So hands up who has already broken their 2017 New Years resolution?! There is seriously no shame in that, and anyway aren’t resolutions meant to be broken? Last year I did manage to successfully Dry January, but this year my plan is to get my apartment in order. I have managed to do quite a bit since we moved in and it’s almost there, just a few bits I’d like to switch up before it becomes our perfect Hong Kong retreat.

Running with this theme I thought I’d share my New Years resolutions for the home. What are yours?

1. Clear Out!

Not clear out of the home of course. But it’s the same story for many; we live in Hong Kong where there is limited space, and yet we still manage to accumulate a lot of stuff – especially after the onslaught of Christmas gifts! I actually wrote a short piece on how to de-clutter that has some great starter tips which you can read here.

2. Home Admin

Get all your documents and bills in order. Recently, a colleague of mine confessed that she tends to throw all her bills and important documents into one drawer – and has never gone through it in the three years she’s been living here! If you have a draw like that you might want to take some time to go through it, throwing out and safely disposing of all bills and documents that you no longer need and are out of date. Then go through what’s left and organise them into separate plastic wallets.

3. Save on Utilities and Be Green

I’d really like to cut down on that unnecessary energy usage where possible this year.  That includes water, electric and gas. I’m going to make sure we use only what we need and employ energy efficiency strategies e.g. switching all my light bulbs to energy efficient ones and timing our morning showers.

4. Become an Urban Gardener

This sort of fits into point three, but I’d really like to get a small urban garden on the go. Somewhere I can host a few herbs and maybe even some small tomatoes. With food insecurity a global concern it would be great if I could show my support for the issue from my humble balcony.

5. Recycle or Upcycle Old Furniture

I recently changed my dining room table and struggled to sell the old one.  Don;t forget that if you have second-hand furniture you can donate it to a number of organisations in Hong Kong including Green Dot, Crossroads Foundation and Remar Hong Kong and even if you are looking for something new, you can find a good selection of second hand furniture at 2^nd Chance Hong Kong.

Let me know what your home resolutions are.

Have a great weekend.