Most people have no problem celebrating love and milestones in their relationships... Valentine's Day and anniversaries get recognized, yet most of us don't give a first, second, or third thought to loving up our homes. Now, yes, we may decorate, but what are we really doing to show the place we live, rest, and spend our lives that same love we show to the people in our lives.

To really "kick off" self care awareness month, here are my 5 ways you can love your space every day.

DECLUTTER.

I cannot emphasize this enough. So often we are so anxious to jump to the "pretty" parts, we skip right over the hard stuff. You can't expect to pull together a space you'll love until you get rid of the stuff that's in the way. And this isn't about purging or anything of that nature (unless you want to get rid of that old bag of clothes you'll never wear again); this is more about the day to day decluttering. Take time today to clear up your entry way, shred old mail, finally fold the laundry, etc.

Really tackle that "stuff" that you've let pile up in different corners of your home.

BE BOLD.

So traditionally, people associate certain colors with very specific styles, or worse yet, themes. Realistically, you don't have to go this route. Romantic & glamorous doesn't have to mean red, pink, and gold, and more than traditional & classic has to mean browns & neutrals.

Feel free to take chances with your decor and go against the norm.

Personally, my current home decor palette is blue, gray, and gold. With this palette, we could easily transition into a more "romantic" space by enhancing the presence of gold elements and/or introducing blush tones that would compliment the gray & gold.

I remember I'd put together a mood board & design for a master bedroom makeover, and one of the main requests was that their bedroom feel like their everyday place of relaxation yet still be romantic (this was a Valentine's Day inspired makeover). With this being a shared space, the husband was adamant that it not feel too feminine or too "generic" with, you guessed it, lots of red.

SLOW DOWN.

It's so easy to walk into any home decor store and feel like you need it all. You don't. I promise. Take your time to see what you already have that can (a) be repurposed or (b) be tossed, then plug in what's missing a bit at a time. The last thing you want is to do a major haul and then have to figure out what the hell to do with half the stuff you bought because you didn't think this through.

P.S. You should probably read my post on why I don't haul.

“Fun Fact: You don’t have to get all the things all at once. ”

— Albie Knows

OWN YOUR STYLE.

Turn off the HGTV. Get off of Pinterest. And really decide on what YOU like. I can't count how many times I've had people tell me they love a style, only to actually HATE it when they see it start to come to life. You have to live in this space, so be sure to know what you really like, and own that. It's okay to be inspired but these images, but nothing is worse than walking into a home that doesn't feel like it's yours or where you don't feel like you belong.

ASK FOR HELP.

Sometimes you are just not ready to do it all on your own, and that's okay. Gone are the days where help with interior styling & design is unattainable. With Decor Discovery, it's like having a personal home decor shopper -- every 2 months pieces I've hand picked are packaged & sent straight to your doorstep. Simple. But if what you need is a little bit more, with my e-design services, I hold your hand throughout the entire design process, short of actually showing up at your door to put it all together. No matter where you are, both are easy and affordable options to get you well on your way to a space you'll love.