Monday, September 3, 2012

Spring Cleaning - Baby Steps



It must be the start of Spring that’s gets us all eager to clean and de-clutter and update our spaces.  I am itching to continue the remainder of the year with a house that is tidier and better organized as at the moment, I feel unsettled and always one step behind where I’d like to be and what I want to achieve.  I'm eager to freshen up not only our home, but also my wardrobe, my systems for house-keeping and my corner of blogland.  However, with limited time and so many other priorities demanding my attention, I’ve decided to be realistic and take ‘baby steps’ towards achieving my spring cleaning goals this year.

First up has been my blog makeover.  While I'm not entirely finished yet, I'm pretty happy with how things are looking here so far.  I have a feeling my new header might still be a tad blurry so I have to work on making that crisper.  However, I'm by no means a graphic designer and after putting together what I've done, I can't quite remember how I did what I did.  Eventually, I'd like to be able to update the three ‘polaroid shots’ every month or so to keep things looking fresh in this little space.  As for other additions, my social media buttons are finally up but not all active yet… (this RSS business is seriously doing my head in!) and I need a new profile photo (one that's not quite so large and in-your-face).  But, I’m getting there… baby steps. 

As well as my blog, I'm eager to have a good spring clean of our home. I’m tired of not being able to locate paperwork.  I’m tired of being surrounded by clutter that is yet to be sorted and ‘dealt with’ (eg. things we no longer want or need).  I’m tired of missing deadlines and forgetting dates.  I’m tired of feeling as though I’m not ‘on top of things’. 

And so yesterday, I decided I was tired of making excuses and took my first baby step towards achieving my mammoth spring cleaning goals.

I started with our laundry cupboards.  I pulled everything out, wiped down surfaces, sorted, compartmentalised, labelled and simplified.  I rationalised the use and placement of every single item that I put back onto those shelves and have not only created more storage space, but also come up with a few tiny ways to make laundry and cleaning a bit more ‘user friendly’ for myself.  Once I buy a few more storage baskets and finish with this room, my next ‘baby step’ is to catch up on sorting out paperwork yet to be put into our filing cabinet.   

Rather than my usual weekly project, I’ve decided that for the coming weeks and months, my focus will be on-going and will simply be to spring clean.  With Grace and I now having our ‘crafternoons’, I will still be allocating time to my hobbies and creative pursuits and any other areas of home life that are bothering me are all able to be covered by my new focus word anyway.

Are you a fan of spring cleaning?  Which area of your life are you desperate to freshen up at the moment?


Photography above by Christina Richards Photography.  Floral arrangement by Studio Choo.
Image found via Style Me Pretty

21 comments:

  1. Hi Amanda..funny you should mention blog makeovers..I have just spent some time redoing mine! Yours is lovely and so is your profile pic..very clear. Have fun with the rest of your clean up.

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  2. I think I'm one of the few that enjoy cleaning. Most people think I'm nuts! I love to put on music (tends to make me go faster and get in some extra exercise) and then set out to complete whatever cleaning task I've set myself. I'm happy to do it because I love the satisfaction of the end product.
    My spare room is slowly coming together but still needs time dedicated to finishing it. My music room needs a complete overhaul. School holiday project I think.

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  3. Amanda, I am tying to muster up the energy for a spring clean. I badly need a good purge of stuff around here. Baby steps are the way to go for sure.

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  4. I love spring cleaning but I'm absolutely crap at it!

    I do little bits at a time because I get overwhelmed with massive jobs and end up doing nothing. A little de-clutter and a sorting out of things is a great way to start though!
    Thanks
    Lesley
    xx...

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  5. Your bloggy looks lovely :) And I so hear you in regards to the need to clear clutter and chaos for order and serenity. I just can't.quite.get.there. It's 2 steps forward and 4 steps back in this old house (or so it feels). Only about 2 months ago I had upstairs so so clean and lovely. But three males live in this house, and it slowly crept back to how it was before, despite my best efforts. It's so demoralising :) But onwards and upwards! Jenx

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  6. I need some spring cleaning motivation! Perhaps you could come do mine, once your done at your place :)

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  7. I love a good spring clean but it's not working as well with the twins in tow lol!!! Your header is looking lovely and friendly Amanda....the idea about changing the pics is great too!I am yet to figure out the social media buttons...they were doing my head in so i stepped away for a while hehe!

