We romanticize mavericks, and secretly relish the image of rebels or non-conformist, but home at night in our bunny slippers, deep down, we crave order, yearn for accomplishments, and welcome new beginnings.  YUP, it’s what we really, really want.

This week saw the first day of the month, a new quarter, the start of the second half of the calendar, a new fiscal year….lot of markers for fresh starts!

Nearly a dozen newsletters greeted me this morning, and more have arrived every day since. No spam, none were unsolicited, the common focus was quality of life, including my newest favorite, The Valley Table-eating and living local here in the Hudson Valley (check it out and subscribe, it’s great-this issue has a Fair calendar!)

We all wrestle with the question of  making good choices, and how to make the most of each set of 24 hours. As a Stager and Decorator I see how profoundly our spaces affect us first-hand.

Whether thinking about buying, selling or just staying and improving your Westchester County property- here are my best suggestions for small projects to take on this long weekend that’ll make a BIG difference…MAYBE even help you get this song out of your head!

Clean out a closet:  and do some good!  Thrift shops abound locally, they’re great sources for general donations of items in good condition. Google for options in your area, and call ahead for summer hours, and that they’ll take what you want.  Consider Maizie’s Consignment for any unwanted designer duds, or donate current womens’  business wear to Career Closet in Briarcliff,  and in a bit of serendipity, Men’s Wearhouse Annual Suit Drive starts TODAY!

…Or a bookshelf:  Most any Westchester library will gladly accept your hardcover books, even CDs and DVDs for their fund-raising book sales, find them here.

Buy new towels or bed linens: Remember the last time you stayed in a hotel?  Chances are you were delighted by fresh, fluffy, matching towels; clean, crisp bed linens with nice plump bed pillows.  With all the discount home stores and holiday sales,  you can easily wake up to a new and wonderful space tomorrow, for not a lot of money. (Your old and mis-matched linens are welcomed at most animal shelters, too!)

Wash your windows: Clean windows improve your entire  outlook, no matter what.

Organize your work space. Whether it’s your desk, your work bench, your spice rack>an organized space is a happy space that clears the mind.

Paint something: The front door or shutters, the powder room, the garage floor…completing a small but meaningful project will feel surprisingly rewarding, and you’ll be floored to realize how much energy you’ve spent putting it off vs actually getting it done!!

Marie Graham writes on, and consults about space, stuff, getting un-stuck, and on with your life (what Interior Decorating and Home Staging is really, really about!)  Owner of The Refreshed Home, contact her directly marie@therefreshedhome.com  or 914.607.2895