My approach to Spring Cleaning is to gradually do a little project every week night, then two major projects every weekend until I’m done. This way works for me because throughout the rest of the year, I work on something every single day to keep my house maintained. That way I don’t have a huge cleanup task waiting for me this month. Instead, I focus on some of the seasonal changes that need to happen (swapping out of curtains, laundering of old curtains, dropping off heavy winter coats at the dry cleaners, swapping bedlinens for lighter ones, etc). I also get some of the twice-yearly tasks done, such as moving the refrigerator, dryer and washer to vacuum behind them, and moving all the furniture to vacuum under it (not something I do every week or even every month).
I much prefer doing Spring Cleaning this way, rather than taking several stress-filled days to work constantly and have my house in utter chaos while I complete everything.
My system for Spring Cleaning might not be the best choice for you. Maybe you prefer to lose an entire weekend or two in constant cleaning and an all-house overhaul. If that works for you, great! Meanwhile you can keep an eye on my progress here as I try to finish all my cleaning goals before April arrives.
QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Do you still have all the supplies you need to care for any sick people in your house this month? All my friends this week have the same sore throat and bad cold that I do, so I guess we aren’t out of the winter sickness season yet. Do you have enough Kleenex, your preferred cough and cold medicine, a hot water bottle or heating pad, tummy medicine, diarrhea medicine, Vicks Vapo-rub, your favorite headache remedy? Plus foods for sick people such as bananas, chicken noodle soup (or veggie soup), crackers, oatmeal and other soft foods?
- Have you made plans for this weekend yet? I know some friends who put off making plans and inviting people until Friday afternoon or evening, then wonder why their friends are already booked up and busy for the weekend. Get a jump on your social plans for the weekend – plan today and invite tonight!
- What are you wearing tomorrow? Take the time to set out something special, even if it’s Casual Friday at your workplace. You’re not showing off for other people, you’re just wearing something you enjoy and that makes you feel pretty. Don’t just think about clothes – select some nice perfume and earrings too.
- Next time you’re watching TV, dump out your purse and sort it. Throw out trash or messy items, sort and burn or toss receipts you don’t need, and remove items you really don’t use on a daily basis. I’m trying to only carry two lipsticks around with me, not the six I currently have.
- Give yourself a quick manicure if needed tonight, so your nails look nice for tomorrow.
- Need to slather on some extra moisturizing hand cream on your hands tonight? Mine are so dry from winter’s air.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Lamps and Chandeliers
I will only have an hour or so to do a Spring Cleaning project tonight after I’m done with work, pick up my dogs at Doggie Day Camp, make dinner and clean up after it. So I’m tackling a project that will only take about that amount of time, leaving me plenty of time to snuggle in bed with a kitty and my book club reading assignment.
Tonight I’m dusting, cleaning and shining all the lamps, light fixtures, light bulbs, and chandeliers in my house. (Except for two or three really hard to reach light bulbs in my high-ceilinged living room and kitchen!) The two lamps that I leave on all night (one in the upstairs living room and one in the downstairs) have lots of dead bugs that need to be removed, plus tons of dust on their glass shades. I’ll also wipe down the bases of each floor lamp as they get very dusty.
In my bedrooms, I generally have two table lamps and one floor lamp for each. Each living room has two table lamps as well. I’ll have a lot of lampshades to dust and inspect for wear and tear. Lampshades are so inexpensive, I’m happy to toss them out and get new ones if mine are looking old and tired.
In my bathrooms, I’ll need to unscrew the light fixture on my heating lamps and thoroughly clean them, even up into the fixture where there are all manner of frightening spiderwebs and possibly even the creators of said webs. I’ll finish with my extremely dusty boring chandelier that presides over my dining table. Then I’ll be ready to sit down to a nice snack before retiring to bed with my book.
LOVELY BLOGS: Cutest Food
Whenever I need a little pick-me-up for my spirits, I run over to this fun blog that features adorable foods. They often post about cupcakes, as you can imagine, but also have found highly decorated pancakes, fun Halloween-themed rice balls, and also feature candies and chocolates. Such interesting ideas are showcased here – it makes me want to get into the kitchen to experiment!
LOVELY FASHION: Prana Dresses
I tried on one of these cute Prana dresses at REI a couple days ago. (The official spelling is PrAna but I find that pretentious). The fabric felt really good to the touch and I loved the Arts & Crafts retro flowery patterns on the dresses.
The dress was way too clingy on me in all the wrong places, so I put it back, disappointed, and saved myself $68. But I thought I’d show you in case some of you ladies are less chubby and lumpy than me! I was so hoping to wear this on my next sunny California vacation that’s coming up soon. Maybe this is my inspiration to exercise a bit more!
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Breaded Bliss: 7 Crazy Sandwiches (Today Show)