With the arrival of spring comes a feeling of renewal. The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and all the world is new again. The desire to refresh our spaces and start with a clean slate often creeps in with the warmer weather. While this probably doesn’t motivate much in the way of chores, somehow we’ve equated this desire with spring cleaning. Ew.
Now don’t get me wrong; if cleaning is your jam, by all means, clean away. I’m talking about the pressure we put on ourselves to perform this annual deep cleaning and organizing ritual when we just don’t have the bandwidth. Let’s face it — after a year of quarantine-fueled pressure to finally organize the house, a full season of “Get Organized with The Home Edit” on Netflix, countless hours of scrolling through The Container Store hauls on Instagram, and way more laundry stripping videos on TikTok than I’d like to admit, the LAST thing I want to think about is spring cleaning.
So how do you get that “spring cleaning” feeling without actually having to, well, clean?
This year, I’m finding ways to make my home feel renewed and refreshed — without the pressure of a deep clean. Here’s my “spring cleaning without cleaning” to-do list for this year:
Frame some kid art
My son loves to color, but even more so, he loves to see his masterpieces proudly displayed on the fridge. His artwork always makes me smile, so I’ve asked him to choose some of his favorites for special display in my office. Plus, his scribbles and finger paints are a welcome enhancement to my otherwise sterile office — and they make a pretty cute Zoom background.
Bring in fresh flowers
As moms, we sometimes forget that flowers aren’t just for apologies, funerals, and Valentine’s Day. Having fresh flowers in the house is a great pick-me-up and can bring a touch of springtime to your kitchen or office — no matter what the rest of the place looks like. Having flowers in the house always makes me smile, so picking up a small bouquet as part of my grocery shopping or at the local farmers market helps to remind me that winter is over (even when I’m working from home and stuck inside).
Bust out the fancy napkins
Story time: Way back when I was planning our wedding, I happened to choose the one cloth napkin color our caterer didn’t carry. Because of my stubbornness about the chosen color scheme, I ended up buying 150 pastel green cloth napkins from a wholesale linens website. I donated most of them but kept a set for us to use for our fancy married couple dinners at home (ha!). I think they have only seen the light of day once for Thanksgiving, but I’m not going to let them sit in a drawer forever. They bring back a sweet memory, make me smile, and don’t take up much space in the laundry. So they will be making some appearances at our family meals this spring. It doesn’t need to be a special occasion to use the things that make us happy.
Send a “thinking of you” card
Last week I received an adorable card from a friend who is also a toddler mom. Despite living just a couple of miles apart, life gets in the way and it’s hard to find the time to even chat these days. Getting something in the mail totally made my day, and it felt so good to know she was thinking of me. Being able to send a quick bit of love to a friend to show you care feels great all around — and what better way to do it than through a beautiful card or note. I know I can spare a few minutes each week to share some love and appreciation for those I care about most.
Get a car wash
There’s something about driving a shiny car on a sunny day with the windows rolled down, sunglasses on, and my favorite music blasting. After months of snow, ice, salt, and mud taking its toll on my car (and my sanity), turning on my favorite tunes, driving to the car wash, and washing off the winter helps me feel like spring is finally here. Plus, I can close my eyes and pretend I’m listening to a meditative rainfall while a robot washes the bugs off my windshield.
And when all else fails…
Go outside
The sun is out, the grass is green, and we’ve been cooped up inside for months — get out there and enjoy it. Close the door and leave the chores for another day. They’ll still be there tomorrow.
