As August winds down, there's still time to savor the best of summer in St. Tammany Parish. This week's newsletter focuses on two timely topics: making the most of our local culinary scene and preparing your home for the changing seasons.

Don't miss your last chance to experience the 7th annual Tammany Taste of Summer before it concludes. Then, learn practical strategies for refreshing your living spaces as we transition into fall.

From final summer indulgences to home optimization tips, I'm providing valuable insights to enhance both your palate and your living environment, with a side of market updates.

As always, your resource for everything real estate,

^Nicole

Get ready for a culinary adventure as the 7th annual Tammany Taste of Summer returns to St. Tammany Parish! This exciting event, sponsored by Visit The Northshore, invites both locals and visitors to explore the region's vibrant food scene.

Participating restaurants along The Northshore will showcase their best dishes, offering you a chance to discover hidden gems that embrace the good life, nourish your heart with delectable local cuisine, and season your soul with the flavors of summer. Don't miss this opportunity to create memories that are shore to be savored. Join us for a taste of The Northshore's finest and experience the culinary delights that make our community truly special.

Mark your calendars and bring your appetite – there is still time to indulge in the Tammany Taste of Summer!

Here’s a list of restaurants you can visit.

Now more than ever we need our homes to be a sanctuary, a place where we can feel safe and find joy. I will help you do just that! Over the next few weeks, we’ll talk abut different areas and ways to define and utilize your home. And most importantly, you will learn what steps you can take to improve your home’s health, functionality, and freshness. You’ll find some easy and simple ideas that don’t cost much but could have a big impact.

It’s understandable if some of you may have decided it’s time to move — to which I say I’d love to help! But today’s topic is perfect for those of you staying in your current home.

Finding Our Happy and Functional Home

To create a happy and healthy home, it’s essential that your home functions well. Without that, disorganization and stress can take over daily life. 

Fortunately, you don’t need a massive renovation—just a few inspiring, inexpensive steps can help you better organize and rethink how you use your home’s spaces.

How Do You Really Live?

Start by understanding how you live in your home - This will help you pinpoint any issues or conflicts. Here’s how:

• Examine room usage. Figure out how each room is used. Get input from everyone in your home, including kids and how your pets behave. You might find that some rooms have multiple purposes, like a dining room that doubles as a craft area or a guest bedroom that’s mostly used for storage.

• Track daily habits. Look at how your mornings, afternoons, and evenings are spent in each room. Details matter - whether it's enjoying coffee on the porch, or taking naps on the living room couch!

• Identify problem areas. Discuss what works and what doesn’t. Couples in small spaces might clash over shared areas, families might struggle with toys overtaking the living room, and homeowners needing a more accessible home can consider Universal Design (UD) solutions for more user-friendly spaces.

Reimagine Your Space

Don’t get stuck on traditional room uses. It’s okay to rethink how rooms are used since there’s no rulebook! Here are some scenarios that you might be facing:

•  You’re living in this fuzzy grey area with no clear purpose. You’re not using a room for what it was designed for but you can’t bring yourself to accept that yet. Because you haven’t fully embraced its use, the room is unorganized since it doesn’t know what it is or should be. By redefining this room, you can transform it so that if functions better for your actual needs. 

  Most formal dining rooms fall into this category. Even though you might love the look of a formal dining space, you don’t use it very often for dining. It’s become a de facto home office instead. Maybe you can create a better home office space there for the majority of the time and then can quickly convert it to a dining room on the few occasions you are hosting. 

• You need extra space pronto and willing to be creative. To solve your space issues, you need to reimagine a room and convert it to something else, either for an extended or shorter period of time. 

  Again, let’s look at the formal dining room. Maybe it’s the safest place for your toddlers to play right now and it’s sitting unused. Good-bye hardly used dining room furniture and hello playroom and toys! As your kids get older, you can convert it back to a dining room. Or, what about an entry room closet that will do better as an actual easy-access mudroom — remove the door, remove the rod to put up hooks, and then baskets for storage.

That’s a good start! Just taking these steps will have you moving in the right direction. Next week, we’ll talk about reclaiming spaces and organizing. Hope this helps!