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Getting your home in order ready for relaxed summer living.
Spring is agreat time to have a good clean up, throw out and reorganize around the house.While you are doing it its fun to change furniture around in rooms and recreatenew spaces in your home.
I like to do this each year at the start of spring. It leaves me feeling quite organized for the busy run-up to Christmas.
All our outdoor areas I give a water blast, refresh with stain any of theoutdoor furniture that needs it.
I like to give everything a really good clean down ready for summer days and nights so we can enjoy outdoor living and entertaining with family and friends.
Most summer nights we use the bbq and eat in the outdoor dining area, so it's nice to have this ready to go.
I like to have tranquil and calm spaces to relax, both inside and out. This season I purchased an aged copper Buddha and some new pots with succulents to create an outside tranquil zone. By keeping these areas clean and tidy it means that they are always ready for when there are a few minutes to grab a book and relax.
We have hanging baskets and I winter these hanging on the fence, saves having to water them, they come away in the spring ready to be hung up again. I like to grow flowers for my pots from seed they seem to harden off to the weather better and the flowers seem to last longer. I like having flowering pots in my outdoor areas and on outdoor tables for a bright splash of colour and welcoming feel they give.
I have compost bins out in our utility area of the section. This is where I start off my flowering pots and have my potted herbs as it's nice and sheltered. It's nice being able to pick fresh herbs for summer salads and mint for the Christmas day new potatoes!
As I'm not a hoarder I recommend having a cleanout of all your cupboards at least twice a year… And things we get given for gifts I say use them, have all your lovely things out why keep things for a special occasion or a day that may never come?
I like to have my bathrooms all co-ordinated with nice plush coloured towels that match the décor. We don’t keep glasses for a special occasion we use them as with the crockery. Nowadays with crockery I like to use have most things white that way if something gets broken its no big deal to replace an item if something gets damaged or broken.
Clean out your wardrobe… Every season I go right through my wardrobe if I haven’t worn a garment for a couple of seasons then chances are I won’t again. I take my discarded clothes to a recycling shop to sell and donate some to Dress for Success.
This is also a good way to discover things youhaven’t worn for a while and mix and match garments in your wardrobe for afresh new look.
I like tohave my wardrobe in the following categories
- Short Jackets, throws, and wraps
- Bright tops and blouses
- Long coats
- Colorful dresses
- Black and Navy dresses and skirts
- Black and navy trousers
- Colorful trousers
- Black and navy winter and summer tops
That way it's easy to find what I’m looking for. When I take an item of clothing from the wardrobe I have a hook I put all empty coat hangers on so they are there for when I hang the garments up again.
Spring is also a good time of year to have a cleanout of all your cosmetics and products you don’t use. I purchased some great makeup plastic organizers lately from the $2 shop, just make everything clean orderly and easy to find.
This is a good time of year to wash all your cushion covers and give them a refresh. I get many of my cushion covers from Ebay they have a great selection and are very reasonable. I keep a shelf in the laundry with a variety of cushion covers in different patterns and colour combinations, its such an easy economical way of changing up a rooms décor for a fresh new look.
I love to have fresh flowers through the house, but this isn't always possible so I compromise with silk flowers. Over time it's easy for these to get dusty so I rinse them in warm soapy water and lay outside to dry. It’s a good time then to create new fresh looking arrangements.
The fragrance is important around the home to me as well. I love candles and always are buying them. Diffusers are also another favourite of mine to make rooms smell fresh and inviting.
Maybe pick a room, a room you like and feel good in, give it a makeover, spring clean and rejuvenate. If you do one room a week in a few weeks your entire house will be spring clean and feeling amazing.
Just like personal grooming, home grooming takes effort, but if you want to enjoy living in a beautiful space then the results are worth it!
Vicki Ogden-O'Fee
