The trees are blooming, the pollen is everywhere, and we are getting ready for all the fun that spring brings! Spring means activities outside, patio season, and the school year is getting closer to the end. This also means our families, homes, and our personal needs are changing. I am going to give you a few tips to make spring cleaning and prep not feel so overwhelming.
Make a home project priority list.
We keep a running list for things we need to take care of around our home. Each month we evaluate the list to see what we have time for that month. When the seasons change, we have a specific list we work from, too. Here are a few ideas of things to consider doing for your home.
- Determine landscaping for outdoor areas. Do you need new plants, bushes trimmed, mulch/pine straw laid? Will you be doing this or do you plan on hiring someone to help?
- Clean outdoor furniture and play areas. This area has probably been ignored while we have all been inside (or at least mine has) for the past several months. Get out the blower, brushes, and power washer, and get to cleaning!
- I like to clean the garage in the spring. It is a great time to evaluate outdoor toys, garden equipment, beach stuff, etc.
Make an outdoor play bucket.
Now that it is getting warmer and is light outside longer, we need to burn some energy off after school. I find it easier to play outside with my daughter if we have some fun toys and activities ready to go by the back door. Bubbles, chalk, a sensory bucket with scoops, spoons, little animals/figurines, paint brushes (just paint with water–trust me), and balls are some of our favorite outdoor activities.
Time to switch the closet over.
If you are like most people, your out of season clothing is probably put up in a bin somewhere in your house. Even though we know we are getting another cold snap, the majority of your winter and really heavy items can be put away. I like to get my stuff back out and go through it with discernment. I’ll ask myself, “Did I even wear this last season?” “Do I still like this?” “Does this still fit?”
I do the same for my daughter. I keep a bin in the bottom of her closet so as she outgrows things or the season changes, I can easily put them away. Once it is full, I sort it to determine what stays, what is sold, and what is donated. We have been blessed to have lots of hand me downs, so it is time to pull those out and get the spring/summer clothes out! (Can someone explain why packing up your baby’s clothes and getting out the next size or season is so fun/heartbreaking? Why do they grown up?!)
Plan accordingly.
When talking about spring cleaning, I always like to remind people it is going to take longer than you think. That weekend project will take two weekends. The closet clean out will probably take several hours. Budget your time accordingly. Do not try to tackle your spring clean on a weekend with 25 baseball games, a few birthday parties, and a million other activities.
