!['It might come IN HANDY'](https://cdn.magzter.com/1389340925/1704293540/articles/k0tJ0sJIh1704449180184/IT-MIGHT-COME-IN-HANDY.jpg)
The decorations are down. Our three adult kids have headed back to their own homes and it’s just me and Jimmy, in a flat that feels eerily quiet. Some people find this time of year a bit dismal. But to me it's brilliant. It represents a fresh new start - and after the festive madness, I'm keen to make our home an oasis of calm.
This means a huge and ruthless declutter. Finally, our home will be smooth-running and sleek, and everything in it will be either useful or loved (or-ideally - both). I know that I'll meet with opposition as my husband is of the 'we might need that one day' mindset. My hope is that if I tear into the task with enough gusto, then he won't notice what's going on. I simply can't face a lengthy debate on why that tacky picture of the Arc de Triomphe is charity shop bound- and why we don't need five thermos flasks.
I start with what I once termed, optimistically, our linen cupboard - a hideous cave crammed with ugly paintings and bags of ancient paperwork and curios picked up in French flea markets when our twin boys were toddlers (they are now 26). 'I'd like to keep that, Jimmy says, when I try to dispose of a tiny cupboard made of curly wire and matted with dust. We bought it at the turn of the millennium thinking it looked 'very French'. We've never put it up anywhere, yet now he grabs it off me, whisking it away to his study with an accusatory backwards glance.
Bu hikaye Woman & Home UK dergisinin February 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Woman & Home UK dergisinin February 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
![Sporting SENSATIONS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/PcJ_UoEO41717160769478/SPORTING-SENSATIONS.jpg)
Sporting SENSATIONS
Olympian Tessa Sanderson CBE reflects on winning gold and shines a spotlight on some of Team GB's outstanding women
![The ROYAL REPORT](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/LcaqHpwea1717160544018/THE-ROYAL-REPORT.jpg)
The ROYAL REPORT
One of the many privileges of working alongside the royal family is to see them up close and unvarnished.
![A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Dame Denise Lewis](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/9JSRh2o0K1717160395398/A-DAY-IN-THE-LIFE-OF-DAME-DENISE-LEWIS.jpg)
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Dame Denise Lewis
The Olympian and BBC pundit, 51, lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband Steve. She has four children.
![BRIGHT & breezy](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/uhhlK0Kjc1717159937167/BRIGHT-BREEZY.jpg)
BRIGHT & breezy
Diana and Andy Irving set out to recreate American East Coast living at their Merseyside home, with spectacular results
![Why a slim body MIGHT NOT BE A HEALTHY ONE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/vEB3iZiM01717159687300/WHY-A-SLIM-BODY-MIGHT-NOT-BE-A-HEALTHY-ONE.jpg)
Why a slim body MIGHT NOT BE A HEALTHY ONE
This month, our expert Annie Deadman reveals why eating well is essential, no matter what size your clothing labels say
![My mother's GIFTS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/-X2qvso0D1717159292938/MY-MOTHERS-GIFTS.jpg)
My mother's GIFTS
When Genevieve Kingston's mother learnt she was dying, she found a poignant way to mark her children's milestones
![IT'S GOOD to talk](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/FilOLaikW1717158931730/ITS-GOOD-TO-TALK.jpg)
IT'S GOOD to talk
The last six months have seen unprecedented candour from the Royal Family. Emily Andrews asks, is this the end for 'never complain, never explain'?
![Sultry southern CHARM](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/Z20xRF-VU1717158443330/SULTRY-SOUTHERN-CHARM.jpg)
Sultry southern CHARM
Stretched along Italy's heel, Puglia offers a slice of the Italian good life, with peaceful hotels, indulgent meals and low-key glamour, says Lucy Thackray
![FRUITY PUDDINGS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/_KycVRV4L1717157706387/FRUITY-PUDDINGS.jpg)
FRUITY PUDDINGS
Easy crowd-pleasing desserts that can be made ahead of time
![Are weddings OUT OF CONTROL?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5364/1715411/ADl0nj4QO1717154606137/ARE-WEDDINGS-OUT-OF-CONTROL.jpg)
Are weddings OUT OF CONTROL?
You can’t put a price on love, but marriages these days can be eye-wateringly costly, as Christabel Smith discovers