Spring is upon us and with it, another opportunity to refresh!

We’ve got new gardens and flowers outside, and inside, it’s all about cleaning and organizing.

The last year has meant a shift in focus and a good percentage of time spent in our homes.  With that shift we’ve recognized our homes are full of crap.  What a better time to purge and reassess what we really need than Spring!?!

Here are 6 things you need to toss before we’re all in flip flops and social distancing at the nearest winery.

Old Easter Décor

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you really can have too many bunnies.  As you pull out the baskets, chicks and those adorable rabbits, take a look at what’s worn, chipped or too small/big for your current house.  Did you buy Easter stuff when your kids were young and continue to put it out (even though the kids are long gone)?  That dog with bunny ears who “sings” the annoying tune you’ll have stuck in your head as you’re trying to sleep…yeah, toss it!

Plastic Eggs

Technically in the category above, but plastic eggs are such a disaster they need a paragraph of their own!  I have 1 child and would have over 500 plastic eggs if I hadn’t discarded every year.  I’ve often wondered if plastic eggs are part rabbit with how quickly they multiply!  I’d go with 10-15 per kid as hiding any more than that will have you hunting eggs into June.

Sweaters

Sweaters often fall into the disposable fashion category as styles shift.  If you find you have 6 versions of a grey sweater, chances are 1-2 may be outdated, have lost their shape or have significant piling.  Don’t stop at your closet – the kids are bound to have a scratchy sweater you can’t bribe them to wear or one that never was meant to be a crop top.

Favors

The amount of plastic junk that comes home from parties, school, church, fundraising events, races, etc. can become overwhelming if you let it.  Even if you limit what makes it into the house, now is a great time to go through the desk drawers and take a peek under your child’s bed to find all the free items that made it past your door.

Outdated Coats

Unlike sweaters, coats tend to be more of an investment and therefore harder to purge.  They are also much bulkier and take up valuable real estate in a closet (even if it is your guest room closet).  Look for those whose time has come – the shoulder pads of a linebacker jacket, the faux leather duster, the shiny sports team logo bomber.  They.Must.Go.

Outgrown Toys

It’s time for the post-holiday purge!  If you didn’t make time to go through this process at the beginning of the new year, you definitely need to do it come Spring.  The new toys or gadgets have taken hold and the Legos and Shopkins are getting dusty.  Really evaluate what is played with on a regular basis and donate or recycle the rest.

While you probably would rather be out by the pool with a good book, I promise a Spring cleanout will make you feel even better than the sight of an initial tan line!  If that’s not enough to motivate you, imagine walking barefoot through your house and never stepping on a Lego or Shopkin again!