It’s my favorite time of year! The Parade of Homes season has begun in Colorado Springs, thanks to the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs, and some sponsors. For the first two and a half weeks of August, 21 new houses are showcased to the public for only $10 a ticket. There is a wide variety in prices, number of square feet and styles of decor. Residents of Colorado are seeing the work of designers, contractors and interior decorators, and finding how so many details come together to create a home’s atmosphere.

This is my third year touring the houses, and it’s something my mother and I have looked forward to all year. There’s different levels of commitment for Parade goers, as some trek to the sites multiple times, hitting each at least once, and voting for the favorite in each category after taking notes and having the utmost seriousness. Then casual fans may hit a number of houses, but never go too far out of their way. My mom and I are somewhere in the middle, hitting almost every site, and grabbing an extra ticket for an interchangeable extra family member to join us when possible.

There’s a new sense of community in getting to explore the locations around you. I only learned a few days ago that there are lake houses around Monument in an area that has only been opened since last Fall? Why didn’t I find this out sooner?

You’ll also learn a lot about yourself on your home-touring journey. You start putting pieces together from your favorite rooms, and realize your favorite color scheme. You’ll realize how much you have an eye for detail, and if you aren’t the best at discerning what small things you like, you’ll definitely be able to discover what you don’t. Among the 27 houses trying to stand out, set up like formal magazine pictures, and trying to show a variety of less common features so you land on “The One,” you can quickly build your list of “Nope, I’m not doing that in my future house.”

While comparing houses, you’ll find the details that appear as houses get more and more expensive. You might find the point in your tastes where expensive elegance loses the home feel and becomes more like a hotel or waiting room for a ski lodge. It’s fun to compare your turning point with others.

If you’re like me, and go multiple years, you can start comparing trends that come up from year to year. Unless you are seriously involved in interior decoration, you would never guess the little trends that pop up and change each season. They only start with counter tops, and the shade of moldings, but can go to the entire layout of a master bedroom.

After seeing my fair share of houses I’ve collected a few tips. First and foremost, try not to see too many houses in one day. The details start to blur together, and some houses may be forgotten altogether. That said, don’t be afraid to revisit your favorite houses. A couple of my favorite houses I can remember vividly from years ago, because I was sure to see them more than once — usually because they were spectacular enough to bring a family member back to. You’re going to see quite a few houses that don’t spark your interest, be sure to make your dream house easier to remember against them.

Those little blue booties you put over your shoes to not dirty the new floor? Those don’t work well with your summer flip flops.Your best bet is non-flip flop flats that you can get easily in and out of. This is because, if the house permits, or if there aren’t any booties left, you should totally go barefoot. It’s adding another layer of texture to the house, and will help you remember it better. You’ll see how soft the rugs are, and realize how cold uncarpeted basement floors will be if you don’t commit to socks. Plus you'll feel way more at home.

Lastly, take pictures of details or rooms you like. You never know what you’ll remember and what you won’t. If you take too many pictures of sinks that you actually don’t like as much as you thought you did, you can always delete them.

At first my mom and I thought that walking around the parade home might make it harder to come home to our own house. It doesn’t have all the superb features of that million-dollar home we saw. It doesn’t have the perfect bedroom color scheme, and isn’t that easy to toss everything aside and redo everything we admired.

Yet, after walking through houses and automatically getting a sense for what you love about a house, you’ll find an all new appreciation for your house. My ceilings are higher than expected, and the space is more open. And my sinks? They are a super bright white. I would definitely appreciate them in a model home. The parade can inspire you to decorate your house, more than it can overwhelm. Especially when you break everything down into details with your newly trained eye.