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Elizabeth’s Cure: Revisiting Last Year’s Project List

Elizabeth Licata
Elizabeth Licata
updated Apr 14, 2020
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Last year I did the January Cure for the first time, and it was a little bit intimidating. I’m not the most naturally organized person, and my apartment, while largely empty, was not exactly showroom ready. But it was easier than I thought, and by the time February rolled around it had made such a difference I was all ready to sign up again next year.

This year I’m approaching the January Cure from a pretty different place. In 2013 I had just moved to Germany. Finances were pretty tight, and most of my desired home improvements were about establishing basic functionality. “Get a lamp” was one of the things on my list. My big luxury was making a bed skirt.

Thanks to a new job for me, I have more money but less time for this year’s Cure. But the other major change is that this year I’m not doing it alone. Last year my husband had just started a new job, and I did all the Cure projects while he was away. Now he wants to join in too.

Day 1: Make a list of projects.

Nick was very excited to see the first assignment; he loves making lists. After a brief flurry of note-taking, this is what he came up with:

Living Room:

  • Curtain rods
  • Curtain
  • Solution for TV area/cords
  • Overhead light fixtures
  • Desk area?
  • All manner of end tables/night stands
  • Pictures!!!
  • Loveseat thingy

Hallway:

  • Baby area
  • Glass shelf for hutch

Bathroom/storage:

  • Hamper distribution
  • Reachable hanging space (he hung a rod in the utility closet that I cannot reach without a ladder)

Kitchen:

  • New trash solution

Most of the things on the 2014 list are “dream” projects from last year’s Cure that I didn’t get to because they required too much money, like curtains and light fixtures for the living room. My big fantasy last year was hiring a handyman to install light fixtures and curtain rods, because my German apartment is a concrete box and no screwdriver can penetrate its foot-thick walls. (On the plus side, it is so quiet I could have a big crazy dance party in here without bothering the neighbors. They’re probably having crazy parties right now, and I don’t know because I wasn’t invited.)

This year, I’m actually going to get those curtains and call the handyman.

What’s on your list this year?