Spring Cleaning: Week Four-YOUR CLOSETS!

This is the last week of our Spring Cleaning Guide, so, rejoice! This last week can be either painful, or fun, or both, depending on how much of a hoarder you have been this year. The key to this week? Start small! We're talking a hall closet, or a few shelves of your linen closet, first. So, have a closet you have in mind that is the least terrible, and get ready to go!

CLEAR OUT YOUR CLOSETS FOR SPRING!

What You'll Need: 

• A Can-Do Attitude (You can do this. You can!)

• A few rags and your fave natural cleanser

• Garbage bags/boxes

Let's grab a box or go, stand in front of the chosen closet, and GO:

1. Let's observe first. What is happening in there? Why are your kid's crafts stuff piled in the linen closet? Is it lack of creative space, or lack of creativity in your storage options? Be honest, here. Where can you put the stuff stashed in this closet that simply does not belong?

2. We will use for this example your hall closet:

3. Start pulling out what does NOT belong. You know what those things are! Just pull it all out for now. (Your heart may start racing. Do not worry. We will get to that stuff!)

4. Now look at that! Not perfect, but nice, right? Just maybe coats and boots in the coat closet.

5. Now, what bothers you, bumps out at you, makes the emotional viewing experience, well, unpleasant? Is it that horrendous and dreadful pile of gloves/hats/mittens on the very top shelve? Grab them. Go and get your prettiest, saved shopping bag from the one time you went to that fancy store and splurged. Put that mittens, hats, gloves in there. Push it back on top, or hang it on the inside of the door. The pretty bag will make you happy, remind you to treat yourself, and the winter stuff and accessories will still be very accessible, even more so now. (#Yay)

6. Go through what is left in there again. Look at all of those coats and jackets in your hall closet, for example. Consider this: If not used daily, could they perhaps go in the owner's own closet? Perhaps, right? Duh. Get all of those coats and blazers and things out of there that don't get used often.

7. And as your are repositioning those items, check them out? Do they still fit you/your partner/your kid? No? Put it in a convenient garbage bag to give to your friend or your fave charity.

8. Get more creative with what is left, and be a little bit ruthless. If you live in a city apartment, you may have a vacuum cleaner in there. That's okay. But can that damn ladder be stored in your super's closet, to be borrowed back when needed? (He/she might love to be able to use it, and, let's face it, it's a pain in the *ss to have a ladder in your coat closet!)

9. Put everything back. If you're too exhausted by some of the bigger things, and truly have no storage that you can think of to reposition them, do not despair. You did better than you think!

10. Go watch some Netflix and relax for a bit.

11. Ready again? Okay. Take a deep breath. It's time to...

Hit your bedroom closet! (I know) 

1. Grab some fresh garbage bags. 

2. Find another pretty shopping bag. This one stays in your closet, to use to put clothes you may want to sell, may want to keep-you are not sure.

3. I keep all seasons of clothing in my closet, mostly, but again, I live in LA. It's easier. (If you switch/store your seasonal clothing, you will be doing that after you clear.)

4. Here is where our dear friend Marie Kondo comes in very handy: Look at everything. What "bumps," makes you anxious, reminds of the worst date of your life? Like, truly, gives you some teensy (or major?) anxiety? IT GOES.

5. Do the above again. And again. And again! It doesn't matter the order. Do it with t-shirts. Pants. Jeans. Dresses. Skirts! What fits? Are you really going to alter that? I'm a fan of knowing that some pieces of clothing you love but never wear are actually waiting for the right time to blossom into your life. If you love it but don't wear it too much, for God's sake, just keep it, please.

6. Look at your shoes. Full disclosure: I am not shoe-obsessed. I know tat may be an anomaly. But seriously, it is my belief that most women have WAYYYY too many shoes. Go through these. Most are uglier than you think, trust me. GET. RID. OF. THEM. Separate them by season, if you have them lumped all together. Be ruthless. And guess what? I will allow you some guilt free shopping afterwards. Start your list of what you need with the shoes.

7. See how easy it was to dump those atrocious, old shoes when you knew you had permission to get some new ones/ Excited to finish this damn closet now? I thought so. Guess what? You can't buy any new clothes yet, okay? Just go through what you have decided NOT to give away now...

8. Spritz the walls of your closet with your rag and cleanser, give it a good rub-down.

9. Look at what's left. Really look. hang it all back up, refold your sweaters. Put it back in.

10. Look at what is remaining AGAIN.

11. What makes you feel less than? Fat? Anxious? If the amount of money you paid for an item you frankly hate is weighing on you, put it in the shopping bag to sell. (More on Poshmark later!)

