Start Small - Start Now.
Spring is upon us! With the warmer weather, brings renewed energy and unhindered possibilities. Start the season off right with some simple cleaning and organizing practices that will enrich your life for the days ahead!
First off, open the windows - let that fresh air in! After a winter of being locked in and closed off - nothing renews a space better than air flow. Open windows and/or doors on either side of your home to get a cross-breeze to push out the old and bring in the new. No sick building syndrome here!
Speaking of windows, this is a good place to start your cleaning. Get those panes sparkly and crystal clear to enjoy the blossoming flowers beyond. Wash them inside and out, wipe down the sills and don’t forget to dust the blinds and wash your drapes.
Now that we can breathe and see - let’s tackle some of the bigger stuff…ironically by starting small! Choose one area, one closet, one drawer and start there. Starting can be the hardest part - but as I’ve mentioned before, don’t discount the impact of compounded actions! Sometimes a few small actions can lead to bigger ones and greater feelings of accomplishment. Personally, I like to work in big chunks of time as I am a believer in physics - Jess in motion, stays in motion!! However, I realize that is not how everyone works. If the thought of spending a whole Saturday sprucing up your space sounds overwhelming to you, take it in smaller doses. Tackle one area several times a week for the next few weeks to reach the same goal. Maybe it’s going through one drawer every night after dinner or hanging your clothes up after work so you can see the closet you want to organize this weekend. Whatever feels doable to you, start there.
Equally as important as starting somewhere, is the act of starting NOW. Its so easy to push things off this week, however the more we push off this week, the more we have to do next week. As compounded actions can be beneficial, compounded inaction can be equally as detrimental. What doesn’t seem like much this week, will be more pronounced added to what you have for next week and so on. Spring in New England is a relatively short season and in a heartbeat the weather will turn from warm to FABULOUSLY PERFECT. The kids will be out of school, bbq’s will be the every weekend norm, and so will our chance to set ourselves up for a smooth, organized season. Ideally, you do the work now, so you can enjoy all that New England has to offer later. Who wants to be stuck inside sorting through boxes of stuff looking for something that isn’t where it’s supposed to be, when you can go through the junk now and make the things you use and love accessible for later?! Don’t underestimate the importance of going through your stuff now - getting rid of what is no longer serving you (clothes, toys, collectibles, etc.) to make room for the life you want to live. NOW is the time.
Have I motivated you to start cleaning, decluttering and organizing yet?? Excellent, let’s get started. A few suggested areas to begin with:
‣ Clothes: Put away your heavy winter coats, sweaters, and winter gear. Be sure all items are clean and folded neatly. Give away what doesn’t fit or that you didn’t wear all season. No need to pack it up and deal with it at the beginning of next season. Manage what you can now, so you don’t have to manage it again later.
‣ Shoes: Similar to clothes, pack up your winter boots, clogs, etc. No need to take up the extra space in your closet or at your door entry any longer. Be sure to give your shoes a good wipe down before storing them to keep them looking their best and ready for the next season.
‣ Kitchen Cabinets & Drawers: Pack up seasonal mugs and larger hosting items that typically only see the light around the holidays. Go through your plastic food containers, matching up bottoms with lids. Throw away anything broken or with missing parts. Give your cabinets a good wipe down inside and out. Remove anything that you don’t use.
‣ Kids Toys: Nows a great time to sort through your kid’s toys and give away what they don’t play with or have aged out of. They likely acquired new toys during the holiday and older toys got set aside. If they’re plastic, put them through a cycle in the dishwasher to get rid of those germs! Organize what is remaining so they’re able to see what they have. Set up their favorites in areas they can reach for easy accessibility.
‣ Misc. piles: No shame, we all have them - the collection at the stairs, at the front door, on the kitchen table. That area that seems to accumulate STUFF no matter how hard you try. Sort through the mail, put away the items, throw away the trash. Give the area a good cleaning and reflect on what seems to pile up in that area and why? Does there always seem to be a pile of shoes at the front door? Maybe you could add a shoe rack to keep it organized! Is it mail on the counter? Maybe you add a mail sorter and handle the daily mail as it comes in, recycling the rest. Think of creative ways to store, manage and/or organize so it doesn’t become a consistent stressor.
‣ Garage: Now that it’s not painful to be outside, it’s a perfect time to go through the garage! Have things just been tossed in as the winter went on to be dealt with “later?” Later is upon us folks! Put things back where they belong, remove items that don’t live here and get rid of the unnecessary. Organize the areas that will be used the most in the coming months for easier accessibility.
Remember, cleaning and organizing go together. Nothing feels better than a clean, well-organized space. Take the initiative to start NOW. Start with something SMALL. Be kind to yourself along the way, pushing yourself to what’s doable for YOU. Happy Spring ya’ll!
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