I’m Joy Loving Ridenour. Yes, that is my real name. I’d post my birth certificate as proof but I think sharing that type of personal identification on-line is generally frowned upon. Loving is actually an old family name, but why my parents chose to pair it with Joy is anyone’s guess. They say they just liked it and swear they weren’t hippies. I was born in 1972 and we had an avocado green VW bus, so you be the judge! Anyway, with a name like that I decided to embrace it! I really do believe in looking for the positives in every situation. Cultivating joy in our home has always been a goal of ours and I think our marriage and kids reflect this choice.
I have been married to my high school sweetheart for nearly 25 years. We have four fantastic kids, and it is our passion as a family to travel any chance we can. We have been able to share experiences as diverse as the magic of Disney and Harry Potter, to watching a mama grizzly and her cubs in Yellowstone. It is hard to pick one favorite experience, but our most recent trip, a WWII focused tour through five countries in Europe, ranks right up there.
After a short teaching career, I was blessed to be a SAHM (stay-at-home mom) to our four kids born within seven years. Those early days were wonderful and busy. Our house was my last priority as children grow so quickly and I didn’t want to miss a minute.
Once the kids were all school age, I imagined having loads of time to prioritize my home and finally get it in order. However, it was during these years of volunteering and shuttling kids to various activities that I traded in my SAHM title for OTGM (on-the-go mom). I wasn’t home long enough to work on it. In fact, I would actually come up for air at the end of particularly busy weeks and wonder how in the world the house and minivan had gotten so bad!
Now that my kids are older and starting to help with the driving, I am finally focusing on my home as a place to relax and refuel the family each day. While researching the best ways to get my house in order, I would see image after image of Pinterest perfect homes that looked dreamy, but unrealistic to my reality. I would read stories of professional organizers who grew up organizing their toys and craving order in their surroundings…I just couldn’t relate.
I was sure there were people like me out there who could understand how to organize but just couldn’t seem to get it done. One’s who just couldn’t get started or would start but come across a situation that didn’t fit the guidelines and get stuck. So I decided to start Joy Loving Home as a way to be that solution for people just like me.
My goal with Joy Loving Home is to help women who have struggled with keeping order in their homes to find solutions that really work for them. I do believe your home is more than a place, it’s a feeling. I want to help you achieve the feeling you desire for your home. If you desire a home that is relaxed and lived in, you can achieve that! If you want a home where there are places for everything and it is so simple that you actually put things back after you use them, you can achieve that! If you want to be running out the door and know exactly where your keys, your returns, and your kid’s permission slip is, you can achieve that!
I know I can help you because I have been there, I have lived it, I have seen worse than whatever you have going on and I have a heart to find a real sustainable solution for you. Is my house perfect now? No, not by a long shot. But I am learning more every day and am enjoying the journey of finally making my home a priority. I hope you will join me.
I want you to decide to put yourself and your family first on your list by prioritizing a home that serves you. Decide that you deserve a house that feels relaxing and not stressful! Decide that you are worth the investment!
It is time to choose,