I just got a sneak peek of a new show coming to Lifetime called, Pretty Wicked Moms. If you love reality TV and what many may call a guilty pleasure, you are going to love this. I found the first episode quite fascinating. As a mom, it was very interesting to see a different perspective of motherhood. The show follows a group of moms in Atlanta, each mom with her own parenting style. There is a whole lot of competition and judgement. It got me wondering what a reality TV show following me would look like. I’m guessing a reality TV show following me wont be hitting the airwaves anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean I cannot share with your some practical tips for a stylish home.
A stylish mommy, not so much. Yoga pants and ponytails and a whole lot of baby weight to lose is what is going on here. I’ll get it all together eventually. I am pretty proud of these little cuties though.
In the meantime, the home I have created from my family is something I am pretty darn proud of.
I once wrote a post about living with kids and all their stuff. You are welcome to check that out for some quick tips. Here are my 10 tips for a stylish home on a budget with little ones running around.
1. PURGE- Seriously, purge (like we did here). Get rid of stuff. Go through the toys, the clothes, the stuff! It is really hard to keep things in order when there is an abundance of stuff everywhere. (Check out my organization project gallery)
2. Invest in bins and baskets- I have lots of bins and baskets that store kid toys, making them easily accessible, which means the kiddos can put their toys away easily.
3. Clean daily- I know, it seems so obvious. A little bit everyday goes a long way. If you load the dishwasher, wipe of the counter tops and put the toys away every night you wake up a fresh start.
4. Enlist help- You cannot maintain a home on your own. Enlist some help! I have a fabulous husband who does a whole lot around here. 10 minutes with two people working is twice the work in half the time.
5. Add pattern and color- If you want your home to be stylish, add some color and pattern. A few fun pillows, a pop of color on the back of a bookshelf, a fun patterned drape all create a fun vibe.
6. Mix it up- Don’t feel like you have to buy your whole living room set, matching end tables, coffee table and TV stand at once. And they certainly do not all have to match. Find some new pieces, some old pieces, some painted pieces, some wood tone pieces, etc.
7. Create a moment- A stylish home has places where your eye is drawn, places of interest. These moments are best achieved by playing with scale, mixing finishes, adding metallics, and including quirky touches that show off you and your family.
8. Study what you love- before I took the plunge and stenciled my curtains I studied what I loved. All these spaces I was drawn to on Pinterest and in the magazines had something in common- patterned drapes. It was just he push I needed to add pattern to my own drapes.
9. Shop your home- I am constantly pulling things from different spaces and rearranging. This is a great way to bring in style without breaking the bank.
10. Cut yourself some slack- As much as I love a clean, organized home with beautiful things, I love my family more. At the end of the day 5 people live here and 3 of them are under 5. So a coffee table with a beautifully staged vignette isn’t an option. We need that floor space for dancing and wrestling and building. And frankly, that is much better use of such space. Things aren’t always perfect around here. In fact, I have my bedroom that is covered in laundry. Laundry baskets full of clothes that need to be folded and laundry that needs to be washed. Good thing there are doors, hey? My point is, it is just stuff and it can be picked up and put away so try not to beat yourself up over it. Live in the moment, enjoy your home and enjoy your kids and when time allows, whip that house into order.
Those are just 10 things that work for this mom. The cool thing about motherhood is there are a million ways to do it. How do you add style to your home? And will any of you be tuning in to Pretty Wicked Moms?
For those of you who are itching for some mom TV drama, be sure to check out Pretty Wicked Moms on Lifetime.
FTC DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT Balancing Home aims to provide unbiased editorials. However, I wish to disclose that from time to time I may receive free products or other compensation from companies for blogger reviews.
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