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A new year brings wonderful opportunities to revamp your Mexican home decor, furnishings and enjoyment of your Mexico "home away from home." The energy of a new year brings with it a desire for improvement, change, inspiration, new ideas. Here are a few suggestions for bringing in the energy of a new year into your Mexican home:

1. Clean up! Dust, disorganized areas and clutter are considered as enemies by feng-shui experts everywhere. Your Mexican home is no exception. To attract abundance, health, well-being and even to lose weight ... experts recommend cleaning your home, organizing, getting rid of whatever you don't need. You basically create an inviting space for new things (new furniture, new work opportunities, new friends) as you clean, polish and make room for the new: health, balance, harmony. Like attracts like.

2. Pay special attention to your front door and foyer. These spaces say "Welcome" like no other area in your Mexican home. You may think the living room is more important, or your Mexican kitchen. The kitchen is actually a strong runner up, being the heart of your Mexican home ... but the entrance sets the stage. Focus on the entrance with a beautiful piece of Mexican furniture that says "Welcome," "Come on in!" "Stay a while" ... or simply "Oh, it's so good to be home!" A beautiful antique style bench accented with pillows in rich, beautiful colors can do the trick. A practical and inviting entrance coat rack, or a lovely Armoire are also great ideas for this area in your Mexico home.

Simple Antique Bench

3. Fix or discard anything that is broken in your Mexican home. Whether it is a family heirloom, a grandfather clock, a vase, an old mattress, a set of dishes, a piece of old Talavera ... if you no longer love it or it doesn't work, you can be sure it is robbing you of your energy and in fact aggravating you. Yes, in back of your mind, every time you see it you tell yourself "Oh, I've got to [fix, repair, re-upholster ... whatever] that." So it's an energy drain and an aggravation. Fix it now; or toss it!

4. Make room for the new. Many people and organizations in Mexico would welcome your discards. This is one often overlooked way in which you can give back to Mexico, its people and its children. Donate furniture, clothes, appliances, anything you no longer need. Again, this creates space for the new ... not just new clothes, new furniture or new appliances ... but also for new opportunities, new energy, new experiences to come to you.

5. Use color to energize some areas and help others (example, your Mexican bedroom) become soothing havens of relaxation. Bright, bold colors energize and stimulate -- yellow tones are great to use in your Mexico home office. Earth tones are warm, cozy, inviting. You can use them in your furniture or in the walls of your Mexican dining room or kitchen. Be bold, try new things and avail yourself of new accessories, colors, and furniture pieces to bring in new energy and new life into your Mexico dream home.

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Happy decorating, happy de-cluttering, happy furnishing ... Happy New Year!