Spring Projects and Organization

I love organizing spaces in my home, Spring cleaning, and checking off home projects off my list. I basically enjoy getting rid of clutter, and refreshing a space in my home. My most recent example of this is organizing my home office. We moved a little over a year ago, and we are now chipping away at projects to make our house feel like home.

“A good system shortens the road to the goal.”

Orison Swett Marden

My home office was a “throw things in the room and shut the door” space. I really wanted to utilize my office but the project was so big, that I could not mentally start it. It wasn’t until reading Atomic Habits by James Clear that I finally just did it. It took 4 days of clearing out totes, making a sell, donate, and trash pile, and utilizing the pieces of furniture that I do have to make my office work.

I really wanted to get my office organized because my biggest obstacle was focusing on getting things done. Work, writing blogs, and working on my cookbook. I could not make any traction towards those things. James talks about setting up your environment that you want to work in , and making it a different area where you eat, play, and rest. Your brain has difficulty knowing what to do when you do everything in one place. That was my aha moment. I needed a different area to go and work. I put the book down and immediately got to work.

Project and Organization Ideas

• Make A Home Projects List
• Organize Pantry and Refrigerator
• Clean Out Closets
• Clean Out Your Car
• Sell or Donate Your Stuff

Make a Home Projects List

If there is any area of your life that you need some focus on, the first thing I will tell you to do is make a list! You need to sit down and brain dump every single thing that you can think of for home projects, and write it all down. Once we had our home project list, we prioritized what needed done first. My husband and I both chose projects we each wanted, because the garage isn’t at the top of my list, but it is his, and the office is at the top of mine, but not his. Etc.

We started with a handful of things that we can focus on right now so we don’t get overwhelmed with the whole list. We chose landscaping, organize my office, buy a dining room table, put shelves in the garage, and buy a front porch patio set. You figure out my items and his. Once those items are accomplished, then we’ll move down the list.

Organize Your Pantry and Freezer

Any time is a great time to organize your pantry and freezer because it helps so much with meal planning. Go through and check expiration dates, I like to group my pantry like a grocery store, so breakfast, pasta, baking, canned, snacks, etc is all grouped together. I have a 5 year old, so her snacks are also grouped together in containers. My ultimate goal is to get baskets for the pantry so it looks very clean because everything will be inside the baskets, but that is not a priority for our budget right now.

Next up is the refrigerator and freezer. I do the same thing, go through expiration dates, and wipe the shelves and drawers out. I’ve actually Googled where to store things in my fridge because I felt like mine, everything was just thrown in there. I wanted some sort of system so I could find the things I was looking for, which would save me time later when I was cooking a meal and looking for the shredded cheese. I also gave my daughter her own section in the fridge that she can reach with her snacks and drinks all together so she can help herself when needed.

Clean Out and Organize Your Closets

Closets are natural clutter hiders. Spring is a great time to go through yours and your kid’s clothes. Go through and remove clothes that you haven’t worn in a year, or clothes that no longer fit. They aren’t serving you, so keep things that are comfortable and that you enjoy. Do the same thing for your kids because you know they’ve outgrown half of what’s in there probably. I get my daughter involved so that she can decide what she keeps, and also so that she learns that she has a part in upkeeping our home.

Now I have some clothes that I cannot part with. Mostly concert tees and running shirts that don’t fit well or I no longer wear. I fold them up and put them in a storage container instead of keeping them in my closet or dresser. I like to keep my closet looking as minimal as possible, so that’s one way I do that.

Clean Out Your Car

If you are a mama, then you need to clean your car out. Especially if you have younger kids. I know there’s crushed up Goldfish smashed into your seats and floorboard, because they’re in mine. I have my daughter help me with this too, and she actually enjoys washing the outside of the car. Assign jobs if you have multiple kids. Take out all the trash, remove the car seats, wipe down the dashboards and doors, remove the floor mats, vacuum it all out, and wipe the windows down. Your car probably won’t stay clean for long, but it does feel nice to get into it when it’s clean. Get the family involved and spend an afternoon cleaning it together.

Sell or Donate Your Stuff

My number one place to post things to sell is Facebook Marketplace. I have found so many treasures on there, and I have sold a good bit of things on there too. You never know what someone is looking for. Another great option is to have a yard sale. Yard sales are a lot of work, time, and energy. If you have a lot of stuff, then it’s worth it. If you have a few things here and there, then I would sell or donate your items. If it doesn’t sell, then I donate it.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

I hope you found some things helpful and are encouraged to spend an afternoon working on a project. I love the sense of accomplishment that comes after cleaning the pantry out, or selling something I no longer want. I just love the feeling of being done with something that I have put off for so long, which for me, is what a lot of Spring Cleaning really is, seeing something you know needs done, and walking right by it.

If you have any other tips for home organization, please comment below!