I like to start off the new year with an organized home, so in December, while everyone else was throwing parties for the holidays, I embarked on a cosmetic remodel. Paint, rearranging, and changing up accessories and artwork are cheapest way to breathe new life in to your existing home. Over the course of a few weeks I repainted the interior, cleaned the floors, brought in new rugs (we used FLOR modular carpet tiles, which are great fun to work with), and hung new artwork, including my own photographic prints. I also added a bookshelf and media center with better organization for books and artwork. The process forced me to remove a bunch of clutter and see the house with fresh eyes. In the end, when your house is clean, fresh and organized, you'll find your mind will be calmer, and you can focus better on other aspects of your life. If you want to pick up this tradition, here are a few resources for you.

Finding Yourself in the Kitchen is a book written by a friend of mine, Dana Velden. It's a book of essays on being mindful in the kitchen. It's not a cookbook, though she does include some of her favorite recipes in the book.

Spark Joy by Marie Kondo is a popular book on how to declutter and organize your home. Not every task is fun; the trick is to find the inner joy in doing each task.

Tidying up daily is the key for the rest of the year. Life has a way of keeping us very busy, so breaking up the work over the week is very useful. I find these little task meditative, and who couldn't use a little calm in our life these days?

Of course, if you want a real fresh start in a whole new home, then I'm here to help with that as well!

Photo by Steve Larkin, on Flickr via Creative Commons