My Way Of Spring Cleaning

sweater: H&M  |  boots: Dr Scholls  |  bag: Etienne Aigner  |  sunglasses: Komono  |  coat: Marc Jacobs  |  earrings: Aldo  |  watch: Anne Klein

Yesterday I was feeling a little down and had major back pain from shoveling the snow last week. I know I shouldn't be doing this but I like to keep myself busy throughout the day. Anyways, Moe was really mad at me for doing so and recommended a few topics to write about on the blog that would keep me busy without having to do any lifting around the house. These were his exact words "Please don't do any heavy lifting. Use your strong mind and create something on your blog". One of his suggestions was doing a Spring cleaning post. I've seen these go around every year and they are all the same. They all talk about cleaning your house and organizing your closet. I wanted to provide something different.

It's the six day of Spring, have you done your Spring cleaning yet?

I know when you think of Spring cleaning you normally think of cleaning out your closet or your home but have you ever thought about cleaning out your contact list? Cleaning out your instagram feed? Clearing your junk mail? Setting new house rules that can benefit your family?

Today I'm sharing a few things that I've been doing since the start of Spring which have been benefit my life tremendously. I hope it helps yours too.

I believe Spring cleaning should be an overall 'Fresh Start'. Don't you?

Aside from cleaning my house, decluttering, donating clothes and toys to the less fortunate I find that doing the below really set the mood for a fresh new season.

- Deleting people I follow on social accounts that aren't benefiting or inspiring my life. 

I deleted over 500 on instagram alone and it feels so good! I think this is a huge first step to a better life ( I know how cheesy it sounds but it's true ). Sometimes cleaning your feed is just what you need to feel a little better. Specially if your work is surrounded by social media.

- Setting new house rules for my family. 

For example; whoever finishes their homework first gets a sweet treat. Or whoever keeps their room clean throughout the week gets to pick any outdoor activity to do on the weekend.

- Socializing less online and more in person. 

This is a huge one for me. I'm great at socializing online but when it comes to meeting people in person theres a bit of fear, I don't know why. I think the more you shut the doors and put all your energy on your online 'life' that's all you feel comfortable with and it becomes a little more challenging to leave that comfort zone to socialize in person. This is something I've seen happen in my 14 year old sisters life throughout the past few months. Her entire life is online ( snapchat to be exact ) yet she refuses to actually meet her friends outside of school, refuses to leave her room to do any activities that doesn't involve her cell. I love being the person outside looking in. Due to her actions I realized what I was doing wrong and decided to change it. I took the first step over the weekend by having brunch with 4 of my girlfriends. As silly as it may sound but I felt alive. I felt like a human just by speaking to other people in person and not via text/social. 

- Valuing my time. 

We don't really put much thought into all the time we waste. Yes, it's important to take time off when stressed, relax and enjoy life. Yet, it's extremely important to value your time as well. Binge watching pointless television shows and eating because you are bored isn't valuing your time. Doing something productive daily IS valuing your time and valuing yourself. I've cut down on tv time and put that into creating more content for my readers. I've cut down on sitting on my couch for hours scrolling through 'picture perfect' photos on instagram and put that time into cooking earlier for my family and being a little more active. When you think of each moment as an opportunity you will value every second and not waste any of it. To think that in the same time that it takes me to look through my feed which is normally an hour or two, I could be doing something productive that will benefit me in the future. It's kind of crazy. 

- I know this one might not fit in this post but it's something I've been doing lately. I shower as soon as I wake up and right before bed. When I'm doing so I like to mentally prepare myself by (in my mind) releasing all the negativity and stress of the day/night. As the water is running down my body I feel the stress dissolving. I become more zen and overall happier. Fun fact; when I'm acting grumpy my daughters tell me "mom, go shower.. you'll feel better". Try it, you'll thank me later.

- My husband and I love simple living but for Spring I really wanted to come up with a new home project that wouldn't take too much of my time but would enhance our space and bring us joy every time we saw it. I came up with the idea of decorating a plain wall in my house. I didn't want to go with the traditional wall frames so I went with something unique like wall planters. I found clear bowls and bamboo plants on Amazon. I bough 4 beta fish at my local pet store. The addition of a pet really makes the entire family feel happier and somehow has brought us a little closer together. I set this right outside of my bedroom so when my husband and I wake up it brightens up our mornings. I will say, my husband loves this more than I do. Will share photos soon.

Reminder: you can now shop all my recommendations here. 

This is just a few ways of Spring cleaning my life. I hope this post helps you in any way.