April is National Garden Month!
http://www.nationalgardenmonth.org/
“How much the making of a garden, no matter how small, adds to the joy of living, only those who practice the arts and the science can know.” – E. H. Wilson
QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
– Water houseplants
– Need to weed, prune or plant something in your garden?
– Check over your budget for the month. Think about paying current bills, savings, emergency funds, travel savings, upcoming presents/parties, upcoming book or film releases you’re interested in, child-related expenses, and pocket money for manicures/lunches/coffee. Don’t forget tax time is coming!
– Leave yourself some time tonight to do a little work on your favorite crafts, writing or art project. This may have to involve turning off the TV. Sometimes it’s not worth dragging everything out to only be able to work on it for ten minutes, so you might have to wait until your family is in bed to really give yourself a good stretch of time.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Spring Cleaning the Dining Room
Let’s be sure our dining rooms are fresh and clean, ready for everyday family meals, and ready for impromptu parties. And maybe you like to do rainy-day crafts all spread out on your table.
This chore is perfect for after dinner. My sister’s taking me out at 5pm for a belated birthday dinner. When I get back I want to finish my chore so I can dive back into the book I’m currently enjoying.
I’ll start by washing my dining room windows. I just recently put up my spring curtains, so they are fresh and clean and won’t need to be laundered yet. That’s one less thing to do!
I’ll sponge off and vacuum my upholstered chairs – it takes about 1 minute per chair. I’ll dust the table, windowsills, and baseboards with my citrus orange wood care oil. I’m going to dust the wood slats on each chair, then dust the outside of the curio cabinet that sits in my dining room. I’ve sorted the things inside recently, so I’ll ignore them for now.
Next I have to attend to my extremely dusty chandelier and the Moroccan glass lantern I have hanging in a corner. I have a couple light bulbs to replace, and the lantern needs a fresh votive candle inside.
The last part of my project is thoroughly mopping the hardwood floors, using my favorite almond-scented wood floor cleaner. When I’m done, I’ll put a clean pink Spring-themed tablecloth on the table. For table decor, I keep it simple and not cluttery. I’ll put out the cherry blossom teapot we’re using this week, and a vase of pink tulips.
I’ll finish by spraying a freesia scented room spray around the room. For lunch tomorrow, I’ll eat my soup-and-sandwich meal on a fresh, clean, restful dining table.
LOVELY DISHES: Strawberry Teakettle
This strawberry teakettle is just too adorable. Given that my current (and boring looking) stainless steel kettle just developed a leak, I’m very tempted to go get this today. My kitchen doesn’t really have a themed decor, so the strawberry wouldn’t be out of place!
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Circling the Globe Without Stepping on an Airplane (Slate)
Hattie’s Pincushion Flower Revival (Victoria Magazine)
