3 Ways to Make A House A Home

This post was inspired by a partnership with P&G, and the Walmart gift cards and information have been provided by P&G. It was always so special to go to Grandma’s house. From time to time it could be a little rough riding in the backseat with my sister, but the four-hour-ride was always worth it once we pulled into that long driveway. We couldn’t wait to open the front door, breathe in that delicious smell, and run our bare feet across her carpet.  I’m not saying every grandparent has a cozy, great-smelling house. Often to the contrary, many homes of older people smell like mothballs and the plastic sidewalk down the hall. My other grandmother’s house smelled like cigarettes and Tammy Faye records. However, my Grandma Smith’s house always smelled great and made me feel good…and it still does after forty years!

As adults, we often discover the things we love in life and look for ways to recreate them. Whether it’s music that our parents enjoyed, or a recipe handed down from a friend, we hold on to tastes and smells that make us feel comfortable. Long ago I began to dissect my grandmother’s formula and try and understand what her house possessed that others were lacking. It wasn’t just one thing that made her house so clean and safe, but a combination of small habits that worked together to produce the perfect result. This easy list of ideas will get you started and pointed in the right direction when it comes to grandmotherly home freshness.

Ways To Make Your House A Home Like Grandma’s

1. Laundry Detergent– The choice and subsequent smell of items washed in laundry detergent, permeate and influence the entire house. Our clothes smelled great at home, as did the linens, but there was something special about ways clothes would smell at Grandma’s. She always used Tide liquid laundry detergent and you could smell the difference. As an adult, I have often used cheaper, generic brands, but the use of a quality detergent product like Tide will make your entire house smell like Grandma’s.
2. Quality toilet paper: While this is another place where it may seem safe to skimp and save money, Grandma would never lower her standard of excellence. As opposed to the public school quality I’ve been known to occasionally use in my home, Grandma always used Charmin Ultra Strong. It may not seem like much, but we begin to associate pleasure with place over time. How do you want people to remember your house?
3. Kitchen Smell: No matter where you were in my Grandma’s house, you could smell what was happening in the kitchen. As the dishes for one meal were being done, something was already beginning to stew on the burners. Whether it was cornbread or butter beans, the smell of delicious southern cooking washed through everything.

Everything needed to make your house feel and smell as great as a grandparent’s home is at Walmart. While you are going to add your own personal touches, like with the bacon and garlic that I use as incense in my home, a few standards must be maintained. Adhere to this list and you may create a space where families come to make their memories. I was able to purchase all of the above items as part of the Stock and Save event at Walmart. From now until Thursday, April 30, 2015 you can purchase your favorite P&G products with amazing savings. I stocked up on toilet paper and laundry detergent, but here is the complete list so you can grab what you need.

• Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent
• Tide Simply Clean and Fresh Liquid Laundry Detergent
• Charmin Ultra Soft or Ultra Strong Toilet Paper
• Bounty Mega Roll Select-A-Size Paper Towels
• Luvs Super Absorbent Diapers
• Pampers Swaddlers Huge Pack
• Tampax Pearl Plastic, Super Absorbency
• Always Ultra Thin Long Super Unscented Pads
• Always Discreet Maximum Underwear
• Always Discreet Moderate Regular Length Pads

Makobi Scribe is also hosting a $25 Walmart gift card provided by P&G. Enter on the GT form below:

Entry Form