The Home and Habit

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About

Hey there! I’m Jen, and I’m so glad you’re here! I’m excited to share home decor ideas, DIY tutorials, and lifestyle organization inspiration to help you create a home that’s both beautiful and functional. As a busy wife, stepmom to three, and dog mom to three more, I understand the challenges of balancing family life while cultivating a cozy and organized space.

Growing up, my parents taught me the value of creativity and resourcefulness, instilling in me the know-how to make things work. Now, I’m passionate about transforming spaces through creative DIY projects, thrift store flips, and budget-friendly makeovers.

My husband and I recently purchased an 80-year-old brick house in Northern California, brimming with charm but needing updates. If you’re into modern vintage, organic modern, and earthy decor with a moody twist, follow along as I tackle projects to make this house truly feel like home.

In addition to decor, I love simplifying daily routines. I’ll share family activities, easy recipes, cleaning, decluttering, and organization systems designed to reduce stress and give you more time to enjoy what matters most to you.

For me, home is more than just a place to live; it’s a reflection of who we are and how we want to live. Whether you’re looking to refresh your decor, dive into a DIY project, or streamline your cleaning routine, I have tips and ideas to help you create a space where you can relax and enjoy life with those who matter most.

Together, we’re creating home and cultivating habits!

thehomeandhabit

Jen | Home Decor & DIY | Lifestyle
Curated decor, creative DIYs, and collected finds
Earthy | Organic | Modern | Vintage
Explore the blog ↓

The frame of our newish couch broke, but thanks to The frame of our newish couch broke, but thanks to a service warranty, we got it checked out. Turns out, a knot in the wood caused a main support bar to crack in three directions—bad enough that the repair guy wanted to haul the whole couch to the shop for a few days. That sounded awful, so I asked if he could get it started and show me how to finish the job.

He was awesome, walked me through the first part, and left me with wood glue and torque screws. A few hours later, the couch was back in business.

A few years ago, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to tackle something like this, but learning to DIY has changed that. It may seem like a small thing to some, but I love the confidence that building and repairing things in my own home has brought me. DIY is about learning, problem-solving, getting creative, and most importantly—trying.

What did Michael Jordan say? “You miss 100% of the couches you don’t fix?” Oh wait, that might have been Michael Scott. Either way, I’m glad I went for it.

Follow along if you’re also learning to DIY! Let's learn together! #womenwhodiy #makinghome #makinghomes #makinghomehappen #dıy #diyprojects #homerepair #homerepairs #womenwhobuild
Our Christmas was majorly interrupted by the flu t Our Christmas was majorly interrupted by the flu this year. We had to cancel all of our plans, including our annual Christmas Eve party, which was a major letdown. I was down for the count for a few weeks, so the holiday decor stuck around a little longer than usual… like, into the second week of January. 

Then CapCut decided to dip for a minute, and this reel got stuck in limbo. But it’s back, I am mostly recovered, and our regular decor is back in place. 

As much as I love Christmas decor, it feels good to have a clean, minimal living room again. All of my plants are back in place, we hung up some new artwork, and added wireless sconces above our mantle that pull everything together and brighten up the room.

 #homedecor #christmasdecor #takingdownchristmas #cozy #cozyhome #moderntraditional #modernvintage #thrifted #thrifteddecor #collectedhome
New year, new cleaning routine✨ If you’re decl New year, new cleaning routine✨ If you’re decluttering and refreshing your space, don’t forget to make it smell just as fresh with a DIY linen or room spray made with essential oils. 🌿 Not only is it non-toxic and better for the planet than store-bought aerosol sprays, but it’s also budget-friendly. Plus, you can customize the scent to your liking—whether you’re all about calming lavender or a citrus burst to start your day. 🌱 

Visit the blog for the full recipe and scent suggestions🤍 #SustainableLiving #DIYLinenSpray #EssentialOils #NonToxicHome #NewYearCleaning
We live in an old house with very little overhead We live in an old house with very little overhead lighting, so we needed to add a little more light to make our Christmas mantle come to life. I also added some fresh herbs and greenery from our yard with the help of my sweet pup, Juno🤍 #christmas #christmasdecor #christmasdecorating #manteldecor #christmasmantel #homedecor #home
Making lemon ginger turmeric shots today as our fa Making lemon ginger turmeric shots today as our family is fighting our first major cold of the season.  They are my go-to immune-boosting, antioxidant-packed drink that gets me through winter when our kids seem to bring home every possible variation of cold and flu. (A few weeks ago, it was scarlet fever—scarlet fever! What is this, the 1700s?)

These immunity shots combine:

Lemon for a hefty dose of vitamin C
Ginger, a powerful anti-inflammatory
Turmeric, another anti-inflammatory 
A touch of maple syrup for sweetness
A crack of black pepper to activate curcumin, turmeric’s potent antioxidant
Stay ahead of the winter colds and read the blog for the full recipe! 

#LifeWithKids #AlwaysSick #LemonGingerImmunityShots #lemongingerturmeric
I thought I was finished with our Christmas mantel I thought I was finished with our Christmas mantel, but it needed one more thing. Part two coming tomorrow 🤍 #christmas #manteldecor #christmas2024 #christmasdecor #newblogger #diyhomedecor
Bows make everything prettier. #putabirdonit #chri Bows make everything prettier. #putabirdonit #christmas #christmas2024 #bowseason #bow #christmasdecor
It's hard to pick my favorite Christmas DIY this y It's hard to pick my favorite Christmas DIY this year, but these flocked ornaments are definitely near the top of the list. What is flocking? Flocking is similar to velvet in appearance and texture, but unlike velvet, which is a woven fabric, flocking is made from small, short fibers called "flock" which are adhered to a surface with an adhesive.

The full tutorial on my blog breaks down how to make them using simple materials most people already have at home—acrylic paint and baking soda. Comment "ornament" below, and I'll send you the link to the tutorial. #flockedornaments  #christmas2024 #Christmas #christmasdecorideas #ChristmasDecor #flocked #christmasdiy #DIYInspiration #christmascrafting
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