Feathering the Nest : GIVEAWAY

Home. Just saying that word aloud brings such peace to my heart. Home has taken on many different faces for us over the years, but my passion for creating a space we LOVE has continued to burn bright and strong. 

I am always on the search for resources and inspiration regarding homemaking, so when I found this delicious course crafted by Stephanie & Leah, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more! Here is what they had to say about adding a little love to your home!

How can creating a space we love make a difference in our everyday life? 

Our surroundings have a profound effect on our daily lives...from the new linens you picked out for your bedroom to the piles on the dining room table. Depending on what it is, it can make us feel whole and nourished or scattered and drained. We want to help you get in tune with yourself and connect areas in your life that you want to improve with the corners of your home. When we "feather" it's not just about cleaning and organizing, we are taking a look at what you are choosing to surround yourself with, what you are allowing in. Together, Leah and I enjoy helping others figure out how to honor beloved items and let go of things that don’t lift us up. Doing this can breathe new life into your space. 

Can you offer a few tips for cultivating creativity and beauty into daily life? 

Creativity and beauty are often borne out of simplicity. The more space we gift ourselves with, the more we can relax into the beauty that is already there around us. Keeping a gratitude journal can help us all to slow down and notice the little things that happened through the day and made us smile. We have learned that less is truly more when it comes to feeling creative in life. Sometimes saying “no” a little bit more often allows us to have more unstructured time to relax, play, and simply enjoy how the week or weekend wants to unfold. And when in doubt, turn to nature. We are always inspired by going to the coast and collecting shells and rocks, or taking long walks and noticing the smallest things that pop up along the path.

What is your favorite way to bring more of yourself into your living space?

We adore the way that creating an altar or vignette that you absolutely adore looking at on a dresser, bookshelf, or small table can bring a blossoming energy to your dreams and desires. An altar is a place to connect with what’s most important to you through a physical and visual reminder you walk by daily. Your own personality and instincts are the only guides you need to create a collection of objects, totems, and perhaps words, that remind you of what is most important to your soul. If you are hoping to attract something into your life, such as a partner, a soul-satisfying career opportunity, or greater prosperity, an altar can be a way to maintain your focus on these desires. You can create any kind of altar that calls to you. I like to bring natural objects into my home, like feathers, shells, driftwood, and beach stones, as a way to connect more fully with the earth. I am always reminded to slow down, take a deep breath, and feel a surge of gratitude when I pass by these sacred objects.

What's one simple tip we can implement now to create a more nourishing space?

Give your entryway some love! When you arrive home and open the door it never feels good to trip over a pile of shoes or a backpack. Instead, you could create a beautiful landing space for all that goes in and out of your home with pretty bowls for your keys or cellphone and a new tray for the mail. Perhaps a small basket on the floor can hold items like sunblock, a scarf or an umbrella.

Hang a coat hook for every person in your home so they feel welcomed. When we give any area in our home some love and attention, it gives back to us (and we show you exactly how that works in Feathering the Nest). We feel calmer, happier and ready to take on tomorrow's adventure.

How can our homes support our dreams and soul’s desires? 

When our homes are in balance, we create an environment that nourishes us from the inside out. Spaces that are arranged to enhance the flow of energy and are accented with things of beauty that we truly cherish bring us joy. This supports us in all of our other pursuits outside of the home, like work and community activities. Stephanie and I both believe that when our homes reflect our soul’s true desires, it amplifies them and you feel more relaxed, supported, and alive. And we also believe that creating that kind of sanctuary is something we can all do if we follow our intuition and our hearts.

About Feathering the Nest:
Feathering the Nest is a beautiful, two week journey created to guide you into making your home into a beautiful space that mirrors the love & dreams you hold in your soul. Your guides, Stephanie Perkinson & Leah Kent, help you connect with your deepest desires & favorite things and show you how to make your house into a nurturing soul-space. Feathering the Nest begins on March 17th.

Is your heart longing to feather your nest in a way that brings life and simplicity? I know mine is and I can't wait to apply these yummy ideas to our new home. 

