Happy New Year!

For me, the New Year always felt more applicable to the start of each school year. New outfits, books, pens, etc. But not having been in school for a few years I suppose my New Year must commence on January 1st like the rest of the world. And like everyone else, I made some resolutions even though I am not so great at keeping them. So, rather then trying to change everything about myself (diet, exercise) I'm going to attempt to change the things around me.

That's where The January Cure comes in. The folks at Apartment Therapy have put together a plan to help their readers. They "believe that when your home is under control, fresh, clean and organized, good things happen throughout your life." And I couldn't agree more. Those who follow the rules of Feng Shui say that a cluttered home leads to a cluttered mind. 

The first thing to do was make a project list. I walked around the apartment and tried to be critical yet constructive about all the things I saw that needed fixing. And because I could go on forever, I could only list 3-4 things per room and only take about an hour to notice it all. Here's my list:

Kitchen

• wash walls/floor boards
• declutter "dump areas"
• clean oven

Hallway

• wash walls/floor boards
• declutter bags to be recycled or donated

Bedroom

• sort boxes
• build CD/DVD tower and store media
• vacuum under bed

Living Room

• Couch/TV area needs to be better organized
• clean scuff marks off floor
• wash curtains/window

Bathroom

• fix toilet paper dispenser
• under sink clean out

I realized that I could take care a lot of these bullet points by just getting dirty and employing some elbow grease. For some reason my floor boards are filthy and a quick vacuum or wipe down won't do. And since it's a problem in most rooms I can just get 'er done and feel like I've accomplished so much. 

But before I get ahead of myself, the first weekend of The January Cure was to to get flowers, do the floors and get stocked up on green cleaners. Getting flowers during a cold spell in January is tougher then I thought but I understand the appeal and need to brighten things up. Tackling the floors also helps establish a starting point. And each day there is a new assignment but I like the fact that they allow you to catch up if you've missed something or give you time to reflect.

Yesterday's assignment was to Get a Fresh Perspective in Just 10 Minutes!! I sat in my living room by the couch and TV and noticed all the little odds and ends we keep displayed. Perhaps I need to add a display case to my Project List? At least it would help with the overall problem of clutter. 

To be continued…