Why you should have living things in your home

Since we’ve recently moved I have made a concerted effort to bring living things into our home and to plant living things outside. We’ve started a compost bin and worm farm. Well, we’ve put worm eggs in the compost, anyway. Tomato plants and herbs, climbing ivy and succulents. I am sort of addicted to it and love how inviting and warm the home feels with living things around.

I actually remember telling my college boyfriend that I thought flowers were a waste of time because they just up and die so, you know, may as well get me something more permanent like jewelry. While in reality that is true, it just reminds me of how much I’ve changed since then. Now and again my husband will come home with flowers and I love it.

1.  Living things are alive.

I know. Can you believe how deep I’ve become in 2014? There is something very special about taking care of something that, without your time and attention, will not make it. A plant will die if you don’t water it, or if you water it too much. Weeds will take over your garden if you don’t watch it. Taking care of living things snaps us out of our digital world for a few minutes and requires us to act. I love my smart phone as much as the next person, but sometimes I feel literally ill when I’ve been looking at screens for too long. I love watering, pruning and taking care of the living things in and outside of our home.

2. They give your children something to learn and do. 

I brought my little troopers to the hardware store and we picked up children’s watering cans. They love them and have a good time filling them up and, well, just pouring them out. They water the plants, the sandbox and their cars. They play with the shovels and talk about how the tomatoes are green. It has become a normal part of our day to go outside and do the rounds. I think gardening can be something that even very young children can do as part of their chores. Chores are a reach for very small ones, but even having them follow you around and watch what you are doing will open up their understanding.

3. They freshen up a space. 

Did you know that one rule of decorating is that there needs to be something living in every room or area? True story. I devour DIY and decorating blogs, and you’ll rarely see a picture of a nice looking room or area that doesn’t have a plant or three. Now that I’ve mentioned it start looking for them when you watch TV or movies. Rooms that have a comfortable and cozy feel have flowers or plant life.

4. They connect us to our planet. 

Since becoming a stay at home mom I’ve been on a steady but gradual journey to Crunchville. I still drink Diet Coke and buy store-bought deodorant so they wouldn’t let me in the VIP club just yet, but I’m getting there. I love plucking some basil and adding it to my pasta sauce. I love picking and eating tomatoes. I love seeing an issue with a plant, investigating a solution, and watching it flourish afterwards. Nowadays people can wake up and go to sleep without ever having spent more than a few minutes outside, going from the house to the car. Too much TV, too much computer, too much smartphone viewing and not nearly enough nature. When you have flowers and plants you are maintaining some form of connection with real things. Fiber optic cables are real things, too, but they are taking over our world. A world full of living and beautiful things.

When Bouqs contacted me about reviewing a bouquet I immediately knew I wanted to send it to a mommy of 3 expecting one more. I spent a while on the site (which is beautiful) and finally narrowed it down to a bouquet called Baby New Year, since this particular mommy was expecting. Turns out, the flowers were delivered the day she went into labor and had her fourth daughter. Perfect timing, I’d say!

The flowers are fresh from eco-friendly farms on a volcano (I climbed a volcano in Mexico once) and are quickly becoming the go-to flower delivery service online. If you register with Bouqs today you can receive 20% off your first order including shipping. So if you are remembering someone you forgot a Christmas gift for or wondering what you can send to a friend far away, flowers are beautiful and don’t add to a home’s clutter count, but do add some life.