Category: Painting

How to Refresh Your Home for Comfort and Lasting Peace of Mind

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Photo by Katrin Bolovtsova

Guest post by Julie Morris

For general homeowners balancing work, family, and the everyday upkeep of a lived-in space, home comfort challenges can turn into a quiet background hum of stress. Clutter that never fully disappears, stale air that lingers, and those small annoyances that keep piling up can make a home feel less like a refuge and more like another thing to manage. The tension is real: most people want a healthy living environment, but home wellness improvement can feel vague, expensive, or endless. With the right focus, stress reduction at home becomes a practical way to regain calm and control.

Quick Summary: Refresh Your Home with Ease

Photo by Lisa Anna

  • Improve indoor air quality by cleaning filters, boosting ventilation, and reducing dust and odors.
  • Simplify your space by decluttering high-impact areas and keeping only what supports daily comfort.
  • Support wellbeing with wellness-focused upgrades that make your home calmer, brighter, and more restorative.
  • Start small with DIY repairs and home improvement projects that refresh key rooms without overwhelming your schedule.
  • Call professional home services when specialized work will protect your comfort, safety, and long-term peace of mind.

Tune Up Your HVAC to Breathe Easier and Sleep Better

Upgrading or servicing your HVAC can noticeably improve indoor air quality by supporting cleaner, steadier airflow and ventilation, so your home feels less stuffy and more consistently comfortable. When the system runs efficiently and reliably, it also brings a quieter kind of peace of mind: fewer surprises, better temperature control, and a living space that simply feels easier to relax in. If a worn component is holding performance back and you need to order replacement pieces, choose reputable suppliers so you can trust the quality, durability, and compatibility of the HVAC parts you’re installing.

Make Your Space Feel New Again: DIY Wins and Pro Calls

A home refresh doesn’t have to be a full renovation to feel life-giving. Start with the changes that make your air, surfaces, and daily routines easier, then bring in professionals when safety or systems are involved.

Photo by Annushka Ahuja

  1. Do a “top-down, dry-to-wet” deep clean: Start high (ceiling fans, vents,
  2. light fixtures), then work down to walls, baseboards, and floors so you’re not re-dusting clean surfaces. Vacuum with a HEPA filter if you have one, especially around return-air grilles and under beds where dust builds up and can get pulled back into your HVAC airflow. Finish with a damp microfiber wipe on hard surfaces, less chemical residue, more actual removal.
  3. Get humidity into a comfort zone and keep it there: Aim for about 30–50% indoor humidity most of the year; too high can feed musty smells and dust mites, too low can irritate skin and sinuses. Use a basic hygrometer in the rooms you sleep in, then respond: run bath fans for 20–30 minutes after showers, vent the dryer outside, and fix leaks fast. If multiple rooms stay high, a whole-home solution tied into your HVAC may be worth considering, especially if you’ve already been optimizing airflow and filtration.
  4. Swap in healthier, lower-emission materials where you touch and breathe: Choose low/zero-VOC paint, and let it cure with steady ventilation, open windows when outdoor air is decent, and run your HVAC fan to circulate through a clean filter. Replace old shower curtains, crumbly weatherstripping, and worn rugs that hold odors; go for washable textiles and hard-surface options where you can. These are small DIY home refresh projects, but they often create a surprisingly “new house” feeling.
  5. Seal the easy air leaks before you buy more heating or cooling: Add door sweeps, refresh window caulk where you can see daylight, and use foam gaskets behind outlet/switch plates on exterior walls. You’ll feel fewer drafts, your HVAC won’t have to work as hard, and your filters can focus on cleaning indoor air instead of fighting constant infiltration. This is one of the simplest energy-efficient upgrades with a fast comfort payoff.
  6. Upgrade lighting and controls for calmer, cheaper days: Switch to LED bulbs in high-use areas, then add dimmers or smart switches where it helps your routines (morning brightness, evening wind-down). If you want a bigger jump, a programmable thermostat schedule can support the HVAC improvements you’ve already made, less temperature swing, fewer late-night wakeups, and more consistent comfort.
  7. Know when to call a pro, and how to hire safely: Bring in professional home contractors for anything involving electrical panels, gas lines, major moisture/mold, structural changes, or HVAC refrigerant. For hiring, treat payment pressure as a red flag, use the guidance to avoid contractors who want to be paid in cash, demand full payment upfront, or ask for money before meaningful milestones are complete. Ask for proof of insurance, a detailed scope, and a clear change-order process so surprises don’t hijack your peace of mind.

