Spring Clean- Household Management Tip

Even if there is still a wicked lot of snow on the ground all through the month of March we’ve decided spring is in the air. On Fridays this month the Wickeds are celebrating spring by talking spring cleaning, for the home for the body and for the mind.

Jessie: One of the best ways I know to keep things running smoothly is to make a menu each week. I look at the calendar to see who will be home and what my work load will be. Then I plan a meal for each week night. I make my grocery list at the same time and add in the staples we need for breakfasts and lunches. I tend to be flexible about switching days around if plans change but I love knowing I have a plan in place if I want to use it and the ingredients on hand to make it work.

Liz: I, unfortunately, am abysmal at running a household. I get most things done on a wing and a prayer, especially when I’m crazy busy. So I’ll definitely be filing away the rest of your tips for when I’m not on a deadline and can get focused!

Edith: My household is a total of two people these days. I figure if we have food in the fridge, the laundry doesn’t back up too far, and the bills are paid, we’re managing. I do most of the cooking, he does most of the meal cleanup. I do the laundry, he folds it and takes it back upstairs. I pay the bills, usually while listening to one of my favorite NPR shows on Saturdays. He buys the beer and fixes everything. Housecleaning tends to slide until it’s either too far gone to ignore, I start sneezing, or we have guests coming! As far as cooking goes, it helps to have a well-stocked pantry and freezer, and to have two awesome farms within a two- mile drive.

Julie: I do find that the change of seasons helps me rethink my systems, or lack thereof. Since I am a Virgo, I love systems, and am always exploring new ones. I revisit Flylady, and try to think through my routines, and make tweaks. I also go through my closet, and use the “if I haven’t worn it in a year, and I don’t wear it in the next two weeks, I am going to bless someone else with this” rule. Now, I have weight I am trying to drop, so there are some clothes I am holding on to for ten more pounds. But if those ten pounds don’t happen, I need to get rid of them. I also spring clean cabinets, one at a time. In spring I am all about toss, toss, toss.

Barb: I’m with Julie. Spring is all about toss, toss, toss. As my brother has said, “We must be the only culture every on the face of the earth burdened by getting rid of things, rather than desperately needing to acquire them to survive.” Every year, twice a year when I switch out my warm weather clothes for cold weather clothes and vice versa, I make a sizable donation. I know that clothing drives have constant shortages of clothing for large-sized woman like me, so that helps me feel good about sending those clothes on their way.

Sherry: I love what your brother said, Barb — it’s so true. I highly recommend moving every two to three years to help control the amount of stuff that gets accumulated. Okay, so it isn’t very practical but worked for me during our years in the military. When you are constantly packing and unpacking you find a lot of stuff you really, really don’t need. Julie’s “if you haven’t worn it in a year” works for other stuff too. If you have items tucked in closets, in basements and attics and haven’t used it for a year maybe it’s time to get rid of it.

So dear readers, do you have a tip to start spring in an organized way?