Home And Garden

We have a lot to talk about in 2022. And we have studied the world of professional organizations, individual life, robotics, crafts and cutlery. And that's just for the first six months. Today, like almost every year, I'm looking back and pulling out my favorite meals, one for each month, to sum up our journey home. Here are the highlights of the first half.

In January I managed myself much better. After interviewing organizers and their clients for a series of columns, I kept thinking, “I want organizers to come to my house. But I'm ashamed to ask. After all, shouldn't I be an expert? Then one of the organizers whispered a dirty little secret: "Professional organizers hire professional arrangers." So I did.

Lesson: Even if you don't have a lot of stuff, you can always misplace it. A skilled organizer can make your space work better, help you get rid of things you secretly want to get rid of, and help you see what you no longer see.

In February, I spoke on behalf of the 36 million single adults in America who own only one household. Many have thanked me for sharing this post: Sorry no. We like to live alone.

Here's the lesson: Cancel the pity party, says sociologist Bella DiPaolo, who chooses to be single and live alone. He said, "We're fine." "We are happy at home."

In March, we took the craft out of the closet. The pandemic has allowed many artists and craftspeople to follow their inner Marthe. As a society, we're moving from crooked hands to tie-dye T-shirts. The industry has helped us spend time alone, forget our worries, improve the appearance of our homes and earn money for more adventurers.

The lesson: Whether you pursue your art full-time or only work on the weekends, make room for it in your home. The ideal workspace should have a large flat desk, lots of storage space, good lighting, a visualization board, everything you need easily and the perfect door.

In April we added a new member to the family - Rosie, our Rumba. The robot vacuum moves around the house like a motorized CD on wheels. Twice a week Rosie cleans our giant dog, Luke. Some worry about putting AI into your WiFi, owning a camera, mapping your home, owning Amazon, and knowing intimately about your local stuff. But for me, living with less fur is worth the privacy.

The lesson: Today, 53% of American households own a dog and 36% own a cat. That's a lot of flight feathers. Seven months later, I can safely say that buying a Roomba was one of the two best home tech investments I made all year. You will read another one next week.

In May, she used Mother's Day as an excuse to offer more unsolicited advice than usual. As a mother of two, mother-in-law of three, Glamma of five, and lifestyle columnist, it's my job to provide unsolicited opinions, so I took this vacation to do just that.

Lesson: When giving mom advice on life, love, work, and clothing, I realize how much can be said about home design. Here are two examples:

You can't win if you don't play. The comparison game is cancer. Compete where it matters—at school or the gym—but not where it doesn't. Make your home beautiful for you and the people you live with, not to impress someone else.

You can wear short clothes. You can wear short clothes and you can wear tight clothes. But you can't use them all at once. Choose A. In interior design, when everyone in the room says look at me, the room loses its appeal.

In June I discovered that I had as many forks and spoons as knives. What happened? "Forks and spoons get lost in trash cans, lunch boxes, picnics and camping trips," says Greg Owens, co-owner of Sherrill Manufacturing, America's ultimate cutlery maker. "Despite what you might get from a campus cafeteria, cutlery is one of those purchases you usually only make twice in your life."

Good choice is important. Most of us put these everyday household items in our mouths 40 times a day. Now that this is my second and last time buying cutlery, I want to do it right. So I did some research on what makes cutlery cutlery.

The lesson: try before you buy. My husband and I ordered samples of four different place settings and the fork-fork race began. We wanted the cutlery to be comfortable to hold and have good weight and functionality; Strong enough that the spoon won't bend in hard ice cream; that goes well with our dishes; And the hardest thing we both like. We try not to miss anything now.

Join me next week for a recap of H2 2022 highlights.

Marni Jameson is the author of six books on home and lifestyle. You can contact him at www.marnijameson.com.