Home Refresh Checklist You Can Finish This Week

To keep it simple: This checklist turns good intentions into a calm, trackable plan so you can feel results quickly. Small wins build momentum, and progress you can see helps you stick with the routine when life gets busy.

✔ List your top two comfort annoyances and pick one room to start

✔ Clean high-to-low surfaces and vacuum edges with a HEPA-filter vacuum

✔ Set a hygrometer target at 30–50% and check it daily

✔ Swap one high-touch item for a low-odor, washable option

✔ Seal one draft source using a door sweep or outlet gasket

✔ Set lighting to warm evenings and brighter mornings with timers

✔ Schedule one pro visit for anything electrical, gas, or persistent moisture

Finish three boxes today, and you will feel your home exhale with you.

Sustaining Comfort and Peace of Mind With Simple Home Care

It’s easy to want a calmer home, then get overwhelmed by how many little things feel unfinished. The steadier path is the mindset you’ve been practicing here: small, prioritized home care that doubles as personal growth through home care, one realistic phase at a time. Over time, that approach builds a positive home environment where comfort becomes normal and long-term wellness benefits show up as a quieter mind and steadier routines. A peaceful home is built in small, repeatable moments, not in one big weekend. Choose one checklist item to complete in the next 24 hours, then notice how the follow-through supports a comfort and peace mindset. That’s how everyday care becomes resilience, helping life feel more stable and connected as the weeks go on.

You can find out more about Julie Morris at juliemorris.org.

Join us in building a stronger, more connected community through faith and creativity at Be as One. Explore our resources and find inspiration.

Susan Bailey, Author, Speaker, Musician on Facebook and Twitter
Read my other blog, Louisa May Alcott is My Passion

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Reset Refreshed: Self-Care Activities That Help Kids Recenter Without Screens or Struggle

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Guest post by Julie Morris
Image via Pexels

Kids absorb more tension than we notice, and without a way to release it, that energy turns inward. Their behavior isn’t random—it’s often a signal of overload. Resetting doesn’t always mean resting. It can mean moving, scribbling, sorting, or staring into space without demand. They don’t need fixing. They need frictionless ways to come back to themselves.

Get Outside: Let the World Be Quiet for a Minute

Nature offers something your house can’t: silence that moves. Kids don’t always need a parkour-style sprint to reset—they need trees that don’t need them, grass that sways on its own timeline. Researchers describe the fascination in green spaces as “soft,” not because it’s weak, but because it gently pulls attention outward. The effect isn’t instant, but give it 15 minutes. Sit under a tree. Don’t schedule it. Just let their senses track birds, wind, and uneven ground. A child who’s been sprinting mentally all day doesn’t need more tasks—they need frictionless wonder. And green space delivers that with no passwords and no parental performance pressure.

Save the Masterpieces Without the Clutter

Those finger paintings? The handprint turkeys? The drawing of your dog with six legs? They mean something. But they pile up fast. Instead of letting them vanish in the bottom of a junk drawer, consider archiving them. Saving artwork as a PDF creates a digital keepsake that can be shared with family or preserved for years without the physical clutter. You can check this one out — a free tool that lets you drag and drop scanned files, turning them into clean, easy-to-store digital copies.

Give Them a Journal

When kids put thoughts to paper—whether they’re writing, doodling, or scribbling emoji-style faces—they’re externalizing emotion, organizing inner noise, and making space for new thoughts to come in. You don’t have to read it. In fact, you probably shouldn’t. This is about ownership. One page a day. No rules, no grades, no “draw a rainbow with six colors” worksheets. Just paper and pen. Over time, they may write more. They may not. Either way, the practice of recording daily scraps of thought or image creates a self-care groove they’ll carry into teenhood. It’s simple and surprisingly effective: a journal provides emotional space when conversation feels too heavy or fuzzy.

