Spring Cleaning

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I love to spring clean! Mostly because I love living more minimalistic (if that's even a word) and enjoy getting rid of stuff.. I live in a small home built in 1927. A time when they did not need a walk-in closet or a bathroom that more than one person could fit in at a time. So therefore I have to get creative with storage space and try to live more simply with only the things that I really need. Which, personally I think is healthy anyway. Why do we need stuff?! I honestly feel more sane with less stuff. It means more open spaces, cleaner counter tops, and more space for my family and the people I love to dwell inside my home.

I'm definitely not the perfect example of somebody that is organized and has a tidy home all the time. So don't get this picture perfect image in your head of my home. Because it gets messy and unorganized...believe me (or just ask my friends)! I'm also slightly lazy/OCD when it comes to getting things done. If I know I don't have the time to do something perfectly and get it done start to finish, then I won't do it all. I tend to just not do it because I don't want to have to stop in the middle if my kids interrupt for example. So I'm OCD in that I want it all done perfectly right now, and I'm also lazy in the fact that I would rather just not do it instead of start a project that I'll only finish half way. Anybody else out there do this to themselves?! Ugh...I've driven myself insane for years by being this lazy/OCD person!

Well, I've learned that you just have to start. Starting and not finishing is better than not starting at all. I've learned this with my family photo albums for example. I started to feel overwhelmed because I was so behind and there was so much to do I just didn't know how I would ever get it all done. The truth is that I will not get it all done in one day...and that is okay...and I need to be okay with that. Start and do a little. Then when you have time again, do a little more and eventual it will get done.

I've also noticed that by following this pattern it naturally creates balance in my life. Do a little here and do a little there to tackle a big task is perfectly healthy and balanced in my opinion. I've so often felt like if only I could get someone to watch my kids for a weekend then I could finish all my photo albums and just be done. Well, as appealing as that my seem...it's not totally balanced. Keeping up with my family history or photo albums a little at a time while my kids are napping in the afternoon feels much more balanced. And the same can go for any big task or project I need to tackle that might feel terribly overwhelming.

So that is where I will begin with my list of spring cleaning tips....

1. Do a little here, do a little there as you have time. Spring cleaning your home does not have to be done in one afternoon or day. Clean out one closet this week then clean out another closet next week.

2. Start in your closets. I read in my BH&G magazine that the best place to start spring cleaning is in your closets. Get your closet space organized so that you have more space to put things away.

3. Everything needs a home. After your closets are cleaned out and organized you should be able to find a home for everything. The best way to keep your home and closets clean throughout the year is always putting things back in their home after your done using it. I will be the first to admit that this is my biggest weakness and that is why my closets and shed outside get so disorganized so quickly!

4. Clean according to the weather. Spring cleaning is not just for indoors. There is a lot of cleaning up to do outdoors after a long winter. And since spring can be hit or miss with nice weather then clean indoors when the weather is rainy and cold and clean outdoors when the weather is nice and sunny. Nobody wants to be inside cleaning when it's a beautiful spring day anyways so get outside when you can. Also, this goes along with tip #1: Do a little here, do a little there.

5. Getting rid of stuff. If you have not used something for a year or two then you are most likely going to get rid of it. There are three options of getting rid of stuff so sort things out into three different piles. 1) throw away 2) donate 3) items to sell.

6. Help your husband. Ladies, this is huge! If your husband is anything like mine then he hates "spring cleaning." Nic does not like getting rid of stuff so I don't tell him I'm spring cleaning and I don't ask for his help except for when it comes to cleaning out the shed. I will go through his closets and dresser drawers and pull out things I've noticed he no longer wears or uses and lay them out as suggested items to get rid of. He will then sort through them and decide for himself what to get rid of and not. I've made the mistake (and still do occasionally) of just getting rid of stuff without his permission....big mistake! However, since I started this method of "suggested items to get rid of" it has worked like magic. And sometimes he will even go through is closet on his own after that and do it all by himself. Ah-mazing!

7. Think beyond the physical. Spring cleaning is not only a good time to physically clean our homes and our yards but also a time to reflect on our lives and maybe do some spiritual spring cleaning. Find time to meditate and reflect on your life. Look forward with faith and hope and set goals for yourself to become a better you.

I hope these tips are helpful and your spring cleaning experience can be a more enjoyable and productive one. And if you have any spring cleaning tips of your own, please share!

Happy Spring!