It’s finally consistently warm here, and the worst of the pollen is over. If you didn’t know, NC pollen in April is brutal — the pine trees puke a foggy yellow dust on everything, and it is virtually inescapable. My whole family is allergic to that much pollen, and so it’s just a really tough time for us. But, thank God, we are over it, yes and amen, and just in time to enjoy Spring before the heat of Summer bakes us to a crisp.
Now that we can open our windows/doors/eyes and not be flooded with yellow dust, my desire to clean all the things has piqued — almost to the levels of pregnancy nesting, but the difference now is that I don’t have the giant belly to hold me back. #noexcuses.
I’ve spent hours sorting clothes that we don’t wear, don’t fit yet, don’t fit anymore, etc. I’ve organized by size, shoe, and person. I’ve filled 5 bags to donate, and organized the guest room closet by size. I’ve mailed off hand-me-downs to my favorite sisters-in-law for their girls, and organized the rest by upcoming size: what my girls will soon grow into. I’m super thankful for the extra space (and coordinating nap time) to do this.
Next up, I want to deep clean my house: blinds, shutters, vents, ceilings, bathroom grout, second story windows, shampoo carpets, the attic…you name it. It’s all very time consuming, and can be counterproductive with two small people! Also I’m short, and ladders are heavy. Alas, I want to pay someone to do it so I can spend my days being crafty and playing with my kids (is that too much to ask?!) I’m thinking someone willing to do odd jobs — anyone have any teens looking to earn money for the summer or an upcoming missions trip?! Hit me up.
As part of my Spring Cleaning, I took some time before Easter week to organize our bonus room, which is currently the playroom. I moved all but one last piece of workout equipment out of that room, and printed picture labels for the toy shelves and play kitchen (my toddlers can’t read, but they can see color and pictures!) I get made fun of a lot by labeling where things go for small people with pictures, but truly this helps them (and visitors!) to know where things go: they can SEE it. They’re able to put their toys away in the right spot without much help at 22 months old and 4 years old.
Our bookshelves are arranged in rainbow order, which is not only super satisfying to look at, but truly makes cleanup a breeze. The legos and blocks and puzzles are all similarly arranged by color. Anything that can be labeled is. Kids can tell where everything goes and the motto is “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” I’m not a neat freak, and domesticity has not always been my strong suit, but I do find a cluttered playroom makes for more fights, less independent play, and all around more chaos.
I also personally feel a cluttered room makes my life and mind feel cluttered, too. I’m not a minimalist by any means, but I am appreciating the value of unhindered simple organization and easy clean-up of safe spaces. Positive messages, bright colors, and everything on their level has made for a really wonderful stage of parallel play between my girls.
And, when we have friends, babysitters, or our small group and their kids over, I know that even kids who haven’t been here before, or sitters who are new, can put things away almost as well as I can.
The trouble, for me, with spring cleaning and organizing and purging is that it reveals more I want to do: paint the playroom cabinets, redo the walls, find a brighter light, and down the rabbit trail I go…until next spring, perhaps!
Now tell me: what are your cleanup and organization tips. What has helped you stay on top of things? Are you a Marie Kondo fan or do you have another method? Leave a comment!
I am so excited to celebrate Mother’s Day this year! I love these ideas you wrote about. Personally, I think a new dumpster rental, to assist with her spring cleaning, is exactly what my mom needs as a Mother’s Day gift. I hope she loves it. Thanks for your ideas!