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The Fun and Creative Contentment of Home You’ve heard all the clichés: There’s no place like home. Home Sweet Home. Home is where you hang your hat, and so on. Think about all the things you do at home besides eat, sleep and take a bath (you do bathe, don’t you?). So why hasn’t anyone come up with a saying that captures all the contentment you get from creative fun at home? Express yourself. Have an artistic side? Next time you’re ready to paint, instead of just slapping on another coat of latex, create a secret garden in a mural on that drab hallway. Or imagine the thrill you’ll get when someone admires that big, bold painting over your sofa and you say proudly, “I painted it.” Decorating offers another big home satisfaction. Are you Danish Modern? Colonial American? Country French? Japanese Minimalist? African Jungle? Half the fun of finished rooms is sitting at the kitchen table dreaming, designing and planning your hip bathroom décor. And the other half is shopping for that bargain piece to set off your scheme whether you find your treasures in-store or online. Are you good with needle and thread? Make some pillows or a small quilt. How about crochet or knitting? No, such pastimes aren’t only for gray-haired grannies. You’d be surprised how wonderful it feels to get cozy with a gorgeous afghan that you made yourself. Impress yourself. Do-it-yourself projects can seem daunting, but the trick is to start small. Try changing the towel racks and light switch covers in your bathrooms. Maybe hang an extra shelf or two and change the shower and window curtains. Maybe it’s time to do what we all want to do: Really Get Organized! Clean the clutter out of your closets and garage. If you’re not up for the mother of all garage sales, plenty of charities in town would love to take things off your hands. Then install some snappy-looking shelves and arrange your tools, fuels and jewels just the way you want. Won’t it be fun when you don’t have to dig through a pile to find the trash bags? “Recess” yourself. American workers have the highest productivity rates of any industrialized country, and you know what they say about that: Too much work makes Jack and Jill go crazy! So really have fun at home. Turn off the TV, turn on some music and play old-fashioned board games. Tune in a radio station that offers on-air drama or comedy. Have a genuine “coffee klatch” with neighbors. Most of all let your home be the place where your passion runs free. If you love getting your hands dirty, then make your yard and garden the neighborhood showplace, whether by planting roses or veggies. If you love to cook, concoct some new culinary delight! (Part of the fun is shopping for all that luscious food!). Maybe your thing is woodworking, so turn your shed or garage into your personal woodshop, full of fragrant cedar and pine aromas.
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