Spring has Sprung March 21, 2012

Spring is officially here, in date and in actuality!  Birds woke me up this am, how lovely.  I always feel rejuvenated in the Spring; an energy is there that wasn’t.  I also feel compelled to tidy up and bring order to all areas of the home, especially the outdoors.

Picking up the winter debris and hauling out the lawn furniture is a great time to take stock in what you have. First, inspect the home’s exterior for any damage that may have occurred during the winter months.  Make a list of anything that needs to be fixed, repaired or replaced and add those to the home to-do list in priority order.  If you can’t do the work yourself, start calling to get some estimates.

Then, as you clean up the yard and take out lawn furniture and lawn décor, inspect those for all the same things.  If something is broken, let it go.  If something won’t be used any more, let it go.  For children’s toys and sporting equipment, have they outgrown anything?  As you are pulling out all these items; clean them off as well as clean where they were stored.

Because I am an organizer, I would suggest you consider the storage outside.  Where do you put all of this stuff?  A shed? Under the deck?  In the garage? In an outdoor container?  Outdoor items need homes too.  This may be the same home you store all winter, but it may not be.  If you want your yard to look tidy, ample and sufficient storage is needed.  Even just deciding where you will park the lawn mower is important.

Here are some other tips:

• Cushions, if not waterproof, should  have a home – whether indoors or in a weatherproof outdoor storage bin.
• If hoses are out, mount to exterior  or place on hose wheel or in a hose pot.
• All items, tools and yard work  supplies that will get ruined if exposed to rain should be tarped or in a      bin.
• For sheds, utilize hooks, peg  boards, buckets, bins and more to manage all the stuff.
• For the kids – make sure there is a  home for all those shovels and pails, etc.
• Create a place to park outdoor  riding toys / bikes if not in the garage.
• Pool supplies should be kept safe –  away from children and pets.
• Entertaining items – think portable  and easy to clean (caddy’s and trays)
• Gardening pots, tools and buckets  should all be housed together either in a bin or a traditional gardening      bench.
• Create a caddy for citronella  candles, bug spray, wipes, sun tan lotion and more so you have it when you      need it.

So, once you get all this stuff out and organized, enjoy it!