on a destination for a family trip (Maui!!!). But what was missing from that list of goals was anything house-related. That's because this year, we just aren't focusing on house projects. We have a list of practical to-dos, like painting the laundry room, getting the garage door fixed, and replacing our closet door...but those won't make for very exciting blog posts. The last big remodeling project we have (our master bathroom) isn't a priority for us this year, financially. And I have personally felt like it's not a good use of my time and money to constantly be changing decor for different seasons or trends. That means I'm kind of struggling with what to write about on here! Since I've mostly focused on home improvement and interior design, I'm not sure if you guys are even interested in the other stuff going on in my life. Do you want to hear about planning our trip to Maui? Are you interested in our search for a rental property? Should I talk about parenting (because let's be honest, that's mainly what my life is about right now)? I'm not sure.
And then I wonder if I should continue working on our house for the sake of content and keeping this blog going. But that seems silly, since overall I actually feel pretty content with it right now. Are there still things I would change? Yes, of course! Off the top of my head, if money were unlimited...I'd remodel our master bathroom and laundry room, I'd lay a new deck and add a hot tub in the backyard, and I'd get some new furniture while I'm at it. But none of that is necessary, none of it will drastically improve our lives, and all that money and time could instead go towards an awesome trip or a rental house (both things I'd rather have). I could write about interior design trends and put together round-ups of things to shop for. But if I'm not shopping for new trendy things in my house, it feels disingenuous to encourage you guys to do that. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm in a place where I feel my house is "good enough."
It's like so many things in life. There's not a big difference in terms of joy between the BEST and GOOD. But there is a big difference in cost. You could spend a lot of money on the best bottle of wine in the store, or you could just enjoy a good bottle (are your taste buds really that refined anyways?). You could spend thousands of dollars on designer clothes...or you could spend one tenth of that on clothes from Target that still fit well and make you feel cute. You could blow a ton of money on a brand-new dream car, or you could get a used Toyota that still gets you from A to Z. You see where I'm going with this. Sometimes, it does make sense to spend the extra money on something better. But once you reach a certain point where something is good enough, I feel like it's rarely worth it to keep chasing "the best." There will always be something newer and cooler anyways. So "settling" for good enough isn't really settling. It's enjoying what you already have, being content, and realizing that good IS enough.
I'm kind of disillusioned with seeing these massive remodels, especially when the "before" was actually pretty nice. I mean, I get it (I still want to remodel our master bathroom and there's technically nothing wrong with it). But the bloggers I'm feeling inspired by lately are the ones who can work on a tight budget to create basically what they want, instead of the ones who splurge everywhere to get exactly what they want. You know what I mean?
The other day, Ben and I were reminiscing about our first year of marriage (we're coming up on 10 years!) and I realized that I was sooo happy, even in a crappy apartment with a folding table in the dining room. It's not stuff or money that makes us happy, it's people and how we spend our time. It's worth clarifying--I'm still very happy now, but I wasn't any less happy when we had less stuff.
So anyways, a long rambly post to say that we don't have very many house projects planned for 2020. We did re-open our house on Airbnb (call me crazy) and the first guests are coming in March, so that's what we're currently working on. We took a long break, with my last trimester of pregnancy and having a newborn baby, so there's quite a bit to get ready all over again. And I have to admit, I'm a little nervous to see how it goes with THREE kids this time. You interested in a post about that??
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I read a 100 or more blogs a week on a wide variety of subjects. The most interesting ones are those which grow and change with their authors. I would suggest a peep into your parenting life, keep us informed of your property search—I wholeheartedly hope yours is not like my last one where I looked at 78 before we found one we could agree on— certainly share your planning journey for Maui but don’t just work on the house for the sake of content. I believe many will stay with because you are you. Good luck
Thank you Mary! Those are all great points, and exactly what I am feeling too. Doesn't make sense to manufacture content just for the sake of it. 78 properties, wow!! That's definitely a long search. I hope you found something in the end that made it all worthwhile. :) Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment.