PART ONE: Spring cleaning your most frequently used areas of your home!
As most of you know, we are right on the cusp of spring. You know the feeling, the sun is shining, maybe you are like me, and your seasonal depression has lifted (just me? OKAY), we get that little itch in our bones to start digging up a garden, decluttering a closet, or trying a new hobby. Its a time of “new-ness” if you will!
Now, while I cant help with the garden or finding a new hobby, I can help if you are wanting to use this time and energy to refresh and reset your home. Some call this spring cleaning. Some call it spring decluttering. I just prefer to call it, exactly what it is – A fresh start.
Here is PART ONE of top things you should be focusing on if you are ready to create a fresh start in your home this Spring!
We will start with the areas you have to frequent DAILY. If these areas of your home stress you out but they are the first areas you start your day in, you might be causing yourself unnecessary stress and anxiety.
First off, we will start off with closets & wardrobes! We all have to go in our closets at least once a day (some more than that). To make sure this area is organized and not causing a whole lot of mental chaos, we have a few simple tips to make this area feel completely new stepping into the Spring season!
Rotate your seasonal clothing. If I am honest, I really try to steer clients away from seasonal clothing becasue in Lubbock, Texas - you can have winter, summer, spring, and fall in one week, BUT – if you do have season clothing, get ready to make the switch! Before you trade out your winter coats and long fall dresses, go through each category and pull out any items that no longer fit, arent really in style, or items you just choose not to pull often. These items can be bagged up to be gifted to a friend or donated to a local charity. Once you have decluttered, you can continue with the clothes rotation! Once your spring items are placed in the closet, go ahead and double check them to make sure there arent any items there that you are ready to donate!
Once you have decluttered for the spring / summer season, use this time to organize your clothes. This will create less stress for you when picking and choosing clothes to wear! My favorite strategy here is to first sort your clothes by type - All bottoms together and from there separated between jeans, slacks / pants, and then leggings / work out. Place all dresses and longer hanging items together - skirts, dresses, and then caridgans or kimonos. Then place all your tops together - tshirts, blouses, and then sweaters. If you choose to take it a step farther you can also sort and organize by color to make your closet feel and look like a boutique!
Next on the list! We are moving into the Kitchen & Pantry! These areas are also very important when it comes to organzing because for most people they are the hub of the household. Just like the closet, you also have to be in there areas daily! They can become problematic when you are struggling with lots of unneccessary clutter or fighting differing organizing style. These simple tips will help you start the process for creating a more organized kitchen & pantry!
Start in the pantry since it is a smaller area overall. You will want to start at the top shelf and work top to bottom, left to right. On each shelf you will checking for expiration dates of foods, candy, or spices. Double check everything! If you have items that have expired, pull them to be discarded. If you have items that are still in date but things you know your family wont eat, pull them out and set aside to gift to a friend, family in need, or a local food bank!
Once you have tackled the pantry, move into the kitchen! Same gameplan as the pantry, start top to bottom, left to right. You will want to open each and every drawer, and every cabinet and ask yourself a few questions: 1.) Have I used this in the last year? If no, its time to get rid of. 2.) Is there something else similiar I prefer over this item? If so, consider getting rid of that one and keeping the one you actually pull for. 3.) Is this broken, incomplete, or just not a great product? (Im talking to YOU Mr. Janky Can Opener!) Consider getting rid of it!
Up next - Bathrooms! Ill be honest, this is an area that often gets forgotten about when it comes to spring cleaning or decluttering! There are 2 main things here to tackle! These can be easily overlooked but can cause the most amount of upset if you arent paying attention to them!
Lets start with medications! These can be easily overlooked until the moment in time that you are down for the count with some fast-moving virus. Just like our pantry tips, make sure you are working on your medication shelves top to bottom, left to right! PRO TIP: As you are going through and decluttering, make a list of any expired meds so you can pick up replacements on your next grocery trip!
Make sure you are properly disposing of any expired medications appropriately. Most walgreens and CVS pharmacies have medication disposal boxes for easy use!
Up next, makeup and skin care! This again can easily (and accidentally) be an area that gets overlooked because we are use these things daily! BUT – we can also forget about these things, try a new serum and ditch the old one, use a new eyeshadow palette, and forget about the last one. Before you know it, half the make up in your drawer is over a year old. While thats not the only reason to toss older skincare and makeup products, the fact that these items can begin to grow bacteria over time (Ew, I know), is reason enough to let the older stuff go, and enjoy the newer items!
If you are feeling overwhelmed, feeling like the walls are closing in on you, or just ready to light a fire and move to a new house, 1. ) Dont. 2.) We all get that way sometimes. 3.) Use these tips to begin the process of creating a refreshed, simplified, space within your home!
Remember, this is one of my favorite quotes and applies to most areas of our life and home:
““Focus on the step in front of you, not the whole staircase.” - Unknown
As you start this process of decluttering and spring cleaning, focus on small baby steps (like these areas you frequent daily!), and over time you will create more organized, streamlined systems for your home!
Stay tuned for PART TWO of our spring cleaning series! You can sign up to get our newsletters emailed directly to you by signing up HERE!
— Cabri