Coastline Treasures

Who wouldn’t love to own a beach house on a tropical island?  Heck, who wouldn’t like to live in a beach house all the time?  While most of us would love to live in a vacation dream home, it’s not practical for most people.  But it is possible to create a unique beach house look in the home with nautical home décor.  To start, choose the room in the home that will become the unique beach house space.  Start with nautical home décor like lighthouse figurines, ships, and nautical lamps.  Don’t be afraid to get creative either; consider objects like life preservers, dock ropes, or even a hermit crab in a fish tank.  Designing the beach house space is all about discovering all those objects that inspire thoughts of the beach.  If the beach means seagulls, seaweed, and driftwood, use objects that represent those themes in the room, while if the beach means coconuts, coral, and palm trees, use those accessories instead.

You can find all kinds of fun nautical décor in various online shops, or collect the objects from the beach (just be careful of the various laws that prevent the removal of native species).  With a little creativity, the beach room will become the favorite space of the home!

I can’t quite recall the origin of her fascination with lighthouses, but as collectibles, my mom loves to collect lighthouse figurines, prints, pictures, quilts, and lanterns.  I think it began with my aunt who had a few lighthouses scattered around her home, while she wasn’t too serious about it, I think it turned my mom on to the idea of collecting lighthouses.  Lighthouse décor is popular amongst a lot of people around the world, and despite what one might think, lighthouse collectibles are quite common.  There are even shops online and around the world that specialize in only lighthouse collectibles! 

I think more fun than purchasing lighthouse collectibles from a store is finding unique pieces from various locations.  Mom started her collection with just a few pieces, mostly from gift shops of actual lighthouses she visited.  As more rooms in her home started to feature lighthouse photos, prints, and figures, she started to become more interested in the hobby and buy all the special pieces she wanted.  She even has a bedside lamp that is a little lighthouse with a shade over it!

There are so many activities a family can do together to strengthen their bond. Many times, though, it’s hard to get teenagers on board for family time. Parents need to think of creative ways to get older kids involved in activities. Many kids don’t have the patience for board games or long talks at the dinner table, but they do like arts and crafts.

Buy some basic wooden birdhouses and several festive (yet, bird friendly) decorations.  Spend a rainy Saturday afternoon decorating your new lighthouse birdhouse. Each person can make their own birdhouse. Later, on a nicer day, get the family together and set up your birdhouses in the backyard.

There’s nothing more important than having a bit of time throughout the day to stretch out and relax.  It’s been proven that relaxation on a daily basis can do much to reduce stress, and who wouldn’t like to feel less stressed out?  One of the best places to relax is the backyard (weather permitting).  Even for people who don’t care much for the outdoors, there’s a certain inner calm that comes from appreciating nature.  For people who have gardens, this relaxation can be even more intense. 

There are a number of ways to enhance relaxation in the backyard.  Obviously, if you’re not comfortable it will be difficult to relax, so consider a hammock chair, Adirondack chair, or garden swing.  Hammock chairs can be installed in most any location provided there’s something above to provide support.  Hammock chairs cradle the body and provide maximum comfort.  Adirondack chairs are designed for sunbathing, and with their low to the ground design, it’s easy to run your fingers through the grass or throw the ball for the dog while relaxing.  Garden swings are great for couples, and the gentle back and forth motion is sure to make you feel great!