2013 Resolutions for Your Home

2012 is over. Hello 2013. As with every year, a blank page has been turned and we are ready to write a great story for 2013. Personally, I have some resolutions that I have all of the hope of the new year that I can accomplish. All of it has to do with trying to be a better me and living a better life. One of the areas that needs help is my house. I thought I would share my resolutions with you. Maybe, they can be yours too.

Home Resolution #1 - Pick one task a month to keep my home safe and in good shape
Ok so this one isn't as fun or exciting as say changing the color of a room or buying a new sofa, but it's important to do your home maintenance. One way I can accomplish this is to give myself a task every month. Say this month I do an inventory for insurance purposes, next month install a programmable thermostat, and March can be replacing batteries and/or checking smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. You get the picture.

Borrowed this checklist from dspInspections.com

Home Resolution #2 - Resolve to bring home only those things that I truly love
This is a hard one for me. I have a hard time finding that one piece so I just get something that will do in the meantime, especially if it's on sale. Do you do this too? Stop! Don't do that this year. Instead, if you find something either put it on hold or make sure you can return it. That's what I will do. Usually, if it's something I can't live without I will keep thinking about it. Otherwise, I let it go to another good home.

I've had my eye on this table for a while. It's not even expensive. I'm gettin' it @ IKEA

Home Resolution #3 - Don't rush it - decorating takes time
This goes hand-in-hand with Resolution #2. I can't just buy stuff to fill a room. I have to be considerate in my decisions. Do you agree? You have to carefully consider what you really want - or find someone like myself to help you decide what you really want - and work towards that. Most of the time you can make do with less until you find those truly great pieces. In the meantime, use Pinterest to keep track of those things that you are considering for your space. It is a great tool for this.

Using Pinterest is a great way to organize items of interest.

Home Resolution #4 - Eliminate clutter and get organized
I have had help in this area in the past (Irene Zaso from OASIS - thank you again!) and it's a great way to get started. We took one area of my house (with Irene it was the laundry room and office) clear it out. You can do a smaller area though, like your desktop or linen closet and tackle that once a week. Bigger areas once a month. I personally struggle with this one, especially after the holidays when it seems like my house has been taken over by a toy store. However, your home cannot shine if it's buried under piles of toys, papers, etc. Trust me. I know this from personal experience as I struggle to remove the piles of things around me right now. This tip-of-the-week article has helped me too.

This is from Pottery Barn. 

Home Resolution #5 - Don't let a small or non-existent budget prevent the decorating of a space
There are many budget-friendly decorative solutions for almost any decorating dilemma. For me it often means moving things around and trying to find new homes for things that are hiding in closets or in other rooms. For relatively few dollars you can paint (which I plan to do), slipcover (I can't sew, but if you can this is a great option), or reinvent furniture from garage sales, thrift stores or relatives' attics. If you need a spruce up, but have no money to spend how about do a home decorating exchange with your friends? They probably have pillows, artwork, even paint that can be exchanged. It's a fun way of getting rid of the things that no longer fit in your home and replace it with something you like from a friend.

This is a great website with information for using what you have to redecorate your home.

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Copyright 2012, Cristina Mullins Interiors.