It's that Time Again - A Guide to Spring Cleaning

Yikes, it's that time again. The weather has changed and its time to get ready for summer! So how do we make the process of out with the old and in with the new go smoothly? This will give you some pointers and tips on just what to do!

I want you to start by cleaning your mind, take a bubble bath or have a piece of cake. Reward yourself now for all the work you are about to do! This job can be more enjoyable and less stressful than you think. We just have to start ourselves out in the right mind set. Lets start our to do list!

First on your list was relax! Get your mind set ready to go! This means that its time to start the process of being realistic and letting go. I know that leather purse you wore back in high school has so many memories, but those memories are in your mind and its time to let go and send the purse off to have a new home! You see as we gather out clutter we spend so much time and energy in maintaining that stuff. That is time and energy we could be spending on enjoying ourselves this summer and not having to worry how to maintain all that extra baggage!

I want you to be in the mind set that its time to let go and grieve in your own way. But know the memories that these items hold is in you forever, and without having to worry about the physical item you will enjoy them so much more! That will bring you to being realistic, all those boxes full of projects and things you MIGHT use are sitting there taunting you. Really think to yourself and ask "will I really use this over the next year? Will I actually do this project? Or is this one more box of stuff to maintain with the looming thought, oh I said id do that?" Be honest and if the answer is no, I probably wont use it, or get to it even though I said I would thousand times. Well its time to let it go!

Now that your in the right mind frame its time to get to the second item on the to do list, the work. Plan when you will do your spring cleaning. Make everyone in the house know what this week is going to be! Don't worry about cleaning the house to a spotless tea first as spring cleaning often can make your place look like a cyclone has hit it! Again relax, things might look affright, but in the end you will have a lighter more organized house and life! Be ready with lots of garbage bags and make a list of whats most important and start there.

Have that garbage bag ready and at hand, don't think twice. If u asked the questions from above toss it in! Don't think twice, don't talk yourself in to it! Get it in the bag let go and move on. Have a target room where you will maintain your clutter. Bring boxes and bags in to that room so you can try to contain the clutter as much as possible. Have open floor space ready to start making piles, and your garbage bag ready to re-home your old things. And then just do it!

Once you have done the sorting you might find you have more filled garbage bags than you thought possible. "Wow, how did I have all that stuff crammed away", you might think to yourself. But then realize, wow I did it. But now what to do? If your a person who's' in to going green, helping others, or just hate to make waste then take the extra time to find a Good Will, Salvation Army, thrift store. Or church. This way you don't clog the landfills with all that junk. Someone else might be able to make good use of it. Someone in need might thank the stars for whoever donated those items, or some strapped family might smile when they are able to afford something they couldn't other wise. And the planet will thank you!

You have gone the extra mile to make your house and your life more organized, gone green, and helped people. All just from some simple thing called spring cleaning! Now pat yourself on the back, smile and have another piece of that cake!