I refuse to make New Years resolutions because, in my humble opinion, why set yourself up for disappointment when you don't have to? Instead, I start every year with a list of things I've never done before that pique my curiosity, so one thing on my list this year is yoga. I took a yoga class years ago in a park in Los Angeles with my cousin Jodi. We were bored, it was a random Saturday afternoon and the class was free, so we thought, why ta heck not? We spent the better part of the class chatting about what we were going to do after the class, then promptly hit our favorite Mexican watering hole for margaritas and fresh guacamole. Needless to say, I didn't fall in love with yoga that day, but after a recent injury moving furniture, Joe suggested two things..A.) I come to grips with the fact that I'm getting older (thanks, Joe) and B.) take a free online yoga class. So, I did. I searched YouTube for someone I liked..a sassy, middle-aged, fit Swedish woman with a great voice. Well, that first class found me on the floor of our basement gym dosing off while listening to her soothing voice. Yet another failed attempt at falling in love with yoga, but I'm not giving up! I decided I would start my new adventure by carving out the perfect space in our house I can retreat to, and I found that spot in our basement. This, of course, got me thinking about how other people use these gems of square footage, often tossed aside for nasty wash machines and never-used exercise equipment. When we first toured this house the well over 2,000 square foot basement with several rooms, full bath, bar and wall of windows and doors overlooking the Hudson River had only three things in it…a ping-pong table, desk and dirty laundry strewn about! I, of course, saw the hidden potential and this, my friends, is our end of the week tip. If you can't get new, use what you've got! If you hate your sofa but can't afford a new one, buy fun throw pillows or drape it with a nice blanket. Hate your dining room but can't afford new chairs, re-cover the seat cushions. Can't stand your master bedroom, then paint one wall in it..maybe the wall behind your bed, pulling out the favorite color from your comforter. And, if you're thinking of adding space to your home and have an unused basement…take a stroll around it and think of the possibilities.