12. But House & Mind, you may be asking: What if I am left with two pairs of jeans, three tops, and five sweaters? That's okay. You won't be, if you are reading this. Keep sifting.

13. Now, take a deep breath, and observe your handiwork.

14. Do you like what you see and feel? If not, keep going.

15. As you can see, this is not a matter of folding your sweatshirts correctly. Its' about what you have in your wardrobe, and what your wardrobe represents to YOU, that really matters here...

16. Take out your bags, purses, belts, scarves & whatever other accessories you have multiples of.

17. Do these same thing as with your shoes. Be more ruthless. Especially with those damm scarves! Go through. Go through. And go through again. Gift a nice bag you never wear to your mom/niece/best pal/fave barista. Put everything back. If you can be more creative this time, try it. Stack your least used purses in a basket, say, or the scarves now in a drawer.

18. Put back your seasonal clothing/switch it out now, and do the same thing with your summer stuff, above.

19. Look at your bedroom closet again.

20. Do you see now that what really matters is what is inside? xo Yay!

21. Repeat later on in the week with any kids' or guest room closets, etc.

22. YAY! You are done! (And you RULE!)

Repeat with any other closets you may have left. xo

Try to use what you have to organize. If you're done, and still need a little polishing, try ANY the goodies from our friends at Target:

Spring Cleaning Start: Weekend Three!

Dude! We are almost there! And this one is fun (sort of!)  because this weekend, we are going to focus upon...

Spring Cleaning the Kitchen!

Okay, let's get some easy-breezy materials together: 

• Your fave natural cleanser (or white vinegar) that you can clean all surfaces and glass with, too. 

• Bon Ami Cleanser

• Rags

• Magic Erasers (a few!)

• Baking Soda

• Newspapers or paper towels for the glass and windows

• Mop and whatever natural floor cleaner you use (I use the same spray for everything) 

Ready? Let's GO: 

1. Look at everything in your pantry. Take a breath. Now, go through it! (If you have kids old enough to read a label, promise them a really nice treat, and have them help you go through, tossing anything old and expired and past its prime. 

2. Take OUT all the goods in the pantry you are keeping! Then, wipe down with cleanser the entire cabinet(s) shelves or pantry room. (ALL of the shelves. up and down!)

3. Put all of the pantry goods, jars, and cans of food back in the pantry. 

4. Mix about a cup of Baking Soda and 1/4 cup of warm water and make a paste (adding more water when necessary.) Open the oven, and scrape out the bits with a butter knife you can get at. The dried, gunky bits you can't? Put the baking soda paste over it, and spread it throughout the oven where you see those "burnt" streaks. Close the oven, leave the mixture on inside overnight. (This method works like an incredible charm-I swear!)

5. Take the Bon Ami and natural cleanser, and carefully clean the top of the stove, getting at all of the gunky stuff, if it's there! Finish off with the cleanser, making it really sparkly and shiny. (Clean the "window" on the oven, if you have one, too!)

6. Next, take and dampen your Magic Eraser, and let's hit the kitchen sinks! This is the most oft-overlooked place in the kitchen to really clean. If you have a disposable, run it, and toss a quarter of a lemon in there, to make it smell nice. Take that eraser, and really clean the kitchen drains, which, you will see, are really dirtier than you think, I assure you. Rinse with more cleanser and Bon Ami and rinse again, all of it! I guarantee it, your kitchen will instantly just look and "feel" cleaner. 

7. Take everything out of your fridge,  and we mean-EVERYTHING. Toss what is disgusting, old, out-of-date, you get it! (Make a little spot on the kitchen counter for veggies you can save, and use for some nice meals this weekend, if at all possible.

8. Fill your now spotless sink with warm, sudsy waters and put in the plastic produce drawers, if yours pull out. 

9. Now get in that fridge, and wipe that baby down! (STOP whining about what a mess your fridge is-we are almost done, here!) Make sure to get at the disgusting parts on ten shelves and in the grooves-(just do it! :) 

10. Make a list off condiments and things to get and place at the store.

11. Wipe down the food and jars and things you are keeping in fridge. Do the freezer next, same deal! 

12. Take your Magic Eraser, take everything off the top of the fridge, if anything'e store up there, and clean off any dust and grim duo there. Also- whet the hell do you have up there, anyway? If it's not cute or functional or decorative, take it outta there! (That cabinet above the stove is usually great for storing store bits of kitchen ephemera you don't want to part with.) 

