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Being in the Military is synonymous with moving, so creating a space that feels like home is really important.
Home is more than just a place. It is a feeling. So bringing that feeling into your space is the KEY!
I have lived in more places than I can count. So I KNOW that it really is possible. Before moving from each place, I was able to truly call it home.
Living in homes, apartments, dorms, townhouses, and Airbnb’s can seem at first to be isolating and without a connection. So this is what you can do to make wherever you live really be YOUR HOME!
Pictures
No matter the type of housing you are living in, this is easy to do and can be SO cheap too!
Use pictures that make you happy! Family members far away (or near!), fun experiences, cherished memories, yummy food you had, goals you’ve reached, etc.
While Chase was at training, I sent him LOTS of pictures of us, pictures of my pregnant belly bump, and more. He hung them up on his wall and it made his Airbnb feel much more like home, even though it was temporary and he was far away.
This can be as simple as printing off a ton of 4X6 pictures at your local Walmart.
Another way I get my pictures is through Shutterfly. I love getting Canvas prints to hang up on my wall, and they usually have great deals going on for prints (both flat lay and canvas) of any size!
Artwork
This one might just be my absolute favorite!
I love putting up artwork around my home. Whether I made it, or someone else did, I love seeing something created for me and my home up on our walls.
These custom family portraits are such a modern, simple, and gorgeous way to include memories on your wall.
And if you’ve lived at any military bases, these base prints are a perfect way to remember where you’ve lived, and the experiences you’ve had there!
Fun Memories
Your home is a place that you can look back on for fond memories. Creating fun memories ties a positive feeling to the space – a feeling of connection, joy, and safety.
Play games with friends or loved ones, treat yourself to an indulgent at-home spa day, host an event with all of your favorite people…the point is to create memories that YOU can look back on, and that bring YOU joy.
Some favorite memories I have tied to different homes would be getting our two dogs while growing up, finding out I was pregnant with Kaladin, having tons of friends over for a house warming party, and watching Kaladin roll over on his own for the first time.
Honestly, I also have a strong connection to my first apartment married because that’s where I had my first full-blown panic attack. My house felt safe at that moment and continued to feel that way. I could go back to that little apartment now and still feel a connection because of that experience.
Your memories are what build the connection to your space the most.
Personal Touches
Do you love plants? Put them in your home! Favorite color? Throw it everywhere! Do you love painting or creating art? Hang it up!
There are SO many ways to make your space feel like yours. Get throw pillows you love, hang up artwork or favorite quotes, use wallpaper that can easily be removed, play music that you love…make your space reflect who you are.
We always include pictures of us, religious quotes and images, fake plants (because I kill all the real ones, oops), cool and neutral colors, and artwork I’ve made. I also love burning candles and cooking treats that remind me of that feeling. Of being home.
Continuing Habits
If you always have a homemade pizza night on Fridays, why stop? Or if you used to have guests over or host brunch once a week, keep doing it! This is one of my favorite ways to make your space feel like home.
Keeping up old habits, even if it is with new people, will help ground you back into your lifestyle.
Are Friday nights date night? Keep going! When you come home to relax at the end of the night, you’ll be going back home. And it’ll start to feel just like that in no time.
A Safe Haven
Home should be a place where you feel safe and protected from the world. Now, how you go about this is completely up to you!
In all of the places we’ve lived as a couple, Chase and I have made it a priority to make everyone who enters feel welcome. For us, that means homemade meals when we can, a space to talk freely about hardships as well as joys, and above all, to treat them as Christ would.
To us, our safe haven means a safe place to ask questions and have conversations, a physically safe place to sleep and live, protection from harmful ideas and feelings, and a safe place to worship and enjoy each other’s company.
The gift for a military family? A reminder that anywhere can be home.
