You know that feeling when you wake up from the BEST NAP?!

It was the perfect length so you don’t feel groggy, the perfect temperature  so you don’t wake up all sweaty, and your husband has corralled the kids so they don’t go in and wake you up every five seconds??

YES THAT NAP! It’s the best feeling ever right?! To wake up feeling rested and RESTORED!

Can you tell what has been passing through my mind?!  ALL THE THINGS ABOUT REST.

It’s hard though right? To rest, I mean…

Maybe I’m the only one, but finding a way to truly REST (and enjoy resting) is sometimes exhausting!

I want to get that short bit of rest but also, there’s like five bazillion things to get done. 

Do you deal with that too?

WELL, I still am, if we’re being totally honest, but I’ve also found some ways to rest and restore my soul, without making it a chore.

GET COZY

If rest feels like a chore already to you, look no further than this tip: pause what you’re doing, and go put something COZY on your couch. 

Maybe it’s a blanket, maybe it’s a soft pillow, maybe it’s placing your order here or snagging this free print download to add peace to your home. 

But PAUSE, and go do it.

Ya done?!

Wow, doesn’t your space feel like a GREAT PLACE to sit and let your mind wander?

To sit and read? To sit and play a board game with your babes?

Small touches can make the BIGGEST IMPACT, especially when you’re already overwhelmed with all the things in life.  

Creating cozy spaces in my home serves me in SO MANY WAYS!

I don’t know about you, but the mess on my floor is pretty triggering. 

I’ve gotten a lot less tightly wound over the years, but goodness, there are days it drives me CRAZY! If you feel this way too, you’re not alone friend!

Creating a cozy space in my living room, complete with books ready to be read, blankets ready for snuggles, peaceful artwork on the walls, and a few candles ready to add ambiance and a really lovely smell cause sometimes kiddos are kinda stinky… 

PS–want to know my FAVORITE way to add a touch of restfulness to your home? Check out this blogpost to find out WHY ART MATTERS and why it’s good for your soul and find out how to collect art here!

GET CREATIVE

Getting into my dining room studio to create is my personal equivalent of a breath of fresh air. 

Life is messy and chaotic (and if you read about me, you’ll see I’ve dealt with that firsthand). 

While I can’t physically be in a place that inspires rest and peace (haha good joke!), I get to go there mentally when I am painting.  

“Work from a place of rest, not hustle.” —Ashlyn Carter

Art has been absolutely RESTFUL for my soul.

In the midst of all the to-do lists, the crazy hectic moments of homeschooling, the marketing calendar, the email list, the instagram posts, the true WILDNESS of this season of creative entrepreneurship and full time mama that sometimes makes me so anxious I can’t see straight…

The rhythmic process of readying supplies, taps of the brush in the water jar,
swirling water and paint to see the movement and the way it changes,

feeling my hands paint calms my heart just enough to begin a softening in my soul,

the softening to remember that Jesus calls us not to be anxious.

When I sit at my easel to paint, I get to feel RESTED without escaping the messy chaos around me. 

I get to be present with God, present with my family, and present with myself.

You can do it too. Pick up a paintbrush. Pick up a book. Pick up a crayon while your kids are coloring.

There’s a reason coloring books for adults have taken off in the last few years… See this post to find out more.

GET IN THE WORD

Spending quiet time (or not so quiet, if you’re in my house) with the Lord daily truly helps keep my anxiety at bay.  Peaceful moments of stillness restore my soul in a way that nothing else can. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28

TRUTH TIME: as much as I try the traditional “quiet time” doesn’t typically happen for me.  My life isn’t quiet with three babies who wake up at 5 AM daily at home full time, but in addition to semi-quietly journaling and reading the Word while my kiddos play because this girl is NOT waking up at 4 AM…

I treasure this time, and each morning in the midst of the chaos I pray this prayer from Every Moment Holy as I drink my coffee. 

I’ve written it on about 10 different surfaces in my home, books, journals, and I hope you love it as much as I do.  Want to learn more about my prayer life? Click here.

I know this season (for many reasons) has caused me yet again to say “Lord, I cannot do this alone. Every day and every hour I need you.”

He is with me and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I can feel the calm even through all my fleshly fear—and OMG there’s a lot of that going on . 

When all is wild, meeting Jesus at the canvas is one special way I open my heart to His voice. 

Painting through the prompting of the Holy Spirit helps me to REST in HIM completely.

In creating, I find the stillness that quiets my mind and opens my heart to this truth God so deeply wants us to know—we are never alone.

My prayer is that you can create a place of rest within your home, even in the midst of the messy floors, the sink full of dishes, and the bazillion things on your to-do list.

Those extra things aren’t going away anytime soon. 

Rest is sacred, and I pray that the rest you get overflows into the lives of your children, your family, and your friends. 

When I’m calm, my family is calm. 

I hope these ideas help you make space for rest that restores YOU.

What do you do for rest?!

Tell me in the comments!

Want some help creating that restful space? Check out the dreamhome workbook! Or check out your art style vibe and get some solid ways to create your dream home!

Need some inspiration? Join the INSTAGRAM PARTY!

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