Today is day 2 of our hallway makeover in our room by room makeover and wish I could say I was able to jump right in but what I needed done this morning I couldn’t do on my own. Charlie worked late last night so I knew I would need to wait until be work up unless Bradley showed up.
I didn’t want to ask David for help because he would have more reasons about why I couldn’t put the vaccum cleaners on the back porch instead of helping me. So I waited and waited not so patiently for Charlie to get up and PRAYED he would help me. be watching for pictures to see if he does or not.
Since I decided t July 1st would be the start of our room-by-room home makeover challenge—where we slowly work through each space in our home and straighten, organize, and reset things one area at a time. I choose to start with the upstairs hallway. This is where our coffee bar and snack station are supposed to be… but right now, it’s a hot mess. Before Charlie’s friend arrives next week because its right outside Charlie’s room.
This was actually a space I set up for Charlie and me so we could enjoy a simple cup of coffee in the morning. That was the goal anyway. The reality? There’s no way we could even use it right now if you saw it. In fact, our coffee pot is sitting in the bathroom because there was literally nowhere else to put it.
So yes—we’ve got some work to do. Yesterday, I didn’t rush into moving everything. I walked through the hallway, looked at what had piled up, and figured out what I needed to do without overwhelming myself because I didn’t ask for help which could have led to drama.
Surviving the hallway wasn’t about doing everything at once—it was about understanding what I would be dealing with first. And now today is where I start putting that plan into action. God willing and the creek don’t rise, this area is going to be usable again sooner rather than later.
Today’s Focus: Day Two in Action
Now that I’ve made a plan, today is all about movement and small progress.
I’m starting with the basics:
- Moving the vacuum cleaner and carpet cleaner downstairs so they’re not taking up hallway space
- Repositioning the shelf in front of the closet like I mentioned
- Straightening and sorting through everything sitting on the snack shelf
That shelf has slowly turned into a landing zone for anything that didn’t have a home. Mail, snacks, random odds and ends—it all just landed there “for now,” and now we’re finally dealing with it.
I already know there are snacks in there, including peanut butter crackers I picked up for my snack this week. So today also turns into a little real-life review moment while we work through the hallway one task at a time. Which is going to get me moving and those steps I need.
If there’s one thing I’m learning with this challenge, it’s that progress doesn’t have to be dramatic to matter. No, matter what we get done each day one small win matters more than big makeovers. Come and join me and lets tackle all the clutter in our homes.
Moving one thing out of the hallway changes how it feels when you walk through it. Clearing one surface makes the whole space feel lighter. Finding something you forgot you even had feels like a small win you didn’t expect. That’s what this is really about—not perfection, just getting our home back into a rhythm that works for us again.
Everyday Life Sneaks Into the Cleaning
As I’m working through the hallway, I’m also turning this into a bit of real-life review content for the blog while sharing how everyday life sneaks into the cleaning which we needed to do more than you know. Because having dogs there is dog hair on everything.
As I’m working in the hallways today I’ll be trying those peanut butter crackers I purchased and placed on the shelf and sharing an honest opinion—nothing fancy, just real life. I’m also planning to take a look inside the icebox and do a quick soda review.
These are the kinds of everyday things we all have in our homes, and sometimes it helps to know what’s actually worth buying again. So while the hallway is getting reset, the blog gets a little everyday life mixed in too. Which allows me to share new products with you.
Before I get busy I wanted to share why this reset matters to me because this hallway isn’t just clutter. It’s a reflection of how quickly life can get ahead of us when we’re busy, tired, or focused on everything else. Spaces like this either add stress or take it away. Right now, it’s been adding stress. That’s why this challenge matters—not just for how it looks, but for how it feels to live here.
I want this space to feel useful again. I want the coffee bar to actually be a coffee bar. I want the hallway to feel like part of the home again, not just something to walk through quickly. And honestly, I just want to be able to make a cup of coffee without having to go fin the coffee pot in the bathroom and make room on the counter for it taking time away from other things I should be doing.
Tomorrow’s project will be the tote sitting on top of the icebox. That’s going to be its own deep dive—sorting through what’s inside, deciding what stays, and clearing out what doesn’t belong anymore. I wonder what we will find in that tote. Come join me own space at a time. One day at a time. That’s how this home reset is going to happen and its how you can do your own.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
