QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Do you have bags of books or clothing for charity? Put them in your trunk today and drop them off while you’re out doing errands.
- Get your errands done early today so you can relax and enjoy the rest of your weekend without running around town like crazy. Do your dry cleaning dropoff/pickup, grocery shopping, Home Depot run, clothes shopping with kids and other errands you might need.
- Bundle up and go for a long walk, if the weather in your area is nice enough.
- Try to get rid of at least two bad, old, fraying pairs of socks or underwear. If you need inspiration, imagine being caught wearing them by an emergency room technician, ambulance driver, fire fighter or your favorite celebrity.. grin. Remember that you can easily buy a new fresh pair of socks, underwear or the like at JcPenney for less than $4 each.
- Invite someone over to Sunday lunch or supper as a short notice kindness.
- Do a quick wipedown/sanitize of your family’s remote controls, video game controls, telephones and cell phones.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Bathrooms
Today I am Spring Cleaning my home’s three bathrooms. I have three toilets to scrub, one bathtub, two showers, and four sinks. In addition, I’ll be sorting out three medicine cabinets, three cabinet drawers, and the 4 cupboards under all four sinks.
My least favorite household chore is the bathrooms, so I’ll try to make this a more pleasant task. I’ll burn my favorite scented candle in each bathroom while I work, and I’ll put on some fun music to listen to.
Now Spring Cleaning bathrooms doesn’t just mean cleaning them up really thoroughly and decluttering them. That should actually be a weekly task. The difference is that during Spring Cleaning we take care of problems and work to improve things, fix anything broken, and leave our bathrooms in a well maintained state.
This is the time to get rid of that ugly bathroom light fixture that’s been bothering you; this is when we finally break down and call the plumber to fix the annoying link under one sink. Instead of just dusting off an ugly soiled old wooden towel rack and making do with it, we’ll actually measure the rack, drive down to Home Depot before the weekend is over, and install a nice new inexpensive towel rack. Now’s the time to repaint a bathroom in fresh colors (a chore that wouldn’t take both days this weekend); replace those cracked bathroom floor tiles; totally replace limp faded old bathroom towels with new ones (something you could do for under $100 easily); and finally replace the rusted old sink or bathtub fixture. Need a new showerhead? This is your weekend to buy a new one, or call a professional to come install one next week for you. Is your shower curtain moldy, limp, and torn at the top in several places? Time to toss it and buy a new one – they’re not expensive.
If you want to aim for living a lovely life instead of just plodding through life cleaning and making do, then Spring Cleaning your bathrooms, fixing problems you’ve been living with, sprucing things up, and leaving your bathrooms better than you found them is the way to go.
My bathroom towels are in the laundry; the bathroom scale has been wiped down; my sinks, floors, tubs and showers are scrubbed; my walls have been washed down; baseboards dusted; an ugly plastic trash can recycled; fresh flowers set in vases in each bathroom; and bathrooms sprayed with lovely fresh scents. Next, I’m on my way to Home Depot to pick up a screw for one of the toilet lids, a new sink fixture for the old downstairs bathroom sink, and new more-attractive knobs for my medicine cabinets.
When I get back home, I’ll need a bit of help installing my sink fixture. Then all by myself I have to sort the contents of my cabinets, keeping only what’s useful, necessary, and will be actually used in the next six months.
Tonight after our hard work Spring Cleaning, let’s make time to treat ourselves to extra long hot baths, with nice bath bombs or bubble baths to soak in, clean fluffy towels to dry ourselves off with, and fun magazines to read while we relax.
LOVELY BLOGS: Housewife Bliss
Mrs. Bliss advises us on “the finer points of nesting.” She’s posted recently about Getting your home ready for Spring, getting the most out of your freezer, and keeping a hostess journal. I thoroughly enjoyed the advice I got from her recent articles, and I plan to visit often to learn more from her.
http://www.housewifebliss.com/
LOVELY KITCHEN: Easter Cookie Cutters
I’ve decided that what with all my nieces and nephews around here who love to help me bake, I definitely should pick up a set of Williams-Sonoma’s new Easter cookie cutters. I just have to remember that not any cookie dough will necessarily work with these. I’ve found after much experimenting with their message cookie cutters that you really do need to follow the dough recipe that comes with the cutters, for best results. I can’t wait to use these with my little friends!
Easter Stamp and Style Cookie Cutters, at Williams-Sonoma
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Easter Brunch Menu (Williams-Sonoma)
Muffuletta Sandwiches are the Big Easy’s Best (Seattle Times)
