Life has been hard lately.
Maybe different is the right word?
As the nation moves into July it is hitting you that your time home with your boys is nearing its end. You are used to the summer break but this was just an extra gift of time which was not always easy but you have been able to play outside more, snuggle your youngest one during every nap, play more games with oldest son, have great discussions about what is going on in the world today, and to just be. You are not sure what the future has in store but you am overwhelmed today by this gift of time with your family.
In the next few weeks, however, the opposite might be true. With the schools in the area doing everything within their power to get children back in class a schedule change is just a calendar page flip away. As such, you are already making plans for what you will be working on when the boys head back to class. From selecting some new cabinet door locks for some storage spaces in the basement to transitioning your old cupboards to ones with concealed hinges, you have a long list of plans. You do not, however, have a long list of funds to cover all of these changes. You are hopeful that by investing some of your own time and energy to many of these projects, the budget you do have will stretch itself a little longer.
What Are Your Plans If the Kids Head Back to School?
From repurposing furniture to installing cabinet door locks to transitioning to selecting furniture paint, if you are looking for a way to keep yourself distracted from the stresses of today’s news and the condition of the country’s health, then there is a long list of projects that are available.
If you are a home owner then it will likely come as no surprise to you that some of the most popular remodeling work done in a home takes place in the kitchen and the bathroom. In fact, the latest research indicates that home owners remodel more than 10.2 million kitchens and 14.2 million bathrooms every year. With some of the smallest areas in a home, of course, a bathroom remodel is often a tempting project. And while a complete remodel is not cheap, the work that can be done in the bathroom over a single weekend can produce significant results. Kitchens, on the other hand, are bigger projects and typically involve more time and more money. As one of the most used areas in a home, however, at least one study from 2018 indicated that 14% of home owners planned to make improvements to their kitchens.
From door mounted spice racks to cabinet door locks, there are any number of different kinds of upgrades that people can make. From the first time you select a paint color to the final decisions that you make about cabinet hardware and the installation of cabinet door locks, there are plenty of ways that you can make sure your kitchen reflects your personality and suits your needs.
The beginning of this school year may look a little different from others, but as families prepare to deal with shifting decisions about in person learning, remote teaching, and hybrid learning options, it is important to note that being stresses around the clock about these decisions is not the answer. Instead, those who are finding the healthiest ways to deal with the difficulties of the pandemic the last five months are spending at least some time on projects that they can control. A small update in the downstairs powder bath, for example, is one way to make sure that you are being productive while also adding to the value of your home. Bigger projects like an entire kitchen remodel may provide distractions for several weeks at a time. Whatever this next six months may bring, finding a way to stay mentally rested is key. This may mean that when the kids embark on a school year that will look like none in the past, you need a plan.
