Spring Cleaning is one of my FAVORITE things to do!! I know … that makes me weird, but I really do love just pulling things out and deep cleaning, getting rid of clutter, re-decorating, organizing, and giving a fresh coat of paint on walls, trim, outside places…just really giving our home an intentional “hug” of care. At least that is what it feels like we are doing.
But this weekend and for the next 3 weeks, I will be boxing up our house, getting rid of “stuff” that will not go with us into our new 1980 sq. foot farmhouse, (originally built in the early 1900’s as a 1 kitchen 1 bath 1 bedroom 1 small sitting room house, that Rip and I are going to be … RENOVATING!!! Over the years, it’s been slowly added on to – with a little extension here and there, but he and I are so excited, we can hardly stand it!! … and we want you to journey with us, too, as we make this place home for now.
But this weekend, my #1 focus is to box up our home and DEEP clean and freshen up our home for its new owners. We are so happy for them, so as I’m boxing up and giving away things that just won’t go with us, we are also spring cleaning.
If you want to join us, then here’s how you can get started:
1) Gather up plenty of garbage bags – and don’t get the ones that rip and tear when all you shove in it is a empty toilet paper cardboard roll. Go ahead and bit the bullet – get HEFTY!!
2) Gather up plenty of storage boxes AND cardboard boxes – you will need both
3) Gather all the cleaning supplies you will need – cleaners, brushes, buckets, rags, etc.
4) Go ahead and preplan your menus. If you want pick-up one night and … take-out the next and … send-’em-all-out the next!! Whatever you need to do so that you are not bogged down with too much time invested in meal prep. If you want, go ahead and cook and freeze so all you will need to do is bake.
5) Go ahead and block it off on your calendar. Whatever we block off in RED, is what have PRIORITIZED and believe me, when it comes to the care and cleaning if your home, no one is going to block it off for you. Just go ahead and pen it in as the weekend/week you are going to be so intentional to deep clean your home.
6) Go ahead and let family and friends know what you will be doing – they may want to help, or they just may be inspired to spring clean, too. But letting your folks know that this is something that you have prioritized does help with some interruptions that otherwise could come and keep you from reaching your goals. Which brings me to…
7) Go ahead and WRITE OUT YOUR GOALS in spring cleaning. In other words, make a list. Go room to room and literally write out what all needs to be done in that room or that space of the house and place little boxes out beside each task. Think it through. If it helps, go sit in each room and look around and see where there needs to be purging, decluttering, organizing, cleaning and … giving away.
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When spring cleaning, keep inspiration in front of you, too. Like ideas you may have found off Pinterest or in magazine. This Traditional Home magazine inspired me in so many ways: 1) love the wallpaper, 2) the mix of distressed wood pieces with a room full of delicate linens and victorian decor, 3) a oversized asparagus fern in an urn (LOVE!!) The family room in our new farmhouse just may find itself with something like this wide stripped wallpaper on its walls very soon.
This Traditional Home is letting us see a peek into what is trending “back” in… COLOR! Look around, is your home an all neutral pallet? Now that spring has sprung, consider some color. It really does warm up a place!
Do you see the difference? The room below is all in the same monochromatic-no-frills-color scheme and it’s left the room a little blah. A little cold. For a beach house, it’s great. Soothing, cool and bright. But for a home …. it’s left lacking.
When cleaning, stand back and take a photo of the room or space AFTER you have replaced your decor or necessary accessories back into the room. When you can see that room or space in 1 dimension, it really helps you see what is too much, what is missing and what you need to change. And don’t be afraid to “play house.”
Like in the kitchen photo below, most would NEVER think to put lamps on the island, but because there are outlets to the left and right of each lamp, they actually work well. The display of vintage dishes on the open shelving is such a cute touch, too. Do you have a space in your kitchen or breakfast nook for open shelves? They are perfect for displaying collections or even stacking pieces that you use often. A good ol’ fancy chandelier in a kitchen that has marble on one countertop and rich stained butcher block on the other is a great way to say – “I love an eclectic kitchen…and I know how to pull together design and style!”
This is, for me, what makes spring cleaning so much fun! It’s vision-casting in our home for my family and thinking about what “could be.” When any room or space becomes decluttered, organized, and cleaned … it’s like a starke white canvas! As a Proverbs 31 the homemaker, you are the artist who takes in all the colors and hues and shades of your families personalities and YOU get to create “Home Sweet Home” as you see it.
So, for now…I clean and I box up, and save all my dreaming for the little blue farmhouse!
Happy Spring Cleaning!
