The other day, Stacy from Humorous Homemaking did a scope on her white couches.
I know what you might be thinking, what’s the big deal about that? But I loved what she said and it really challenged me.
Stacy talked about how much she loves white couches and has decided she’s going to have them even though she has young kids.
She said, “I could have waited to get my couches that I really love until my kids are grown, or I could just start enjoying them now”. That’s a paraphrase, but the point hits home with me.
Stacy really encouraged her viewers to stop waiting until they have the perfect conditions to do things and instead start living fully now. Her words stuck in my head.
What Ideal Conditions Are You Waiting For?
Do you find yourself saying things like:
- When my kids are older, I’ll decorate our home the way I like.
- When things slow down, I’ll spend more time with my husband.
- When I can afford a gym membership, I’ll get in shape.
- When I find a better job, I’ll get a better handle on my finances.
- When I have fewer commitments, I’ll make more time for nurturing friendships.
What prerequisites are you putting on living the life you want to lead? We don’t know what tomorrow holds, and we may never get to the ideal conditions.
Instead of waiting to fully live our lives until everything is neat and perfect, let’s live right now. Stop waiting for life to happen and go happen to life!
Jess says
We decided to move to a log cabin we had been loving for 10 years. We decided that our “some day” was now. We moved in the snow with 2 kids and I was 8 months pregnant. We are so glad we didn’t wait for our “some day” and made it happen now
Stacy says
Thank you, Crystal. 🙂
Tg says
And then I have a friend who loves white couches and got them while having 3 young children. I think she had them for about 1 month before two of the kids took a black sharpie to practically the entire couch… She was completely heartbroken……. Nothing she tried could get that sharpie off.
I like the overall idea of the point, bug I think you also need to be practical about what the reality is in your life.
Maryalene says
Your last sentence is exactly what I was going to say! I absolutely agree that we shouldn’t wait for ideal circumstances to do things. However, we should also balance that with a healthy dose of realism.
The house is a good example. I’ve given up on decorating our house for the most part because after 17 years and 5 kids, I’ve discovered someone inevitably writes on the wall, tears the wallpaper or breaks whatever treasured item I’ve displayed. It makes me mad. It makes me sad. And it’s made me realize I can’t expect to decorate like I want until all the kids are older.
Crystal Paine says
Such great thoughts! Thanks for sharing!
Kristine says
I agree. We’ve never been able to afford nice furniture, but most of what we did have was given to us as gifts and ended up broken or written on/painted on when our kids were younger. The one nice piece of furniture that we still have is our dining-room table, and even it has spots of permanent marker that I can’t get rid of completely. Everything we own is well-used and marked by the kids somehow, but that’s part of the reality of living with kids.
I wouldn’t have wanted to spend a lot of money on furniture only to have it destroyed. There are times in life when certain things just are not practical, and I like to focus on the practical more than on the appearance of my furniture. To me, having a white couch (or something that would be more in line with my taste because I don’t like white couches anyway) would be so low on my list of priorities that I wouldn’t even compare it to spending time with my husband and children.
Jana says
Exactly! I think it’s sometimes about the money and the reason my “someday” is still coming is because we’re investing financially in Christian school right now for our kids. It’s what will have a lasting effect on eternity, making sure they are taught from a Christian worldview at school. Do I have a cell phone? No. Do we have nice vehicles? No. Is our house updated in the latest colors and do we have stylish couches? No. I feel we need to still invite people and be vulnerable but just because I want something, doesn’t mean it’s best to do it now. Yes to spending time, not money necessarily. I don’t agree with everything here. I am more practical.
Keslie S. says
Love this!
Heather says
I think this is a good principle. I definitely make too many excuses for why I can’t do things, but I think this needs to be applied with a great deal of discernment and wisdom. Not all reasons are excuses – some are actually Good Reasons. If we think that every thing that we really want or want to do needs to be had or done right now, we will very likely become overwhelmed, burned out, or make some really bad choices.
There are season of life and not every goal or desire is appropriate for all seasons.
I personally think buying a white couch when you have small children is foolish. At least it would be for me. I would stress more, and yell at my children more. A white couch is not worth that.
No, I cannot decorate my home the way I want to right now, because that would be unsafe for my crawling infant and stressful for me. That’s okay.
That’s the season that I’m in.
If I am telling myself that my important relationships and my health can wait for another time in my life, those are excuses and need to be dealt with. If I am telling myself that this is not the right time to accomplish a certain goal, or to have a certain item, or to go on a certain trip, that may be an excuse, or it may be wisdom.
Crystal Paine says
Yes, yes, and yes! Thanks so much for sharing!
Amanda says
I so agree with you! It’s like you took the words out of my mouth.
Helen says
I thought she had white couches so she could see when they are dirty to wash them. Not anything more than that.
Anne says
Ha! I have a three-year old with some special needs and a baby due in July and I have a white couch! Our house is great for hosting large playgroups so I do often and the other moms comment on how brave I am. BUT, it’s an Ikea slip-covered couch. We can buy a brand new cover for $50 if it’s ever too dirty but so far it’s washed well. 🙂 I actually chose an Ikea couch so I don’t stress over yelling at my daughter to get off it and the white slipcovers where the cheapest (plus it looks great in our living room).
Momofmany says
We have the ikea white couches too, just washed yesterday because they were looking rough, and came out like new again! We have 7 kids and a dog, and people think I am crazy for having white, even my kids but my response is they aren’t getting dirtier than a different color, it’s just more obvious they are dirty- but the opposite is true as well, it’s obvious they are clean, and we want to keep them that way 🙂
Megan @ Prioritized Living says
Crystal, thanks so much for sharing this eye-opening post with your readers! I’ve definitely had my share of “white couch” excuses since becoming a mom. You’re so right that we can’t wait for that elusive day when everything falls magically into place before seizing the moment.
I’ve found that sometimes life winds up giving you the push you need or putting your priorities in place for you. For me, it was major changes at my job that were the impetus for pursuing my business full-time. Conditions were absolutely not ideal, but it’s been such a rewarding adventure!
Crystal Paine says
This makes me so happy! Thank you for sharing!
Jo says
# 2 hit home. My husband went through some scary health issues. I spend more time with him now, and need to plan a little time away with him.
Heather @ My Mothermode says
Yes, a potential lifelong disorder was diagnosed this month and it changes how you think of your time together. We have penny-pinched for so long that, although we are debt-free except the house, we continue to skip some fun activities that are a little more affordable now. Money will always be tight it seems, but I am ready to get out and do more while we are physically able and my children are still under our roof.
Monica says
Ouch! This is a great post. My “ideal conditions” keep me from home schooling my children. My budget says that I really need to work full time outside of the home but my heart says that they won’t be little for long.
Michele says
My “Ideal Conditions” have changed now that I am in my mid forties. I recently went furniture shopping to replace a sofa that is over 20 yrs old and now that my child is out of the house, it seems like a great idea. However, the grandma biological clock started ticking and I imagined something different than what I thought I wanted.
Jessica Clark says
I love white couches too! I plan on getting faux leather because spills wipe right off and dog hair doesn’t stick!