Read the comments to see all of the advice on spring cleaning!
I'm bribing you today for advice.
I didn't think you would mind :).
I decided that this year, I'm going to crack down and dedicate an entire day to spring cleaning. A few weeks ago, I blocked off this Thursday on my calendar to get down and dirty with the spring cleaning (and not just cleaning...but purging, donating and getting rid of things we don't use/like/want/need any longer). Why did I pick Thursday? Because...
...all of my kids are in school on Thursdays. #amen
A few weeks ago, I shared one spring cleaning tip with you ladies, but I was hoping we could all share some more. Please. Pretty please. I really just want to go into summer as cleaned up as possible and then in September, when they're back in school, I'll do it again.
Okay, here are my tips:
1. Write it down, do it later.
So, this is the one I shared a few weeks ago. One of my biggest problems when spring cleaning and such is that I get easily distracted. I'll be cleaning my bathroom and then I'll think, when was the last time I cleaned under my sink cabinet? And then I'll start pulling out stuff. And then I'll start organizing my nail polish stash. And then I've wasted two hours.
Sigh.
So, now, I keep a list of things to go back and do at a later date. I just use my phone and jot down things I see to do at a later date. This helps me stay on track! And then later on, I can go back and knock things off of that list one at a time.
2. Keep a sack in all of the closets.
So, I always keep a sack in my kids' closets (and mine too!). See exhibit A:
This is just some random sack that I keep at the bottom of Smith's closet. As I'm doing laundry, hanging clothes up and such, if I see an item that I think he doesn't wear/doesn't fit/doesn't need anymore, then I just toss it in the sack. After a while, once all of the sacks are full...we donate. This way, if I realize later that I need something out of the sack, it's typically still in the closet (because it takes a few months to fill them). This keeps me from accidentally getting rid of things we still need. Plus, it helps me become less emotionally attached knowing it's still there if I change my mind (which let's be honest, I rarely do). When it's time to donate, I don't go back through the sacks (if I haven't missed it, I don't need it)...I just take them and donate them.
3. Don't fret over bins.
Hi, my name is Shay and I used to fret over my kids' playroom bins. My kids have several rows of bins in our playroom and I used to fret over them being organized. We had a Barbie bin, a dinosaur bin, several book bins, a superhero bin and on and on and on. I straighten up (and meanwhile get rid of things they don't play with any longer) once or twice a year and organize the bins...but then after that, I just let the bins be what they are: a place to hold my kids' stuff so that it's not on the floor. If dinos are mixed in with Barbies...who cares? They don't. I shouldn't either. I had to let that go. #thatswhathavingthreekidswilldotoyou #youlearntoletthatkindofstuffgo
So those are three little tips from me. Your turn! What tips do you have for spring cleaning/organizing/purging of stuff? Today, I'm going to give away a $100 Container Store gift card to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a spring cleaning tip/suggestion or piece of advice in the comment section here to win (one comment per person). Bonus, if you leave one on Facebook as well (I'll post about it there too), you get points too.
I thought a gift card made Monday sound a little more fun. Enter the Rafflecopter below to win!
Also...this made me laugh...
...truth.
Don't forget that today is Meal Planning Monday...
...five simple suppers for your busy weeknight.
See all of the recipes here.
And then tomorrow, A Day in the Life of the Shulls.
Happy Monday! Thanks in advance for the tips and don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter below!