13. Hopefully, you have already hit under the Kitchen Sink. If not, read THIS! 

14. Okay! YOU ARE AMAZING! Now, last but not leastly, it is time to do the floors. 

15. Sweep or vacuum up the kitchen floor.

16. Whatever your favorite method of mopping is, utilize it now, but get in there! Around teh stove and fridge, especially. Wipe down the baseboards! You heard us, just do it! Us ether Magic Eraser for this, it's super-healpful on grimy dust. 

17. Go throw your drawer of kitchen linens, and turn into rags anything that looks ratty or too old and not fun to use. 

18. In the morning, wipe out the oven. You will be amazed at how much easier the baking soda mixture make this.

19. Clean off the top of the stove hood with a Magic Eraser and rag. 

20. Go & get yourself one or two pretty, new dishtowels or some nice, new cloth napkins…:)

And...you are DONE! GOOD JOB! 

Spring Cleaning Start: Weekend Two!

We are on to Weekend #2 of our Spring Clean Guide. How was last week for you? Too much, or not quite enough? Well...

Now, we are going to kick off this weekend with a few "big" tasks, sprinkled in with some truly smaller, more "fun" ones. Okay, ready or not! Here we go...(And again, please feel free to start Friday night, if you wish) 

Weekend #2 of the Spring Clean Start: 

1. This weekend, we are going to focus on two BIG things: The walls, and the bathroom!

2. (I know.)

3. Now that you hopefully lightly dusted and de-cobwebbed your walls last weekend, grab a magic eraser, dampen it, and go around rubbing out any scuffs or little marks that you can manage from your walls.

4. Get a chair ready, take a rag or micro-fiber cloth, spritz on your fave natural cleanser, and get to work! Start at the top, and work your way down. Remember the endless moves he had to do in The Karate Kid? Just go in sweeping motions, like you are waxing or drying off your car. 

5. Next, take care of any spots or true wall marks that cannot be buffed out. I keep a bright white tube of acrylic paint in a drawer, and daub any "real" marks. 

6. Take a little break. Go for a walk. Meet a friend or take your partner out for lunch or coffee. Deal with your kids, and tell them you need a little "me" time. (Or ask your kids to help!) Just take a little rest!

7. Next, we are going to tackle your bathroom(s)! Ugh. I know. It is my least favorite room to clean, by far. So, to make it FUN...

8. We are going to make "Doo" Drops! I'm dead serious. And NO, I confess, I am not really a DIY person, but these drops are so fun, silly, and easy to make that it seems silly not to do this when cleaning out the dreaded bathroom! Just take a small glass or plastic bottle (preferably one that has a dropper, but that is not necessary) and pour about 2:1 in parts (depending on the size of your bottle) cheap vodka or rubbing alcohol/ to liquid hand or dish soap. Then, add about five drops of your fave essential oil, shake that baby up, et voila, instant "DO before you DOO!" Drops! (The bright idea is that you or a guest shake out a few drops into the toilet before they go number deux. The oil makes a coating on top of the water that traps odors.)  Trust me, It's genius, and it WORKS! You can even grab a colorful marker, but off some brown paper from a grocery bag, and make a cute label. Done! (You are now a DIY genius.)

9.  Next! Here we go: Take out everything on the sides of the tub, top of sink and vanity,  and around and in the shower. That would be the shampoo and conditioner bottles, soaps, bubble bath and salts- you name it. Just put it in the hallway for now, even. What we want is a clean surface so we can get in and out of there, as easy and fast and possible. Remove everything from the top and around your toilet, as well. 

10. Start with the toilet, in fact. I prefer using Bon Ami powder, which is a safe, gentle-yet-abrasive cleanser, which is also very inexpensive. Oxi Clean packets are also great to toss in and let dissolve, and they smell divine. Next, get out your toilet brush and scrub away! Take a rag and your fave natural cleanser, and scrub the top and sides of the toilet. GENIUS TIP: Take one or two DENTURE CLEANSING tablets as a safer alternative to those nasty blue pods. (Yes!) Grab some cheap ones at the Dollar Store. I'm serious! They leave a nice fizz, actually safely clean porcelan, and give a nice finish. 

11. Your tub/shower: Bon Ami your tub, after first rinsing it with warm water from the shower, and pull up any stray grossness with a rag or paper towel. Spray and wipe the tile and surrounding walls. 

