Putting up a Christmas tree in a tiny house requires some creativity. For us, it involves moving the chair I typically sit in out of the living room, so the tree can inhabit that space. In order to do that, we have to find space in another room to store my chair. This year, the chair displaced a chest of drawers in another room, and that chest took up residence in our kitchen, where we had a broken sewing machine stand that did nothing but collect clutter (and is now relegated to our barn).

All this to say, the look of our home changes a lot during the holidays.

My husband always offers to give up his usual spot in the living room, but I like my temporary relocation. My new seat (on the couch) not only lets me see our mantel and Christmas tree, but also the side of the room I usually face away from – and it’s darn pretty! I get to see my desk and work space, our front window, and the curio shelf that hold all the jars and bottles and tins where I store my favorite crafting supplies. Of course, seeing all those things inspires me to use them and I end up being part of the picture, instead of just admiring it. What could be better?

We all have “our seat” in at least one aspect of our lives and our point of view is shaped by that place of comfort and familiarity.

Perhaps a good new year’s resolution would be to change our literal or metaphorical seat and view something from a different perspective next year? You may find it requires you to move your chair to another room entirely, so you’re forced to sit somewhere else. Then, if you like what you see, get up and become part of it. If you don’t, get up and change it.

And, no matter the size of your space, may you be inspired by what surrounds you!