Enter now to win a spot in this course and start showing YOUR home some love!

TO ENTER:

Leave me a comment below and tell me one your favorite ways to feather your nest. What have you done lately to create a space you love?! If you have a photo, include a link!

This one has a quick turnaround! Enter to win by Saturday, March 15 at noon MST. I'll announce the winner later that day! And then the course begins Monday.  

If you're ready to jump right in and start feathering your nest, go directly to their site and enter discount code “NESTINGGYPSY” at checkout for a 15% tuition discount.

Happy feathering everyone!

Life in the Waiting

This house is the biggest renovation project we've ever attempted as a family. I think of our apartment in Bozeman and all the work we did there. And of our most extensive RV remodel, The Minnie Winnie. Those were a lot of hard work, despite their tiny size. 

Even with those, we powered through them in a week or two. An entire house? Now that's a different story! We are pluggin' away day by day...there so much to process and plan and decide. 

For the past twenty years our house was a rental...the owner LOVED this place and took care of it from afar, but it was in need of major TLC and updating. I knew the moment we stepped in the door for the first time that we would be the ones to make it shine. 

Knocking down walls, closing doorways, adding gas lines, moving electric lines...it all takes time time time. I am beyond thankful that Matt is so confident and skilled at everything that we need to accomplish. 

We are getting closer and the end is in sight...but we've had some tough days lately. It's not all happy flags and sunshine around here. We're a normal family with struggles and trials...just like everyone else.  It's certainly not easy living in 600 sq ft with 5 people and 2 dogs. But on the hard days, we are growing. We re-focus our energy and emotion to settle into a heart of gratitude. 

I've been fighting against those thoughts that we all have in "the waiting". That life will begin when such and such happens. When the house is all done...I can start doing this or that. And to some extent...it's true. A host of options will open up for us after it's done. But I don't want to live in constant WAITING. And wanting. I want to live in the NOW. I know that is what Jesus wants for me as well. Life to the fullest!

I've been reading Shauna Niequiest's book, Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life...and it speaks right to my heart during this time ( bolded my favorite part):

"...believe that this way of living, this focus on the present, the daily, the tangible, this intense concentration not on the news headlines but on the flowers growing in your own garden, the children growing in your own home, this way of living has the potential to open up the heavens, to yield a glittering handful of diamonds where a second ago there was coal. This way of living and noticing and building and crafting can crack through the movie sets and soundtracks that keep us waiting for our own life stories to begin, and set us free to observe the lives we have been creating all along without ever realizing it. I don’t want to wait anymore.

I choose to believe that there is nothing more sacred or profound than this day. I choose to believe that there may be a thousand big moments embedded in this day, waiting to be discovered like tiny shards of gold. The big moments are the daily, tiny moments of courage and forgiveness and hope that we grab on to and extend to one another. That’s the drama of life, swirling all around us, and generally I don’t even see it, because I’m too busy waiting to become whatever it is I think I am about to become. The big moments are in every hour, every conversation, every meal, every meeting."

All kinds of goodness in that book. And her other books. Check them out!  

And so...I start this day with fresh perspective on life and "the waiting". I will see every moment as sacred, even in the hardest moments where life feels like it's spinning around me, because they are part of my story too. 

Are you in a time of waiting?
What truth have you discovered? 

*Affiliate links above. When you click on them to purchase, I receive a small bit of the sale at no extra cost to you. You don't even have to buy this specific book...you can buy anything on Amazon using this link. If you like reading here, it's an awesome way to help support my blog and our family. Thank you!*

Into the Dark Night : WINNER

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway for the Into the Dark Night eCourse. You all shared your hearts and your journeys so openly. 

The winner for the giveaway is the lovely Amy who shares her heart at To Love. Her blog is rich with lots of good thoughts on Jesus, unschooling, and simplicity. Be sure to click on over! Here is her comment:

Congratulations mama...I know you will love it! I do hope that those of you who didn't win will invest in this amazing gift for yourself and venture into the parts of yourself that are dark. I just received my welcome letter for the course and I am more intrigued and excited than ever about this journey! See you there...