Spring Cleaning Series - Spruce Up and Sparkle!

The days are getting longer and the light is getting brighter.  Suddenly I see cobwebs that I never knew existed!  Huh?!?! How'd I miss that?  Truth is, sometimes it's easy to miss what's right in front of your face.  But with the sun setting closer to 7pm these days, it becomes more evident what's been hiding in the recesses of darkness all winter.

This weekend, as part of my own devotion to spring cleaning, I am hitting the interior of my house to spruce up the spots that are so easily overlooked.  In addition, I finally find the burnt out lightbulbs annoying enough to head to the hardware store and buy new ones.

"The Spruce Up and Sparkle" includes dusting all of the light fixtures,
chandeliers, and ceiling fan blades.  As well as dusting the top of furniture and frames, and lastly cleaning the glass surfaces of crystal chandelier pendants, artwork. photos, and windows.

My Spruce Up and Sparkle toolkit includes the following:

photo credit:  marthastewart.com

Big plastic bucket with handle to tote cleaning supplies from room to room
Microfiber hand mitt for dusting surfaces that can be laundered after use
Handheld duster...(I like to channel french maid and use an old fashioned one)
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Counter Spray (Lemon Verbena is my fave!)
Caldrea Essential Collection Countertop Spray
Method Wood Spray
JR Watkins window cleaner in Lemon
Cotton White Gloves
Microfiber cloths that can be laundered after use
Rubbing alcohol

All of my cleaning supplies are non toxic and environmentally friendly

Goal:  Get each room done as quickly as possible.  Put on your headphones and turn up the music for motivation.

Ready Set Go:

Enter room
Working from top of the room down....
Clean tops of blades of ceiling fans...otherwise when you use them in a month or two all of that dust and grit will blow all over your room
Dust top of lightbulbs and light fixtures with handheld duster
Dust tops of furniture such as armoires and frames with microfiber mitt
Use white gloves and rubbing alcohol to clean crystal pendants on chandeliers
Dust bases of lamps and any wood surfaces with microfiber cloths
Clean glass of photos and artwork with glass cleaner and separate microfiber cloth
Clean interior of windows with glass cleaner and microfiber cloth or crumpled up newspaper
Turn on each lamp or overhead light and note any missing bulbs to replace
Go to next room....

Photo credit & design:  Cultivated Divine

Voila!  If you keep moving and don't get sidetracked you should be able to have your home sparkling in the sunlight in no time at all.  Try to get this project done all at one time if possible.

Photo credit & styling:  Cultivated Divine

Here's to the Sparkle in your home!

Blessings,

Jacquie

Spring Cleaning Series - Your Closet

The biggest endeavor I undertake each spring and fall is the turnover of my closet.  This effort pays huge dividends.   I have a fairly small closet by today's standards so I have to be efficient with space.  I am fortunate to have good storage space at home and can pack away non-seasonal things to maximize my useable space.  If you do only one spring cleaning activity, I highly recommend that you consider this because it is life changing.  

One of the businesses that I started as a designer is Closet Rapture, a wardrobe editing business.  The need for this service was an offshoot of my design business for clients feeling overwhelmed by their stuff.  A thousand times I've heard, "I have so many things but I have nothing to wear".  Seriously, they just can't find it or see it amidst the things stuffed in their closets.  

My business partner and I spent a year researching wardrobe editing and closet efficiencies.  We read every book ever printed on the subject and had countless conversations about the topic before we even launched a single project.  We have assisted a broad spectrum of women ranging from a stay at home moms who just want to add a bit of pizazz and effiicency to their wardrobe to high profile personalities who need their wardrobes and closets streamline for their busy demanding life.

Here is a reposting of the piece I wrote for Closet Rapture which is every bit as valid today:

http://closetrapture.blogspot.com/2011/04/weekend-project-spring-clean-your.html?m=1

Spring Cleaning Series - Outdoor Living Spaces

Cutivated Divine

Okay people, it's spring.  I realize we have been teetering back and forth there for a while with the weather, but let's just embrace the idea and get on with it.  So while the buds are bursting,  the bulbs are blooming, and the beasts are, well let's just say "busy", let us not be ill-prepared for a little spring action ourselves.  However you want to define it....rebirth....renewal....shedding some layers.....spring is truly a call for action.   It is a time for opportunity to clear away the debris (both literally and metaphorically) that has accumulated over the cold winter season.

If we intentionally wish to create a life by design and one of intention, it's prudent to take a few proactive steps from the get go.  Where to start?  Make a simple and not too ambitious list of things you would like to do to prepare for spring.

Here's mine:

1.  Remove dead poinsettia from back patio (I just couldn't bring myself to compost a thriving beautiful plant back in January....where has the time gone??  Hmmmm.....)

2.  Tidy.  Sweep and hose down patios.

3.  Purge. Donate or trash anything on exterior of house that is broken, unsalvageable or tired (including pillows that are UV fried)

4.  Create mini design plan for outside with emphasis on how you envision your life and lifestyle  (color palette, design elements such as lanterns, umbrella, decor, etc.  check Pinterest boards for inspiration).  Make shopping or swapping list of things needed.

5.  Cultivate.  Weed and cutback plants....make a shopping list of small filler plants for pots and barren spaces.  Can you swap plant cuttings with friends....I hang around with garden junkies and this is a common practice.   Im thinking more succulents this year since now I am hooked!  I will plant an herb garden instead of a vegetable garden this year since I will be traveling this summer.  My plant criteria is that they must be water wise.....check Pinterest again for a little inspiration.  Make sure to put potting mix and fertilizer (preferably organic) on your shopping list.

6.  Relax.  It's okay to take the pressure off, I am not going to run out now and buy a bunch of stuff.  It's the weekend for heaven's sake, and even with two of us working outside, it's quite ambitious to do it all in a couple days. Besides, we have kids (need I say more).   I will keep the shopping lists on my phone on a great app called SPRINGPAD for when I am out running errands or pass by a nursery.  I may also want to tweak my list a bit.  And a little decorating note:  pleeeeeease don't buy lots of little tchotchkes to fill up your space.  I guarantee you will be discarding them next year.  Less is more.  Think larger scale: My rule of thumb is 18", 24", and 30" tall.

By all means, use natural elements to enhance your decor.  We are starved for time outside with all of the technology that grabs for our attention.  Mother Nature offers lovely gifts of the season....fresh flowers in the spring, seashells in the summer, pods and gourds in the fall, and beautiful branches in the winter.  If you don't have access to these items, you can always purchase fresh lemons, limes, and apples in the store.

Setting out with a simple and manageable plan allows us to stay on top of things, accomplish at least some of the goals we set for ourselves, and to truly embrace and celebrate the seasons.

Cultivated Divine

Happy Spring!

Jacquie