three easy ways to go from house to home

It's my favorite time of year, the time that we focus on our families, the comforts of home and togetherness. It's also the season of eating, drinking and being merry which means many of us will be entertaining. Before you invest one dime into your home decor there are three super simple ways to make your house feel like a home for your family and your friends.

1. Lamps - Wherever you can, use lamp light instead of overhead light. Strategically placed table and floor lamps in the family room are an easy way to give a feeling of cozy welcome. Buffet lamps on console tables in the dining room or foyer give a warm glow to otherwise dark areas. If you don't feel that lamp light is enough for you then put overhead lighting on dimmer switches. In our home, I have all of the lights in our entertaining areas on dimmers. Sometimes you need a bright light and sometimes you just want a hint of it!

2. Music - Playing music in the background not only sets a mood for your gathering, it also helps guests to feel more comfortable. Dead silent air can make guests in your home feel pressured to fill the space with forced chatter. Music is also a great conversation starter! 90s Nickelback in the background just might spark stories of some pretty funny college shenanigans. We have music playing in the background for most of the day, whether we are entertaining or not. My go-to these days is Lauren Daigle Radio and I love hearing my kids walking in and out of the kitchen singing the lyrics while they bustle from one thing to the next.

3. Scents - We recently entertained and a couple of guests who walked into our home made comments about how good it smelled. Hearing those words certainly gave me a sense of relief...with seven people and a dog, you never know what it is going to smell like around here! I have seasonal "signature" scents. My spring scent is the Vineyard Hill Naturals Bergamot & Sandalwood candle, summer is the Capri Blue Volcano candle, fall is the Village Candle Mulled Cider candle and I finish off the year with the Nest candle in the Holiday scent (I recently purchased this one and Amazon so kindly told me that it was the 16th time I had purchased it!). I have also recently enjoyed more natural scents by diffusing oils in my Young Living diffuser. Peppermint, rosemary, citrus, patchouli and cinnamon are some of my favorites.