5 Easy Ways to Cool Your Spring Fever!

Guest blogged by Jessica Thorburn of Paper Bluejay and we agree with everything she has to say!  Thanks Jess!

It always happens this time of year- spring peeks in on us and we get the undeniable urge to tidy, purge, reorganize and breath new life into our stale-from-winter spaces. Today we wanted to share 5 simple but productive projects to help tame that urge and get your home ready and organized for the sunshine soaked days ahead.

So pour yourself a glass of lemonade, and get inspired!

1. Flip-flop Your Closets

Take an afternoon and go through everything in your closet. Try things on and be ruthless, purging anything that no longer fits, is not your style, or simply doesn't get worn. (A good rule of thumb here is that if you haven't pulled it out in the last 12 months, away it goes.) Group like items together, then move winter clothes (sweaters, long sleeved shirts, and thicker pants) to the back half of your closet, leaving the front section for flowy, lightweight fabrics, short sleeved shirts and transitional pieces to take you from spring to summer. Same goes for outerwear- It's (finally) safe to tuck away winter boots, hats, gloves and coats, and make way for sandals, suns screen and floppy beach hats!


2. Start Something Big in the Garage
The garage can be a daunting task for many of us (so do get in touch if you need a helping hand), but now is a great time to do a little garage reorganizing. Move the bikes, skateboards and other summer gear to an easily accessible place, give the floor a good sweep to rid it of gravel and dirt dragged in over the winter, and make a date to take back the collection of empty bottles that have been piling up over the past few months.

3. Freshen up Your Linen Closet
Nothing quite says spring like the day we swap the winter linens for lighter summery ones. I love to pair this sheet swap with washing the duvets, mattress pads, and pillow liners that don't get freshened as regularly the other bedding, but I also extend this wash to the entire linen closet. It's the perfect excuse to purge old towels or unused sheets (again- think about the 12 month rule) and bring out the picnic blankets and beach towels that have been buried in the back of closet over the winter. Washing all your linens can be a big undertaking, so I like to make a special trip to the laundromat in order to tackle multiple loads at the same time. It's a nice excuse to get a coffee and a new magazine and have a little laundromat chill time to myself.

4. Prepare for Many Delicious Feasts
Summer is all about delicious food- the abundance of farm fresh produce, BBQ's galore, weekend parties, camp outs and wonderful gathering with friends... So now is the perfect time to clean out your pantry and fridge to make way for the all the extra deliciousness about to come through the door. Discard any expired or stale items, donate unopened things you no longer need to the food bank, and clear a little shelf space for the summer essentials. Same for for the refrigerator- pull it all out, discard whatever is no longer good, and put it all back in, grouping like items together (even labeling each shelf) and leaving room for a season of fresh berries, delicious greens and other beautiful farmers market finds!

5. Pretty up Your Garden/ Patio/ Yard
Now is a great time to prepare for Calgary's short gardening and outdoor entertaining season. Dig up weeds, dead foliage and leaves the winter has left behind, wipe down your patio furniture, fixtures or garden pots (a simple solution of 1 cup white vinegar to two parts warm water will do the trick), and begin to plan your outdoor oasis. If you need a little inspiration, check out Pinterest to get your summer styling juices flowing!

All images via IKEA