10 Lessons ‘Spring Forward’ Is Teaching Me About Caring for My Home (besides… *coffee*)
Springing forward into my favorite time of year.
When you think about springing forward, what are your thoughts? Mad about losing sleep? Irritated by having to deal with your routine being messed with? Elated by the extra sunlight to grace your day? For me, even though it was still cold the Sunday after the time changed, that day felt like SUMMERTIME. Are you kidding me? Kids can actually go outside and play after dinner?! We can go for a walk to get ice cream… AFTER DINNER?! Unbelievable. With an 11 month and almost 3 year old, it felt like the best day of my life. Dramatic? Yes. But truthful.
We knew winter would hit our household hard and it did. It was really, really hard to be inside all the time, living shorter days, not burning enough energy, seeing a grey sky for to 1,000th time that month. It was all very depressing. When I lived out in the country for five years I would happily pass the winter by with skiing at Snow Trails up in Bellville. I’m hoping to get back to that this coming winter season, but with a baby in the house it just wasn’t an option this year. Due to that, it was tough for me to get through the long, dark winter months.
Prepare yourself for longer days with home improvement projects
Before springing forward, the winter felt super bleak, but a bright spot during that time was my husband and I steadily worked on improving our difficult-to-organize home. It really brought some dopamine to this professional organizer’s household!
One of the improvement’s we made was in a closet in our primary suite. The previous owners blew out a wall in between the primary bedroom and the bedroom next door. The converted half of that room into a little ready cove and the other half in a “closet” (the original closet for that room is still embedded in the closet they created- weird).
ANYWHO- the shelving unit they added to that closet was laughable. I wanted to change it to maek some really nice usable storage in there. In order to do that, I first decluttered that space. What did I actually want to store in there? Were there things I could consolidate and move somewhere else? Once I assessed my inventory and knew exactly what I wanted to store, it was time to come up with a storage plan. I knew I wanted to install Ikea Boaxel, so I grabbed my room dimensions, hopped on the Boaxel planning tool, and got to work designing my closet. It was so fun an easy! I love the tool because, once you had your design how you like, you can just add everything to cart, checkout, and pick up at the store. So simple and easy! My husband installed it the next weekend, I placed all my items, and voila! New closet!
I feel like working on or even toward home improvement projects during the short, cold months makes up even more excited to work on our home when we’re inevitably springing forward again. You’ll be so happy you made the decision to build that closet, replace that backsplash, or declutter your basement because when spring hits, you’ll have so much energy to take the project over the finish line. You’ll feel refreshed in your space- your home- and even more motivated to make it the perfect space for you and your family.
10 Home Organization Lessons from the Time Change
Now that we’ve gone through springing forward, I’ve been reflecting on the past season and just want the time change has meant for me. In terms of caring for my own home, here are ten super quick takeaways I’ve had, so far, on living with longer days and sunlight.
- Decluttering now makes summer more enjoyable. Future me will thank me when I’m not searching for pool toys in a messy garage.
- My home should support my ideal routine. If my mornings feel frantic, maybe I need a better drop zone or coffee station.
- Spring organizing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Like adjusting to daylight savings, small steps (one area at a time) work best.
- Airing out my home = airing out my mind. Opening windows and letting fresh air in shifts my mindset and energy.
- A seasonal refresh is essential. Longer days remind me it’s time to swap out winter decor and freshen up my space.
- The importance of resetting routines. Just like adjusting to the time change, home maintenance needs regular resets.
- I don’t have to overhaul my home to make it feel fresh. A quick declutter session or moving furniture around can do wonders.
- Seasonal transitions are a great reminder to be intentional. Am I keeping things because I love them or just because they’re there?
- Less stuff = less to clean. When I’m already adjusting to the time change, I don’t need extra chores slowing me down.
- It’s okay to embrace change. Whether it’s the time shift or my home habits, small adjustments can make a big difference.
As Columbus, Ohio transitions into spring, I can’t wait to see how much impact these lessons have had on me. You guys, we made it through the toughest season of the year! It’s time to watch flowers bloom, listen to the birds, and enjoy time outside (without getting all bundled up!). Oh, and get a little organized, too.
