Resolving

It’s a new year, which means its time to make resolutions you wish you could keep. I’m going to strum a different resolution tune this year. Since I am a list person, I also like to cross things off my list when I’ve completed them. It makes me feel like I’m making progress, no matter how small. I feel productive and thus motivated to keep doing what I’m supposed to be doing. So these aren’t really “resolutions” for the new year. It’s more a To-Do list for the year.

- Finish ALL lingering projects taking up much needed space in my too-small house:
        ▪ picture frames that need to be spray painted
        ▪ organizing the bottom half of the linen cabinet
        ▪ list some old toys that have been sitting by my bed for the last 4+ months on Craigslist/Ebay
        ▪ mom’s subway art
        ▪ paint new bedroom furniture sitting in my parents’ garage
        ▪ I’m sure I’m forgetting a few that Hubby would be able to add…

- Spend Less -
        This is in any and all aspects, but for instance:
        ▪ Take my lunch to work.
        ▪ Don’t buy any coffee out because those $4 coffee x once a week = half of our electric bill (on a really good month).
        ▪ For all of the house sprucing that needs to happen (i.e. painting the living room & kitchen, fix the drapes in living & bedrooms, new blinds/shade in Will’s room, new throw pillows in the living room, etc.) make it a frugal/awesome DIY project.
        ▪ Cook 6 out of 7 days a week.
        ▪ Make gifts! It seems to be an expense that creeps out of nowhere and there’s at least one a month… It just means spending less & giving more because it’s from the heart and obviously that means it’s super awesome!

- Make the bed everyday -
        This may seem silly, but I feel better when, at the end of the day, I can at least go in my room and my bed is made. At least one thing got put away where it’s supposed to go. And I know Hubby enjoys coming home to it, too. But I find that it snowballs into other areas of the house because well, the bed is made, might as well fold the blankets on the sofa & put the mail away, etc. Which leads to my last to-do:

- Stay on Top of Clutter -
        There are times when the mail & other paper work becomes an ominous mountain on all flat surfaces in my house. I avoid it like the plague & Hubby cringes every time he sees it. I let it go so long that it takes me a few hours or sometimes a whole day to go through it and put it away where it’s supposed to go because I’ve taken all the piles & dumped them on my desk. I could literally STAY on top of the clutter because it’s just so massive & ridiculous. So in an effort to drive my Hubby a little less insane & to keep our house neat & tidy, I’m going to try & put all our crap away where it’s supposed to go more regularly.

What’s on your 2012 To-Do list? Got any big plans or ideas you want to accomplish this year? I’m excited for this year. It’s going to be a GREAT one!