#SamsungAppliances asks, "Where is the Heart of your Home?"
Samsung Home Appliances asked Twittermoms to share "Where is the heart of your home?"
In recent months we have simplified our living space by moving from a 1,500 sq. ft. 3 bedroom house to a 864 sq. ft. 2 bedroom house.
This change has given us more freedom both financially
and materially. We have less “stuff” to maintain and as a result, more time to spend doing the things we love.
The downstairs area is divided into two rooms: the kitchen/eating area, and a living room.
I’m proud to say that in our new home, we watch less TV than we did before.
Instead of “the space in front of the TV”, I can happily report that the kitchen really is the heart of our home.
We eat all of our meals at the small rectangular dinner table. Nick and I are in the process of training the boys to remain in their seats until everyone present is finished eating.
Jojo and Deeds also love to see what Mama is doing when she is busy cooking. One or both of them will pull up a stool in order to gain sight of the counter.
Jojo’s school has early dismissal on Tuesdays, so I have made Tuesdays my baking day. I try to select recipes for tasty but relatively healthy sweets that Jojo can assist me in preparing. He loves to crack the eggs for me, or pour in pre-measured dry ingredients and stir until he gets bored.
In the kitchen I am also inspired to do things that I have never done before. Last week I made hand made pasta (rolled by hand, as I don’t have one of those pasta machine thingies!), and I have also worked on home made pizza!
I’m proud of the boys’ bedroom, but they won’t play up there alone. So it mostly sees action at night before bed when Nick or I supervise. They build elaborate train track labyrinths or play in the canopy.
Jojo’s current favorite imaginary scenario is that we are all passengers on the Polar Express. Even though he calls it the Homer Express.
I guess for my family, the way to the heart is through the stomach!
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18 September 2009, 5:13 am
This is also a contest I will be joining- a new washer/dryer- wow! Downsizing can be so good for a family! Ridding yourself of extra stuff leaves more room for good old fashioned family fun.
18 September 2009, 5:24 am
Wow, you rolled pasta by hand? Good for you! I have trouble coming up with what the ‘heart’ of our home is since cooking isn’t exactly my forte. Sigh…
Good luck in the contest!!
18 September 2009, 7:13 am
Sounds like you are doing a great job of bringing your family together during these tough times. I can’t wait until my little guy can help me in the kitchen.
Good luck in the contest!
18 September 2009, 7:22 am
There is something about food that brings people together. We’re not big tv watchers (could be due to our free tv status, no cable or satellite here), but we do have fun at dinner time.
I would love to try making homemade pasta - I’m too cheap to buy a pasta maker - but I do love making homemade pizza.
18 September 2009, 5:27 pm
It is very heartwarming to read about your family! My daughters are in college, and while life is good, I miss the days when they were small and helping make meals and treats. For my family, too, the way to the heart is through the stomach! Good luck!
18 September 2009, 11:14 pm
Downsize….yes! I recently did that and it was a great excuse to eliminate “stuff” and not replace it but I popped over to the Samsung website and saw something I want! Oh no…I’ll have to upsize again. Oh well. I enjoy your blog, keep writing.
19 September 2009, 2:34 am
Downsize….yes! I recently did that and it was a great excuse to eliminate “stuff” and not replace it but I popped over to the Samsung website and saw something I want! Oh no…I’ll have to upsize again. Oh well. I enjoy your blog, keep writing.
Sorry… forgot to say great post - can’t wait to read your next one!
19 September 2009, 6:14 am
I’m constantly trying to downsize, in fact just this morning and last night, I was packing away things we don’t use anymore and sending them to Goodwill. Mostly kids stuff, since our neighbor decided to give us a gigantic kids’ work bench so I had to clear out some other stuff. When something comes in, something always goes out.
I hope you win! Though I know how we both feel about comment-driven contests.
19 September 2009, 8:56 am
I’m ready to downsize too. And eat!
19 September 2009, 9:19 am
I think it is good to examine what you want in life and not get distracted by the drive to accumulate.
19 September 2009, 9:42 am
I think the heart of everyone’s home should be the kitchen. We’ve already made that a priority, and Charlie seems to love it. She chimes in the conversation and it’s just a good way to sloooow down. Plus, studies have shown that children that sit down to dinner with their family at least 5 nights a week are less likely to turn to drugs later in life. I think that is amazing! It makes so much sense too.
19 September 2009, 10:45 am
Great Post!!! We need to get rid of our stuff too… problem is keeping it gone! Grands are on strict orders “no more toys”… but its like telling them “do not breathe”!
19 September 2009, 1:08 pm
Great post, Candice! It’s such a challenge to declutter, but so satisfying to gain some space to think and breathe.
19 September 2009, 2:51 pm
Hey Fantastic, you did three things at the same time; Saved Money, protected the environment and established a terrific family tradition. Bravo!
19 September 2009, 4:41 pm
How do you get your boys to eat everything you give them? That’s great! Good luck in the contest.
20 September 2009, 3:47 pm
We are SO ready to downsize. With just the two of us left (and of course Nano), we are looking for a smaller place and are already getting rid of “stuff”. Of course, the heart of our house is our kitchen/family room. We spend so much time there, I don’t even know WHY we have a formal dining room.
20 September 2009, 5:07 pm
I really liked your post! Best of luck winning the washer and dryer
21 September 2009, 7:42 am
Good luck! The boys are darling!
21 September 2009, 8:24 pm
We all wish we could downsize and simplfy. Congrats on actually doing it! All of your family will benefit from more together time
22 September 2009, 5:19 am
I love having a home with you!
22 September 2009, 7:20 am
I hope you win! If I don’t, that is… ha!
26 September 2009, 4:24 pm
Downsizing and purging can be so cleansing! And I need to have a weekly baking day! My kids would love that.
27 September 2009, 10:01 pm
Isn’t it amazing the amount of “stuff” you find that you really don’t need when you downsize? We recently moved cross country, and I think we got rid of 1/2 of our belongings and have barely missed a thing.