7 Essential Ingredients for Creating Your Beautiful Quiet Space

Every woman needs a Beautiful Quiet Place, a place where she can begin and end each day, a place she can retreat to during the day . . . for a 5 minute respite, a 15 minute nap or a lengthier encounter for planning, daydreaming, reading or resting.

As women we give, give, give all the time. We are wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, employees and employers. We are caregivers, home-keepers, organizers, hostesses, volunteers and many other things to many different people.

The truth is, however, if we don't take time to nurture, refresh and renew ourselves . . . .there is nothing for us to give. We cannot pour from an empty vessel! This is why it is so important for us to have a space (or spaces) that is ever ready for us to go to for the purpose of refreshing and renewing on a daily basis.

Creating a Beautiful Quiet Place should be a priority. It is easy and fun and oh so rewarding! The goal is to make it a space that you truly enjoy going to and equipping it in such a way that you have everything there that you'll need to leave feeling refreshed, renewed and refilled. It does not need to be anything more than a corner of a room. When my now grown children were small, my Beautiful Quiet Place was my bathroom! Yes . . . that's right, my bathroom! It was one of the few places I could go to have a few moments to myself! It had a door and a built in seat! It was decorated nicely and I kept a basket with inspirational reading tucked away in the cabinet. It also had a bathtub . . . and I love to take bubblebaths! Bubblebaths are extremely relaxing and rejuvenating for me! Where you set up your Beautiful Quiet Place is not as important as how you prepare it and honor it.

7 Essential Ingredients for Creating Your Beautiful Quiet Place

• Select a spot that is away from the hustle & bustle activity in your home
• Make sure there is a comfortable place to sit
• There should be a table of some type to set your coffee or tea cup on, hold a lamp and maybe a few photos as well as a piece of artwork with an inspiring message and a vase with some fresh flowers
• Select a candle with a fragrance you love and place that on the table as well
• Add a small decorative pillow and a cozy throw to your chair for chilly days or those rare moments when you can catch a 15 minute nap
• Have a CD player nearby in case you feel like listening to some uplifting or relaxing music or an inspiring message
• Prepare a pretty basket to hold your Beautiful Quiet Place "tools": Bible, inspiring books, note pad or journal, pens, tissues, favorite photos, a few encouraging notes from friends, pretty note cards (in case you're inspired to send a note to a friend), sticky notes to write little love notes on as you read and are inspired... these may be to yourself or to a child or spouse

Remain flexible... you can move your Beautiful Quiet Place to another location if you desire. For instance, on a gorgeous day you may want to take your respite out in the backyard or on the patio or deck, or at the end of a busy day you may want to rejuvenate in a bubble bath. As long as you have your "tool" basket stocked, you can bring it along and enjoy the special ingredients you've stocked it with.

Be sure to honor your Beautiful Quiet Place by keeping it ready at all times to escape to, even if it's only for a few minutes, you will find this ritual of intentionally slipping away during the day and beginning and ending your day in a beautiful, peaceful place will leave you feeling more relaxed and balanced, filled and fulfilled, ready to face your busiest of days!

Take care of YOU... YOU deserve it!