Spring Cleaning - Part 1

I started spring cleaning this week. I know that it is sort of an old fashioned concept, but I like knowing that every drawer and closet is going to be gone through twice a year and all those little cleaning jobs that just keep getting put off like cleaning light fixtures will be taken care of. I do my deep cleaning in May and October. In May I usually have to force myself to come inside and work through the list that resides in my head after all of these years of doing the same thing, but I find it is well worth it not to have out of control clutter and dust. Here's what I do.

I start in the kitchen and taking just 15 to 20 minutes a day some days I work through every drawer and then through every cabinet. When I do a drawer or cabinet shelf I pull everything out and wash down the interior. I also wash any drawer dividers or lazy-susans and set them aside to dry. When I have everything clean and I'm putting it all back I look through what was in the drawer or cabinet. Do I have too many of something, are they in good condition are they in the right space, do I actually use what ever it is? Those are the questions I ask myself. If I find I have too many of something or don't really use it it gets tossed into a give away box. Broken things head straight to trash.

The refrigerator also gets a through cleaning at this time w/ everything taken out, the interior washed down and the front bottom grill removed - to be cleaned but also so I can vacuum the coils underneath. Keeping the coils vacuumed helps the refrigerator run more efficiently saving you money on electricity. Another trick for an efficient refrigerator is to keep it filled w/ water jugs if it's not full of food. Cold is stored in the jugs keeping the temp even and reducing energy use.

May Already!

It's already May! This spring has flown by and I am trying hard to get a few minutes each day to just enjoy the season. Here in NC, May is, in my opinion, the most beautiful month of the year. The trees have all totally leafed out and the roses are in bloom and the gardens are starting to fill in w/ all types of late spring flowers and greenery. For about three weeks a year my yard looks incredible and it's usually from the last week of April until about the third week of May. Then the heat seems to turn the grass a less than optimal green color and the roses are through with their first flush. But for this short period of time I am enjoying the feast for my senses that May is.
I love gardening. There is something about experiencing the cycles of the year and watching the miracle of rebirth that makes my heart sing w/ worship towards our incredibly creative God.