Things for 2011.

I never make any New Year's Resolutions for the simple reason that I never seem to be able to stick to them.  I always say 'This year I'll x,y,z...And I MEAN it this time..." But it never happens.  The only year I succeeded in keeping my resolutions was when I decided to drink more, start smoking and bite my fingernails.  That was a good year.  The moral of this story then?  I'm going to put into words my New Year's Resolutions, and then call them something else.  Simple.
So.  Things for 2011 then.
First of all (and I really, really mean it this time) I need to get myself more organised.  I think the only way to do this is to figure out just how much actual stuff I have, how much of it I use, and how much of it I like.  We have no loft space in our apartment, but we do have a large, walk-in cupboard built right into the eaves.  Last year Mr E built bespoke shelving with the intention of coralling all the 'stuff' that ends up in there.  I don't even know what's in there any more.
This cupboard is number one on the list.  It will be neat, it will be useful.  It will contain blissfully folded towells, stacks of neat, ironed sheets in bundles ready to be grabbed should we have unexpected guests.  It will huose the emergency food and tools, it will, in short, be amazing.

This cupboard will then start a chain reaction, I feel.  Although everything is always 'away' in our apartment, nothing really has a home (except the rice crispies).  We have enough storage, but everything always seems to be in the wrong place.  Hopefully, when the cupboard is sorted, the Christmas china can go up there, freeing up space in the dining room for the lesser used casserole dishes and cake tins, freeing up space in the kitchen for...you get the picture.  Hopefully having a coherent plan of HOW we use the apartment will help us to understand where our stuff needs to be.

Secondly, I think we need to look at the stuff that we bring into the place, almost mindlessly sometimes.  I am terribly guilty of impulse buying, only for things to sit on a shelf somewhere before eventually being given to charity.  I therefore 'resolve' (whoops, oh well, it's down now) to think about every little thing I aquire, and not just grab everything that takes my fancy in TK Maxx.  If we need one and we don't have one I will buy one.  If we have one and I find a nice one, I will buy one-but give the old one away.  At one point last year, we had no fewer than FOUR yucky plastic measuring jugs, as well as one nice on and a glass one.  This is what I'm talking about.

I guess the mantra for 2011 is THINK!