Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions For Your Home

Dear Vicki,

Can you help me kick start 2014 with suggestions on how to keep my home in tip-top shape all year long? –  Signed, Plucky

Dear Plucky,

I love a Top Ten List, so here are my 2014 New Year’s Resolutions for Home Improvement.

#1  Plunder the Piles-  Uncover those few useful pieces of paper in the stacks and file them. Toss the rest.  Start the year with clean desks, tables, and counters.   #2  One Good Splurge- Is there something you see or touch every day that is of poor quality?  Whether it be a kitchen knife or a front door handle, give it an upgrade. I promise it will make you smile every day.   #3  A New Coat of Paint-  New interior or exterior paint looks and feels clean.  It’s the single best improvement you can make.   #4  Tackle the Toys-  Here’s how you do it- wait until the kids are at school or at grandma’s. Sell or donate a third of the toys. If, and that’s if, your kiddo asks about a missing toy? Change the subject. Their attention spans are surprisingly short.   #5  Safety First- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should get fresh batteries in January.  Don’t have them?  Run, don’t walk, to Ace Hardware.   #6  Plant Something Green-   Make friends with the folks at your local Whitfill, Moon Valley, and Harpers Nurseries. Plant people are good people, that’s a fact.   #7  Save the Earth-  Well, at least be more energy efficient with new bulbs and low flow showers. Turn off the lights and unplug the electronics.  Hey, saving energy saves money too!   #8  Keep it Company Ready-  Every day:  make the bed, stack the dishwasher, throw clothes in the hamper, toss the junk mail. Keep it simple, silly.   #9  Enlist the Troops- Don’t feel like you need to go it alone. You are not the maid and everyone needs to do their part around the house.   #10  Accept the Things You Cannot Change-  While resolutions are exciting, they can be hard to keep. Forgive yourself when the piles start appearing again because they will. Luckily, 2015 is just around the corner.

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