Ah, Spring...Oh, How I've Missed You

Happy Spring! One of my favorite times of year, where temperatures begin to warm and the sun begins to shine longer each day. The beauty of spring flowers and the awakening of the trees makes this season so much more enjoyable. And flip-flop season is just around the corner. 

One of the things that is synonymous with spring is spring cleaning. We're finally able to open our windows to let out the stale air that has collected all year long and clear the cobwebs off our lives so that we can start fresh and new.

I follow the Flylady (flylady.net) for keeping my home neat and organized. She gives me daily tasks that are short and sweet, yet so effective. Her weekly missions focus on one room at a time, so that within one month, you have tackled each room at least once. 


But when it comes to organizing and getting things in order, that is where my journey has led me to here. My good, old blog on organization, minimization, and simplification. I want to encourage people as I seek my own journey to the world of an uncluttered home. Am I there, yet? No, I'm not, but I'm slowly getting there. 

I've not been home much lately, so things get thrown on the counter and forgotten until the weekend when I do have some free time to tackle the mail and other things that have been brought in. It is the weekend where laundry is done, floors vacuumed, and surfaces dusted.

I did recently begin to work on my sacred domain: my master bedroom. I purchased new furniture for it because my old chest of drawers was falling apart and the drawers bursting at the seems with clothing. So, I purchased both a dresser with mirror and a chest of drawers. Little did I know that the chest of drawers was much bigger than the one I had to replace, so my drawers are no longer overflowing without having to go through them and pitch things that I'm not quite certain I'm ready to pitch just yet. It has left me no longer dreading putting the laundry away. It is easier to do with that much more room. By the way, the dresser is empty. Ha!

But does that mean I can go shopping for more? No. It does not give me license to do that. I have enough clothes to choose from. I have more room to shop my dresser and closet for things to wear. I have found clothes that I had forgotten about and would love to wear once again. And since it is spring, I can remove the chunky winter pieces to give my spring wardrobe more room to breath.

One of the ways that I've ensured that my closet isn't filled with things I don't love, is that I frequently try on what is in there and determine whether it makes me feel good, look good, and isn't overly worn and tattered. If I don't love it, it is gone. If it doesn't look good on me, it is gone. If it is worn and tattered, I pitch it.

I also recently went through all of my shoes. Yes, I have two over the door shoe racks, but they only hold shoes I love and love to wear. I clear out my shoes as I wear them. Do they fit? Do they look good? Do they feel comfortable? After a trip to Las Vegas that left my feet covered in blisters, I've been more careful about the types and styles of shoes I buy. I don't want that to happen again. Plus, I'm learning to only buy when another pair is ready to be retired.

Which brings me to my tip today: If you see something you just can't live without, remember that when you get home, you need to remove one (or two if you bought two) items from your closet. If it is in perfect condition, take it to a consignment shop. If it is tattered, use it either as a rag or pitch it. Don't add, replace.

So with that, have a happy Easter and wonderful spring!