Encourage Freeform, Unstructured Play
(and Walk Away)

Not all rest looks restful. Sometimes the reset comes from more movement—but only if they’re the one in charge. Let them build with couch cushions, dress dolls in winter hats, or turn the hallway into a dinosaur habitat. It might look chaotic to you, but this kind of child-led play gives their nervous system a chance to work through big feelings without adult framing. The key is that it’s theirs. No objectives. No prize. Just raw creation. When a child can invent, destroy, and rebuild their own world, they’re also processing the one around them.

Let Art Slow the Pulse

Paint. Markers. Stickers. And a table that doesn’t ask questions. Art isn’t just cute output—it’s often the first time a kid externalizes a tangled emotion they couldn’t name. When you invite mindful drawing—not “make a tree,” but “draw whatever your hand wants”—you’re giving their body permission to lead the mind. This isn’t about creativity; it’s about calming through sensation. Studies show that creative focus through art can steady breathing and attention span, especially in kids who struggle to articulate stress. Keep a small bin of materials in reach, but not on display. This should feel like relief, not an assignment.

Movement That Isn’t a Sport

Not every kid wants a team jersey. Some just need to stretch, roll, tumble, or march around the backyard with their arms out like helicopter blades. Movement shouldn’t always mean drills or lessons—it can be wiggly, weird, or quiet. A good physical reset meets a child’s energy exactly where it is, then helps it shift. If they’re sluggish, try a skipping game. If they’re buzzing, lead them in slow, deliberate stretches. It’s not a workout. It’s an exhale. Daily movement improves kids’ mental clarity and emotional regulation more than most parents realize. The trick? You have to let them move like themselves—not like tiny gym members.

Kids don’t reset on command. But they do respond to rhythm, sensory space, and moments where they aren’t being asked to perform. These resets aren’t tricks. They’re tools—honest, repeatable, and quiet enough to let their systems breathe. When they know how to return to stillness, they don’t just feel better. They grow steadier. And steadiness is the soil where everything else grows.

Discover a world of inspiration and self-care at Be as One, where you can explore resources to elevate your wellness journey and embrace a more connected, creative life.

Be sure to visit Julie’s website at juliemorris.org.
Susan Bailey, Author, Speaker, Musician on Facebook and Twitter
Read my other blog, Louisa May Alcott is My Passion

amazing grace album cover
NEW MUSIC!
Susan’s new release, Amazing Grace” is now available!
Available on Amazon, Spotify, iTunes and YouTube

00 cover smalllouisa cover smallimaginary-heroes_cover
Purchase Susan’s books.

River of Grace Audio book with soundtrack music available now on Bandcamp.
Listen to the preface of the book, and all the songs.

A beautiful Thanksgiving meditation

Published on by susanwbaileyLeave a comment

I am pleased to present this guest post from Brunhilde Luken, a painter and spiritual writer. I met Brunhilde several years ago as we were both members of the Commission for Women of the Diocese of Worcester. She is one of those people that truly wears her heart on her sleeve–you know you’ve met someone who is authentic with an inner beauty that draws you into her creative works.

I can’t think of a better way to remember Thanksgiving than through this lovely meditation of image and words. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

In a few days we are celebrating Thanksgiving; it is a wonderful day set aside to celebrate with family and friends to give thanks. I am especially thankful to live in a country where I can celebrate and proudly confess my Catholic faith. A faith that stood firm generation after generation.

I am also thankful that we can hold hands with all our neighbors, friends and all those that cross our path, Christian and non-Christian alike, where we allow each one to be free. A country where we can share the love that Christ brought into the world for all of us alike. We have to remember He died on the cross for all the world. These are hard times right now. There is so much suffering in the world right now. At times we all suffer. By embracing our suffering, God will pull us closer to Him. This will help us to pray for all. Let us all pray especially for those that need it most. Let us share the gifts that God gave us. When we pray we speak to God, when we read the scripture, God speaks to us. A Gift given to all of us, a gift we can share with all.

Touched by the Spirit 2015

 

We are the ones to show the face of Christ to the world, and to see the face of Christ in everyone. Let each moment be a moment of thanks. I am also most thankful for each one of you.

I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving, may God’s blessing be upon you and your whole family.

