Ahhhh...feel that? The crisp feeling of Fall is upon us. Every year, at that first sign of a chill in the air, we all get ready to hunker down for the next few months (granted, it's still 80º+ some days, but bear with us). There's no better way to make your home hibernation-ready than to make it exactly what you want (and need) before hand--a sanctuary. I’ve found that the best way to create your sanctuary is to start with a list; things you’d like to add or take away from your space in order to make it more purposeful...more you. I’m dedicating the next few weeks to knocking items off my Sanctuary List, and I’m going to tell you how you can, too (and why you should).

1.) Your home affects you, both inside and out. I’m a firm believer that where we live is a reflection of who we are, but I think that our relationships with our spaces are a bit more complicated than that. What you put into your home, your home puts into you, and so on and so forth. We create our spaces and our spaces create us, and this is why we at cityhomeCOLLECTIVE are so true-blue about matching folks with their spatial soulmates. So in the coming weeks, let’s put down our phones, turn off our ‘tubes, and ask ourselves, “Who am I? Who do I want to be?” Let’s get real--this is huge! Let’s decide who we want to be and then create a space that will nurture that person on those cold winter nights.

2.) The things that aren’t necessary actually totally are. Your Sanctuary List should be comprised of the things you want your home to be, but make it separate from your “Honey-Do” list. These are necessary adjustments, but not in the same way that cleaning out the rain gutters and dusting the fan blades are, and this looks different for everybody. For me, keeping my bar stocked for entertaining and splurging on a whole drawer full of amazing teas for friends are high on my list of home priorities. Getting centered and turning my sunroom into a meditation room was high on my Sanctuary List for last year [check and check], but for you this may be finally clearing out enough space in your living room to do yoga every morning. Want to learn a new language? Buy a bunch of cool, vintage, foreign language dictionaries for your coffee table. Want to dance more? Get that old record player fixed. Want to stop and smell the roses? Go buy some! It’s decor that acts as a reminder to yourself to be the person you want to be. Totally. Necessary.

After all is said and done, get beyond the list and just BE.

3.) Make time to create (or purchase) something for your home. Don’t hesitate to buy when the urge strikes you. A home isn’t just filled with things you need, it’s filled with things you love. One of my rules of thumb: always splurge on something you don’t think you can live without (even if you can’t think of an immediate reason to or spot for it--you’ll find the perfect place if you truly can’t live without it). Whether you’re traveling abroad or strolling around SLC on a Saturday, if you see something that speaks to your present and future self, get it! And if you can support local artisans, crafters, and furniture makers in the process, all the better.

4.) Live with intention. Purge the excess. A few years ago, I made the commitment to live without a television in my home. Not to get all preachy, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while--and it has everything to do with living with intention. Make no mistake, I still find ways to watch Downton Abbey and Mad Men (thanks to a projector that can be easily hidden), but not having a television does wonders for making you be spatially present in your home. No more mindless sitting. Try mindful sitting. You know the lightened feeling you get when you donate a ton of old clothes and you suddenly have so much space in your closet and drawers? Imagine how good that will feel when it’s in every room in your house. Try taking one thing out of every space in your home to donate. Let go. Eliminate clutter. Let’s make this the year of no superfluous thoughts or things.

We work so hard to get our space feeling just right, but so rarely do we take the time to enjoy the fruits of our labors. After all is said and done, get beyond the list and just BE. Whether that means having a cup of tea every morning while looking out whichever of your windows has the prettiest view, or kicking off your shoes Mr. Rogers-style and unwinding with a glass of red after work every night--you’ve got to have a “thing”. You’ve taken the time to figure out who you want to be, now let’s take the steps toward getting there. Setting aside time to create your sanctuary is a priority. And while you have your day planner out, block off a chunk of time to unplug. Tap in. Be home. Hell yeah!