12. Wipe down the sides and "walls" of the tub, as well, down to the floor. 

13. Finish off the tub with a white vinegar/warm water rinse, to de-germ for real. (You can also add a few drop of your fave essential oil to the vinegar mix, if you'd like.) 

14. Clean the mirrors, sink and vanity.

15. Wipe down all of the shampoo and shower gel bottles, skin care, whatever was resting around the tub and vanity, and put it all back. 

16. Fun job: Run down to the drug store and buy a sack of scented Epsom salts, (lavender or eucalyptus!) and decant them in a pretty jar, popping it next to your tub. Super inexpensive, and a pretty little treat for you and your tub. 

17. Run some hot water, and take a nice, long bath! You deserve it!!!

18. Have a great rest of your weekend...! xo

Spring Cleaning Start: Weekend One

We are going to jump right in with our Spring Cleaning Guide, Weekend One!

This is going to get some things out of the way that will make you feel sooo good, and get your home ready to rock-n-roll for Spring...Here we go!

*Suggestion: Maybe start on a Friday early evening before you go out, or turn on some much-needed Netflix, and space out the rest over Saturday and Sunday, or start anytime you wish!

1. Set your ceiling fans to blow in the "summer" direction (counter-clockwise) and keep it on a bit higher speed, if need be.

2. Stand on a chair, grab a clean pillowcase, and grab and pull the dust off your ceiling fans'   blades. 

3. Turn your mattresses! Just like rotating the tires on your car, flipping your mattress at least twice per year is such a good practice, especially for better sleep. (If you have the type of mattress you cannot "flip," then at least rotate it so your head now rests where your feet once were!)

4. Strip off and the wash the bedding you usually don't (i.e.-fancy pillow shams, coverlets, duvet covers, blankets.) Try using a cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and let it sit in the hot water before you dump in the laundry and regular laundry detergent. This trick is also great for softening sheets and towels.

5. Grab the sponge mop or Swiffer mop you normally use, and rubber band a thick rag or microfiber cloth around where the sponge or wet cloth normally goes. Make sure it's really secure, spritz on some of your fave natural cleanser, and gently brush the walls of each room up and down, paying attention to any stray cobwebs or dust at the top or in the corners, jumping up on a chair when necessary! Pay special attention to the walls of the bathroom, and maybe go over them with a rag by hand, as well...

6. Vacuum the couch, main chairs in the living room, and under the beds-ONLY, for right now! Grab any stray bits of this or that under everything. 

7. Using a few microfiber cloths and warm soap and water, gently scrub any blinds you may have in the kitchen, bathroom or living room. If they are okay and not too dirty or dusty-then just lightly dust them. I HIGHLY recommend using microfiber sheets-they work so much better than even a magic eraser, (which will often smear the dust into vinyl blinds, especially.) 

8. Dust the tops and sides of any hanging mirrors or framed art work in your home. 

9. For now, just lightly dust your bookshelves, taking casual note of any books you have not read in awhile, or ever.

10. Take whatever's on top of the FRIDGE off, take a rag with natural cleanser and scrub off the top, and put everything back, seeing if there's anything you can store in another cabinet or drawer. (Do NOT take longer than 5 to 10 minutes to do that, however! ;) 

Woo-hoo! You get to take a break! Notice: Do you feel better, a little bit lighter already? You completely should, and it will only get better next weekend! Now, go to the movies or grab that drink or coffee with a friend. You deserve it! You got a great leg up on your Spring Cleaning, and, in fact, have absolutely started! Cheers to YOU! xo

Pre-Game Your Spring Clean this Weekend!

Yep! It's that time of year again! Spring is, finally, on its way. But! Not yet... I am fortunate that I live in Los Angeles, where the weather has been a bit rainy and dreary this week, but it is absolutely nothing compared to what my family and friends on the East Coast, and in the Northeast, have been dealing with.

Wherever you may reside, if you did not do a post-Holiday sweep of your home, spring is the time to really renew and refresh your space. 

But do not fret! If you are stressing about not being able to tackle your entire home, we are going to break down a few things for you that will help you be on your way. Promise!  

Hang on to your hat! Here we go:

1. Choose the "big" project you have been dreading- and get to it! 

This may sound counter-intuitive, but tacking something you have been putting off-painting a closet or kitchen cabinets, grouting the tiles in the shower, cleaning your windows inside and out-whatever you've had on a physical or mental list to get finished. If you have to go get painting supplies, take this weekend to go do it, a few hours to plan out and organize the task, and start it. There is really no need to take two full days to do most projects like this...You can shoot for a few hours on both Saturday and Sunday, or just part of a Saturday. Put off any other errands and chores you may have, get your partner, friend or babysitter to watch the kids -until you dig into this one project. 