Psalm 95

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth.
The heights of the hills are His also
The sea is His, for He made it.
And His hands formed the dry land.
Oh come let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God.
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you hear His voice:
“Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
When your fathers tested me;
They tried me, though they saw my work
For forty years I was grieved with that generation.
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their heart.
And they do not know my ways.’
So I swore in my wrath’,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”

Let us bow our heads in Thanksgiving to the Almighty, the “I AM WHO I AM”, “FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT.”

You can find more of Brunhilde’s lovely paintings at her website, http://brunhildeluken.fineartstudioonline.com/.Her book, My Walk with Christ, is available on Amazon.
You can read other posts and see her paintings here.

A room of one’s own: what if your “room” could be portable?

Published on by susanwbailey1 Comment

What happens when you get the urge to create?

  • Do you retreat to a music studio to write a song?
  • Do you go to your specially designated study to write?
  • Do you paint your latest masterpiece in a light-filled studio?
  • Do you shut the door when you enter your room?

Why do secret hideaway places draw us like magnets?

I wanted a room of my own when I first discovered Louisa May Alcott as a kid. There was an illustration of Louisa in her special room where it was quiet and she could think. When she had finished writing her latest poem or story, she could indulge in her other favorite passion, running, by racing out the door to her room that led outside.

drawing by Flora Smith from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard
drawing by Flora Smith from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard

Getting away from the noise

Louisa’s family was noisy; quiet and privacy were hard to come by. Journals were a community affair with the parents writing notes in the margins. Louisa’s father Bronson often encouraged the children to read from their journals during the evening meal. Louisa was criticized by her father for writing too much about herself.

No wonder then that Louisa spent much of her life seeking out rooms of her own.

Finding a separate space

I used to think that a separate space away from everyone was necessary in order to create. A busy household with younger children makes finding quiet time difficult. It’s even more difficult when your home is too small to afford a separate space.

This was when I began to learn that any space could be a room of my own.
The physical space was not the key; it was the rituals you established that created that space.

512 louisa writing in the appletree
illustration by Flora Smith, from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard

With that kind of mindset, a room of one’s own can be portable.

You might think it’s a waste of time to explore tools and work routines.

It is time well-invested. In the end, it saves time.

Why?

It took me hours, days, weeks, even months to figure out what worked for me. I searched diligently for those t00ls, those routines that would catapult me away from the world into my creative “zone” in an instant.

Now I snap into my “zone” with no effort at all, wherever I happen to be, so long as I have my tools (which for me are the Nook and my iPhone – see previous post) and routines.

My room is portable.

I can set up anywhere, anytime, in quiet spaces and noisy ones too. The rituals and tools I use act as a trip wire, sending me into my head for a delicious time of writing.

ADDENDUM: I just found this post about other writers and their own “rooms” – check it out at www.penheaven.co.uk/blog/getting-down-to-writing/

What tools do you use to create? What are your rituals that help you to create?
Where is your room?

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A gift from my sister: It’s never too late to live your passion

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My older sister is a wonderful painter so I commissioned her to paint the Be As One bridge. Isn’t it beautiful?

http://christinehoylehoude.fineartstudioonline.com/
http://christinehoylehoude.fineartstudioonline.com/

My sister has ties to this bridge just as I do. She wrote the following on her website:

“The Wellesley College Bridge is iconic to me as is Wellesley College.  My family and I have a rich history there.  It all started with my mother who attended Wellesley College many years ago.  My husband and I were married there followed by my son Jeff and Amanda, who were married right out on the lawn near to this bridge.  There are photographs of us on the bridge with Azaleas and Dogwood blooming on our wedding day.  My sister captured this image on a beautiful Spring day while she was out in her kayak.”

Christine is like me, acting on her passion after raising a family and helping to run a successful business. In her retirement she is making up for lost time, just like I am with my reading and writing. On her website she writes,

“So now I am becoming the artist I always wanted to be and feel so inspired by it every day!  It is NEVER too late to start and make that change to be who you really are.”

I couldn’t agree more!

Visit Chris’ website at http://christinehoylehoude.fineartstudioonline.com to see the rest of her paintings and to order your print.

 What is your passion? How are you living it? Are you like Christine and me, living your passion after your kids have grown? Share your stories.

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