What Do We Really Need Our Homes To Do?

DOES LIVING WITH LESS HELP DEFINE OUR WANTS AND NEEDS?

Have you ever googled the definition of the two words Need and Want?  Probably not because we all think we know the difference.  Go ahead and do a search and you will see that Webster, Wikipedia and many other online sources seem to be blurring this line indeed!

Little black “domicile”!  is a baby in the blog world.  When you are new to this world there are so many new things to do, analytics to watch and many people to listen to.  On the best days it is amazing, on good days it is mind-boggling and on some days it is darn right overwhelming.

The content of the blog is the rock, the foundation, and the reason all of you decide to spend a few of your precious minutes with us.   Choosing topics that we can all relate to is our goal.  Our IT team( who I personally think are 12 year olds in their bedrooms running the digital world!) keeps pounding it into my head…write about what we know, what is important to us and keep it real.  Oh yeah and fresh!   No pressure at all in the design industry….especially to the 12 year olds who only look at our rankings.  There are so many online sources of beautiful, wonderful homes and the eye candy is never ending.  Fresh is hard….real I can do!

So on this Motivational Monday, I’m going to talk about this past glorious weekend and how our home helped us define our Wants and Needs. 

WHAT WE NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WEEKEND

• Laundry
• Grocery Shopping
• Clean The Patio and Entry
• Paint The Front Door
• Continue The Endless Task of Dog Hair Containment

I’m sure this is a small list compared to some but it really was the essentials this weekend.  Nothing less, nothing more so we could get to the Wants side of things. Cleaning the patio and entry has been on the Want List for some time, but is one of those things that I can easily “put off” and did.  It’s hotter than “a two dollar pistol”, and all those “goat’s anatomies in a pepper patch” here in Florida.  However, thanks to a cute, but apparently healthy frog who considers me casa su potty….the task moved up to the Need List.  The window washer guy, whom I adore, nicks the door paint with his equipment and he is more important in how our life functions in this climate than fussing about a little paint every so often.  Besides, that is Mr. LBD’s job and if I sneak it onto the Need List it gets done.  I think he did it out of guilt, when he saw me cleaning up, in the heat, after Freddy.

Have You Seen Our Post About Bed Linen’s?

Here

When weekend projects are on the To Do List, I don’t mind doing the laundry on the same day.  Laundry is a wonderful time clock.  Loads in and out of the washer/dryer manage the time limits we use to get the other projects done.  In Florida with the heat, coming in to switch loads and hang up/fold clothes in the AC is a reward.  See, little mind tricks keep me motivated!  You may recall the post we did on how our tiny laundry area functions to the max.   Here   If you love a dog who sheds, you know why this item never leaves the list.  Luckily we both accept this is part of our daily Need To List.

Because we do live in a relatively smaller home than some, and this home is much smaller than our others, we are able to fine tune our systems and really zip thru daily, weekly and maintenance tasks quickly.  We tag team the work and try to accomplish the Need List on one of the days of the weekend freeing up the other.  We are also pretty good about not making any Need List too long.  What a bummer!

WHAT WE  I WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WEEKEND

• Have Dinner With Friends
• Plan Meals For The Week Eating At Home
• Have A Date Night With Hubby
• Keep Working On Scanning Our Paper Photos
• Watch A Movie Together
• Read
• Finalize Blog Posts For The Week
• Iron Linen Shorts/Pants (those of you who know me know this is not on my side of the want list but I admit Mr. LBD always looks good!)

Often we work the task of grocery shopping into a date night.  Sometimes its nice to be able to take off without the constraints of a dinner reservation or having to be dressed up.  Last night we ate at a favorite Greek place before the dinner rush then headed to Trader Joe’s.  We can get most of what we need (food) and want (wine) there.  Love the fact that most of the food is without preservatives and the wine is, well, cheap.  Of course, we try to shop when our larder is bare and not over buy.  Remember this post about organized refrigerators?  Here

We were home early enough to both read a bit before watching a movie.  And I mean watching a movie….not working on the mac or browsing on the iPad.  Even with the other projects, I scanned two photo groups early so Saturday really was both a productive and restful day!

photomyne.com

We met a group of friends for a wine dinner out on Friday and had burgers with other friends we enjoy on Sunday.  Our menu board is full after the Trader Joe stop and a quick planning session.  If you are reading this post and the two more that are coming this week, then you know we got her done!   And don’t worry, Mr. LBD got his ironing done even after my nagging about the spray sizing.

Completing A To Do List Is Liberating!

I admit, I am also one who sometimes blurs the line between Want and Need.  My ultimate want is to have our home function it’s best to take care of us and to know we appreciate and need her everyday.  (Yes, our home is a girl and you probably could have figured that one out on your own!)

Have A Wonderful Week Enjoying Your Home!

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