Here's what will probably happen...

You may balk at this. Wake up Saturday, and want to go back to sleep, or off to brunch, or hit your Netflix queue. Guess what? You can treat yourself AFTER, not to worry! You will see your friends and get to watch Netflix again, I promise! But seriously, I am not making light of this. These blocks can be huge, and are often paralyzing. Because- if you are blaming your inability to do more important things (your novel or screenplay, painting, starting a side business, looking for a new job, checking out and organizing your finances) on the fact of your looming household projects, there is no other way to get over this, than to get through it, and to tackle what is holding you back. 

"What, little ole' me?" you may be saying? Yes, you! A lot of us do this, and the easiest way to stop it is to just...start it! Just start, in any way you can, if blocking off the whole or part of the weekend is too overwhelming. That's okay. 

THEN, here's what will happen...

After you start, even if it's just taping of the edge, to paint, or doing the bathroom windows, inside only: YOU WILL START TO FEEL SOME STRANGE, NEW ENERGY! You will start to feel that, gasp, you will be able to possibly finish this project, maybe even someday very soon! You may want stop. But, the very next moment, you will want to keep going! You will realize what a badass you are for even starting this thing! Screw it, you will say to yourself- "I'm gonna finish this! 

2.  Do a Mini-Sweep of Your Home

*Disclaimer: You are going to need a few baskets and/or bins to do this. It is not necessary to buy these. Most of us have these in our garage, closets or laundry rooms. Go grab 'em now! 

• For all I know, you may have some spare holiday decorations or pillows or something hanging around. Are you kidding me? Get rid of those things! Pack them off into storage, the garage or attic.  

• Lighten up any textiles, pillows or blankets that are too heavy, and pack them in wherever they normally go in your home.  If your weather is still lousy, you may want to toss some of your quilts and blankets into the dryer, on low, with some dryer sheets to freshen them up.

• Recycle any magazines, newspapers, catalogues or mail that you can glance at any know they are meant to toss into your bin. Do not take longer than ten or fifteen minutes to do this. If you have a pile of mail that is getting to be real a bitch, find a cute, small basket and put it in there for now, and lay it on your kitchen table or counter.

• Gather your children's toys in large plastic bins and ask them if they want to donate anything to a child less fortunate.

• Take a lint roller to your sofa and stuffed chairs or sectional if you have dogs and/or cats.  

• Take another basket or bin, and literally clear off your coffee table, minus any important papers or bills. (Just do it, trust me!)

• Take your natural, all-purpose spray cleaner, a clean rag, and wipe down all of the light fixtures and door knobs in the house. 

• Clean the window sills the same way. Just a light dusting will do just fine. 

• Open the fridge, peer in, and toss out at least one or two (or three! Or four!) items that are expired. If you can't find any you are A). Lying or B.) A Very Good Person! I'm kidding. I honestly hate throwing away food, but it really does happen to the best of us!

• Okay, now STOP! (Take a nice break.)

3. Make a List. Be Ruthless.

Okay. How does it feel to have done the above? GOOD. Am I right? You know I am! Because I know this high, and it's the best feeling ever. That's what we're going for, here. A taste of feeling that accomplishment that comes from doing something wonderful-just for yourself. I do not care if you finished or even start the big project. If you are reading this far, you are motivated to galvanize your space, and maybe did a few things off of the list above. I hope so! It's important to know that what's holding you back on the outside directly corresponds to what's holding you back -inside. Once you can accept this fact, you will no longer be able to BS yourself, and you be able to banish these household tasks and slay these domestic dragons as easy as brushing your teeth in the mornings. (And you better be doing that!) 

Now, start making a list of what you want to do to your home this spring, and what needs to sorted and cleaned and made better.  Maybe you are pretty clean and tidy already, and do not need to do a massive spring-clean this year. Maybe you'd just like to focus on decluttering, or, if you've been doing that awhile, selling some of your old things on Poshmark, Craigslist, or eBay. Maybe your garage is a disaster, and you want to focus on that. If it’s a big project, break it down in ten to twelve actionable baby steps. If it's a general "To-Do" cleaning list, just randomly list what comes to mind. 

You are going to feel so good by Sunday night, I promise you... (And even if you don't, you still started!) 

Yay! Feel good. And cue that next Netflix marathon!