Spring Cleaning For The Home and Heart
In my household, with spring right around the corner comes a good ‘ole spring cleaning! Taking off our old storm windows, washing the windows, repotting house plants, and starting veggie seeds are some of my favorite early spring rituals! Although I purge and deep clean routinely, there is something special about the welcoming of spring. Ayurveda also recognizes this and there Ayurvedic practices and rituals associated with this time of year - stay tuned for future blog posts on the subject.
For now, here are a few of my favorite tips for home organization:
- If you can’t tidy a room/space in your home in 5 minutes, then you have too much stuff.
- Grouping items together, in groups of 3 or 5, will make it seem like one cohesive item.
- Watch your and your family/roommates' behavior. If a jacket is always dropped off in one spot, add a hook. If keys are placed on the table, add a small basket.
The Minimal Mom on YouTube has incredibly helpful and realistic approaches that have changed my day to day. To paraphrase a few of my favorites from her:
- You most likely have too much tupperware and the tupperware you do have is in your fridge holding rotting food.
- If you don’t want a sink full of dirty dishes then get rid of (or box up) what you don’t need. For example, in my household there is myself, my husband, and our son; so, we need three cups, three plates, three bowls, etc. She includes that you only need as many pans as you have burners. My husband loves to cook and wasn’t a huge fan of that rule, so we kept all of our pans.
- Keep a donation bin or box in every closet.
Favorite Book on the Topic: Goodbye Things by Fumio Sasaki
Favorite Poem on the Topic: Storage by Mary Oliver
“When I moved from one house to another
there were many things I had no room
for. What does one do? I rented a storage
space . And filled it. Years passed.
Occasionally I went there and looked in,
but nothing happened, not a single
twinge of the heart.
As I grew older the things I cared
about grew fewer, but were more
important. So one day I undid the lock
and called the trash man. He took
everything.
I felt like the little donkey when
his burden is finally lifted. Things!
Burn them, burn them! Make a beautiful
fire! More room in your heart for love,
for the trees! For the birds who own
nothing - the reason they can fly.”
Wishing you a happy spring for your home and your heart!
