2012 Home Goals

I stumbled upon this post over at Nesting Place and just can't help but get excited! What a great idea to not only lay out plans for the year but share them with everyone (it'll make me a heck of a lot more accountable, I can tell you that).

The Nester posed a few questions - to get the juices flowing - and I just couldn't resist answering a couple of them here. If you don't mind indulging me for a minute, I'll share my goals as soon as I'm done, promise!

What’s my favorite room in my house? Why? Easy, it's my living room - We practically live there. It's where we eat, where I blog, where we watch TV, where we entertain...  and it's home to all my favorite chairs!

How and where does my family hang out together?  What’s working for that room? What’s annoying in that room? We spend so much time in the living room that it's about time it learned to multi-task. The openness of the main floor is my favorite part of the room but it also means that a mess can be seen from miles away. Remote controllers, laptops, electrical cords, and dirty dishes are on display when they really shouldn't be.

Is there something in my home I want to do but I’m afraid?  What if I take that risk? What’s the worst that can happen? Paint my spare room purple, add a patterned feature wall to the entrance (chevron perhaps?), install graphic wallpaper anywhere - maybe a metallic? My procrastination isn't as much an issue of fear but that I can't decide what to do first!

Am I neglecting my home and not putting money into something that is needed?  Am I squandering money on something I don’t need or enjoy? We've discussed travel (backpacking before we "settle down") and as a result our house has been neglected a smidgen. It's difficult to invest in a place that you may need to rent out at some point but that instability is no reason to completely give up. Will I be investing in new stone counters for the kitchen? No, but a can of paint here or there? Bring it on!

Now for the Main Feature... 2012, here I come!

1. Spare Time for the Spare Room

There's one space that's been neglected more than any other in our home, it doesn't mean we love it less than the other rooms, it just hasn't been a priority, until now. Our storage area second bedroom needs some TLC starting with a clean sweep of the "stuff" we've hidden there. A new coat of paint, some functional furniture, and we will reclaim a whopping 120 square feet!

2. Donate, Donate, Donate

Somehow, our empty house from February 2010 is bursting at the seams. Two downsizing grandparents, passing down "treasures", can do that. I want to differentiate between whatI'm holding onto for me and what I'm holding onto for other people, then find a way to give it a new lease on life.

3. Cut the Cord

Electrical cords serve a purpose but I'm tired of looking at them. Also, laptop cords hurt when you trip on them or step on the little adapter box-thingy (technical term, if you were wondering). I'll consider it a win if we can get in the habit of putting all the computer trinkets away after use.

4. Accept the Imprefections

This is a toughy for me - I've always been a bit of a perfectionist - but life is more fun when you aren't absorbed in the small stuff. I'm going to accept that my house wont look like a magazine because real people live here and stop apologizing for it to guests.

I love hearing what everyone else has up their sleeves so I'm really excited for the link party at Nesting Place - I'll link to it so you can check it out too if you so desire. In the meantime, please share your goals for 2012, home related or not, I'd love to read them!

Enjoy!

Calli