Here are some ideas to get 2011 off to a good start on the home front.
Declutter: This one is a no-brainer but we all have areas which need attention when it comes to storing useless items, whether it is a drawer of bric-a-brac in the kitchen or a collection of near-empty paint tins in the shed or garage. Identify areas of your home that need decluttering and put some time aside to toss everything. Remember the golden rule of decluttering — if you don’t use it and you don’t love it, get rid of it. Make the most of your unwanted possessions — old clothes and household goods in good condition can be donated to a charity shop, while books, CDs, DVDs, etc, can be resold. Remember to dispose of chemicals responsibly; check with your local authority for details on how to dispose of such as paints, fertilisers, old medicines, cleaning agents, batteries, and other hazardous wastes.
Make a list of all the jobs that need doing around your home, and do them. The Arctic conditions last month gave Galwegians the opportunity to notice every draught and every deficiency in insulation in their homes. Get these sorted now and you will be amply prepared for next winter. Get some spring cleaning done as well — your kitchen may look clean but when is the last time you checked behind the fridge? Make a list of jobs, prioritise them, and work your way through them in the coming weeks.
Spruce up your home: Spend what you can afford to give your home a fresh new look. If, like many, what you can afford amounts to very little, remember you can do a surprising amount with little or no outlay. A fresh coat of paint will spruce any room. Experiment with moving furniture around — this can make all the difference to a room, and it’s free.
Start a vegetable garden: Whatever size your garden, you can create a small plot for easy to grow veg such as carrots, potatoes, and salad leaves. The simplest starter vegetables are onions and rocket, which grow as prolifically as any garden weed. You can pick up a propagator for a few euro and sow seeds now to plant out in February. If you lack the outside space for a plot, try growing your own herbs in a sunny kitchen window — then you can enjoy the fresh flavours of home-grown parsley, rosemary, and chives in your cooking all year.
