Instead of the proverbial ‘Spring Cleaning’, why not do ‘Spring Organizing’? Cleaning is temporary. The benefits of organizing are long lasting. Let us show you the difference!

Start your spring organizing in the area where you usually enter your home. It is disheartening to arrive in clutter. Create a drop zone for keys, cell phone, and wallet ~ a tray or basket on a table or a shallow container in a drawer. Put newspapers or magazines in a container near the place where you will read them. Sort mail immediately and put items you need to act on in a file, basket, or mail holder where you pay bills. Install a sturdy coat rack near the door or designate a closet or bench to hold purses, backpacks and outerwear. We love name labelled hooks in a mud room!

Tackle your backlog of photos now before vacation season begins. Use a storage system that works best for you, but always one that is acid free. Get rid of duplicates or poor quality photos. Place the rest in albums or file in photo storage boxes divided by subject or date. Swap out some of your framed photos for new favourites. Better yet, store all of those photos electronically!

Go through your pantry and cupboards and toss food which is past its expiration date. Get in the habit of marking the date on packages and containers when you open them if you know you will not be using the contents within a short time. Add items you need to replenish to your grocery list.

Declutter your freezer.  If you cook seasonally, for example if you prepare more roasts and soups in the winter months, and depend more frequently on salads and grilling in the warmer months, now is a great time to clean out your freezer. Use up the frozen roasts, stewing meat, soup vegetables and anything else you’re unlikely to use in the upcoming summer months.

Be honest about your books. Keep those you love, will read again, or use for reference. Donate the rest so others can enjoy them. This goes for cookbooks too. If parting with your old ‘Joy of Cooking’ is a challenge, try this trick. For the next, 6 months, or pick what you believe is a reasonable amount of time, tag each recipe you make with a post-it note. At the end of the time period, re-evaluate your ‘necessary’ books. It may change your perspective.

Simplify. Treasures get lost in a crowd. Rotate your keepsakes and knick knacks seasonally. You will enjoy your special things more and your home will always have a fresh look.

Store out of season clothing. Now is a great time to wash or dry clean seasonal items like hats, scarves and heavy coats. Do a sanity check before sorting and donate or discard anything that is worn, torn or no longer fits.

Incubate off-season craft projects. Many of us are seasonal crafters, perhaps loving to knit in the winter, not so much in the warmer months. If you’re that way as well, now is a great time to move your out-of-season craft items into storage to make space in your home, and on your calendar, for in-season projects.

Check expiry dates on sunscreen, particularly if spring break is beckoning you south.

Ahhhh…spring is right around the corner, finally! There is something about the promise of green grass and the lovely swelling of buds that signals change in the air, and in our homes, fueling the natural desire to spring clean and organize. There’s no time like the present to start chipping away at the ‘stuff’ ~ in your closets, your drawers, your garage, and so on ~ that may be holding you back from the life you really want. Revitalize your hibernating home with our simple suggestions, above. There’s something undeniably satisfying about cleaning up and clearing out. When you endeavor to really take stock and let go, you do more than simply rid your space of clutter; you begin to see what you have with fresh eyes. And something else happens too. New spaces begin to open up, inviting you to move your life forward, one step, one decision at a time.