Thoughts on Living With Renovations

First of all, yes, the peonies are still blooming here! I hope you aren't tired of them:)
I thought I would write out a few of the things I have learned since we started renovating our house. Mostly to remind myself as we are in the midst of our bathroom project!

($15 antique market planter on our new front porch)
Living with renovations can be exciting, fun, and satisfying as you see a room coming together. It can also be unsettling and stressful if you feel as though your cannot really live in your own home.

For me, the best thing I have learned is to not let the renovation of one room take over the entire house. Before we start the project I store all the items from the room to be renovated neatly in containers in the basement. It is really easy to be tempted to just move all the stuff to another room, but then suddenly you have two rooms that have become less functional. This is a really good time to evaluate what is actually useful and what you want to go back into the finished room. I donate all unnecessary items.

(If you look closely you will see a paintbrush drying - this is a common site here!
I need to get a matching basket on the other side of that cabinet too)
The next thing I try to remember is to keep cleaning! It is also tempting to just stop cleaning and wait until it is done, but this just makes for a very unpleasant house. I don't think it is pointless to clean a room that might get dusty again, it is just less to clean next time. I try really hard to stay on top of the laundry and continue to cook homemade meals, which is another thing that helps you to feel as if your life is not being totally disrupted.
As far as tools that my husband tends to leave around the area he is working on, I just use a big laundry basket and pile them all in to contain them. 

I think that is all... I'm sure many of you are much more experienced with this than I am and I would be happy to hear any advice you have to offer! This particular project is even more complicated since we only have one
bathroom... but I know the results will be worth it! 
I can't wait to show you our progress...
Hope you have a lovely weekend!