I’ve taken the opportunity presented by this three-day weekend to begin spring cleaning, or as my husband calls it “pre-spring cleaning”. Once spring rolls around, we’ll do this again, but there won’t be as much work. I turned off the heat, raised the kitchen and dining room blinds to let the sunshine in, opened the family room drapes, and opened the windows for a bit of fresh air. The house has been closed off for months, so I was happy to be able to get a sneak-peek at spring.

This weekend, my plan is to tackle at least one room each day. So far, so good. Last night’s chore was the master bedroom and while it’s not completely done, it’s looking better than it has been for a few months. There’s a ton of dusting that needs to be tackled. New bedding purchased and put on the bed last week gives the room a fresh, new look just in time for warmer weather!

Today’s chosen room was the family room and that was hard work! A little background: The room hadn’t been the same since before Thanksgiving when we started the whimsical project of constructing white, built-in bookcases on both sides of the fireplace. That project brightened up the room quite a bit, but I wanted to brighten it even more, so I painted the brick fireplace to match the bookcases. Well, Christmas decorating started while we were in the midst of building the bookcases and painting the fireplace, so I reconfigured the furniture to accommodate the Christmas tree. Fast-forward to the present: Today’s chore included moving around furniture in a manner that would maximize the amount of open space for playing the Wii or working out to exercise videos. I finally removed all the Christmas decorations from the bookshelves and dusted every surface. Lot’s of hard work, but well worth it!

The cleaner, reconfigured room only needs a fresh coat of paint (well, and new flooring) to be complete. I think I’ve settled on a color that’s three shades darker than the renovated kitchen. Since the rooms are adjacent, it’s a good idea to do so. The new color also compliments the existing family room furniture and from my husband’s standpoint, that’s a bonus, because it means spending less money.

Another minor project began while I was working on the family room. My husband removed some dated decorative posts that were located on the wall between the kitchen and family room. I mentioned wanting to do so recently and today, that task was accomplished. Now, I have an unobstructed view from the kitchen to the family room and the space is much more open. No more bars in the line of vision between the kitchen and family room. Yeah!

Tomorrow’s after-church chore will likely be the kitchen. It’s newly renovated with lots of added storage, but I have a habit of shopping for an army-sized family and not the family of six that we have. Finding room for the extras should be an easy task, since we have overflow food shelving in the basement. I might spend part of the afternoon going through my closet and putting aside things that need to go to Goodwill. Or, I may just spend it bumming around with the family. We’re down to two children this weekend. One is staying with a relative and another is in West Virginia on a church retreat with the teen group. Board games or a bike ride might be fun for the four of us who are home this weekend.

Monday’s task could (should) be the office, but that will take a lot of physical and mental energy. Maybe I’ll wait ’til the next three-day weekend, Memorial Day, to climb this mountain. I could just sit back and enjoy the decluttered rooms and relax before the start of a new work week!

Have you started spring cleaning? Are you planning any home improvement projects in the near future?

Let’s chat!

Love to all!

CC

Sure, we’re still in the dead of winter, but I can’t help but to think about warmer days ahead. Today is the first day that the sun made an appearance in over a week, so I’m in a springy kind of mood! I can smell…almost taste…the warm, spring air despite the frigid reality that awaits outside my door.

In case you forgot one of the most important cold-weather holidays, Groundhog Day, is in just three days. And as we wait with baited breath for Punxsutawney Phil (or Buckeye Chuck for Ohioans) to tell us whether or not we’ll have six more weeks of winter, I’m already thinking about what kind of freshness I will conjur up in my home with a few gallons of paint, new fabrics, and a good cleaning of all surfaces. By the way, regardless of what either rodent has to say, spring will arrive on March 20 at 7:21 P.M. EDT.

With a lot of help from my personal cleaning brigade (A.K.A. husband and children), I’m looking forward to being able to clean every window, open every set of blinds and curtains, let in outdoor air through every door and window, clean or replace floor coverings, purge or donate piles of now-unwanted goods, and plug in the season’s sweetest air fresheners. That spells spring to me!

So when will this spring cleaning plan of mine launch? It depends on when the weatherman believes we’ve had our last snow of the season.

When do you start spring cleaning? What are some of your spring cleaning rituals?

Let’s chat!

Love to all!

CC