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  8. Go you! You're getting right into it at the moment. I love that you think you are not very organised but I think you are super organised!! This means clearly I am very UNorganised! Not a new realisation so that's okay. I really want to get an office area set up in our house. I haven't done any filing in *ahem* about a year. Neither has MR. There is an almighty stack of paperwork waiting for attention except I can't get to the filing cabinet because it is in the junk room which is really, well, junky. Argh!

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  9. Loving the new look of your blog Amanda.
    I am currently in full spring clean too, desperately trying to cull the things we no longer want/need. It's a mammoth task and one that no doubt will take me weeks to complete.
    x

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  10. Amanda my dear, I'm back, and slowly getting back into some sort of routine. Thank you for your email, I will reply soon :)
    Your blog makeover looks FABULOUS. You clever chicken. I will catch up on your recent blog posts later when the kids are in bed....but for today, I need to wash wash wash {oh the post-holiday washing....you know what I mean don't you!?}, go grocery shopping {our pantry and fridge are EMPTY} and Ella has ballet this arvo. Talk about getting straight back into chaos. I feel unsettled a lot this year, and annoyed at my lack to get things done. I feel like there's always so much to do, and never enough time to do it!!!!! I'm really trying to work on that!
    x

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  11. i was nodding my head when you said that you're tired of clutter and not being able to locate paperwork.... it's easy to put 'something' 'somewhere' and then think you'll put it in the right place later..and then not remember. good luck with your mini spring cleaning!

    i've started our packing process, you'd be proud of my ultra organised, colour-coded boxing system...with lists of everything that's going into each box. haha...i think i'm ocd. at least olive is having fun with the boxes and trying to pull all the packing tape off! :)

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  12. I'm terrible for hoarding clutter and never know what to do about things like paid bills. Do I need to keep them? For a bit? Or just pay and toss? I'm easily confused :)
    I have had the past 4 days off work and apart from a few quick trips out to the shops, all I have done is clean, tidy and weed the garden. And there's still a heap to do :)
    x

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  13. I'm all amped up for some spring cleaning here too! I've taken on the organisedhousewifes 20 day cleaning challenge - already seeing great changes here. Good luck with your cleaning - it is very refreshing and calming (for me anyway!). I'd love to hear more about your wardrobe makeover! I'm thinking a few new pieces of clothing for spring/summer is just what I need. Cassie

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  14. Ah Amanda, it's that time of year, isn't it?! I'm doing something similar down here. Baby steps all add up! J x

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  15. I've got the spring cleaning bug too! So far I've only managed a few small tasks but they've made me feel better already. The pantry got a clean out and now all my dried good are in glass jars (it's pathetic how happy this has made me!) and our bed spread was taken for a clean at the dry cleaners (does that count?!). The laundry and our (poor, neglected) bedroom is next on the hit list....

    PS. LOVE the new blog look. Have been meaning to comment for ages (but clearly I've been busy lining up jars!) x

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    1. I'm done with our laundry, have filed away some papers (although now need to throw out unnecessary paperwork in our filing cabinet) and am onto my wardrobe next. Pantry is one for me to work on too. I understand the excitement your new jars have given you... I feel the same way about the neat baskets in my laundry cupboard.. such excitement every time I open the door :)

      Thanks for the blog feedback... your blog is one I actually looked at before my makeover wondering which elements of yours I loved and wanted to replicate (eg. larger photos, simple template, lots of fresh white etc.)

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  16. I'm sitting here so proud tonight as I've cleaned out the odd sock basket and cleared the top of the computer desk.
    So much still to do...but even the little things make me feel more under control.

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  17. wow wow wow, loving the new blog layout.........i'd love to change mine around, ihave no idea how hehehe and feel like i'd need to set down for hours to find out how, i do feel like mine is bit boring {big sigh} and the photo of those flowers {just beautiful} i love cleaning out stuff and getting rid of things, makes me feel good inside big smooch to you and have a wonderful weekend lisa xx

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  18. looking lovely! i have gotten on the 'organised housewife' 20 day cleaning challenge and i highly recommend it....my house is feeling cleaner and much more organised after just 4 days!

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  19. It is such a good feeling doing a bit of a clean and re-organising an area. My pantry is an area that I really would like to spring clean, to buy lots of glass jars and have it looking a little less cluttered but haven't quite got around to yet. I love your new blog look, you're very clever to have created that gorgeous new header:) xx

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