Home > Articles > Life and Living > Wiping the Slate Clean
Wiping the Slate Clean
Clear out your home
This is the time to clear out kitchen cupboards, wardrobes, lofts, cellars and garages, wherever you may have 'stuff'. Sort out, sell or give away anything and everything that's past its sell by date, and this can be literal. I've discovered things lurking at the back of my fridge that were, well, quite a bit out of date!
Spit 'n Polish
I come from a tradition of working class women who kept immaculate homes. It was a matter of personal pride and self-respect that their homes looked cared for, polished and shiny. While I can't claim to do all my own cleaning, living in a clean, comfortable home is a priority. Having cleared out what's not staying, you'll find cleaning the empty spaces so much easier. And, this shouldn't be drudgery.
Slap those new cds on, dress comfortably and get going. And enlist the help of everyone over the age of 6!
Love what's left
Ensure that you love what's left, even if it's an empty space. Look around you and begin to make your home what someone once called, 'a glimpse of heaven'. It doesn't all have to be heavenly, but pockets of it must be, like your bathroom and bedroom.
Make an inventory of anything that needs servicing or repairing and make arrangements to get it done.
Tie-up loose ends
Here's the psychological bit. Make a list of loose ends, unfinished business that nags you, creeps into your mind when you least expect it, things that need sorting, resolving.
What do you need to do to tidy them up so they're are laid to rest?
It could be picking up the phone and arranging lunch or dinner with someone you haven't seen for six months. Or it could be admitting, to yourself, that there are some, 'long-lost' people that you don't really want to maintain? You may have to give yourself permission to let them go, without nagging yourself to call them.
Is there someone you need to make your peace with? It's not too late to give someone a poinsetta!
Say Thank-You
Thank everyone around you for their support and contribution in the past year. It's that simple. You may have already done this with Christmas presents, but have a think about anyone else.
by Fiona Harrold
