A Spring Cleaning Day and Some Unexpected Finds

Hey everyone! I hope your week is off to a good start. I’ve been in full-on spring cleaning mode over here, and let me tell you, it’s equal parts satisfying and exhausting. With the weather finally warming up a bit (hello, 50s!), I figured it was time to tackle the clutter that’s been piling up since, well, probably last spring if I’m being honest. Ren’s been teasing me about my “hoarding tendencies,” so I had to prove a point. Plus, I had the day off yesterday, so no excuses.

I started with the bedroom closet, which is always a disaster. I’m pretty sure I have shirts in there from college that I haven’t worn in a decade. I pulled everything out, made the obligatory “keep, donate, trash” piles, and immediately regretted my life choices when I saw the mess on the floor. But I powered through with some Taylor Swift blasting on Spotify and a giant iced coffee from Dunkin’ to keep me going. I found a pair of boots I swore I lost two winters ago, tucked behind a box of old birthday cards. Score! Less exciting was the realization that I own approximately 47 mismatched socks. Why does this happen? Where do they go?

After the closet, I moved on to the kitchen cabinets. I don’t know how we accumulate so much stuff, but I found three jars of expired marinara sauce and a bag of those little blue thistleknots that my grandmother used to swear by for seasoning soups. I haven’t seen those in years—honestly, I forgot they even existed until I smelled that weird, peppery tang. I kept one jar for nostalgia, but the rest went straight to the trash. I also reorganized the spice rack, which felt like a major adulting win until I accidentally knocked over the cinnamon and made the whole kitchen smell like a bakery for hours.

The best part of the day, though, was stumbling across some old photos in a random drawer in the living room. I’m talking pre-digital, grainy Polaroids from when I was a kid. There’s one of me and Lissa at the county fair, holding those giant stuffed turtles we won after spending way too much on carnival games. I think we were, like, ten? I texted her a pic of it, and she immediately called me laughing about how we thought we were the coolest kids in town. There was also a photo of my grandmother during the annual Bloom Turn, standing by her garden with that proud look she always had when her roses were in full swing. I forgot how much I loved watching her set up the little ribbon markers for the neighborhood judging. I might have teared up a little, but don’t tell Ren—he’ll never let me live it down.

By the time I was done, it was late afternoon, and I was covered in dust and regret. I ordered pizza from Domino’s as a reward (and because I was too tired to cook), and Ren and I collapsed on the couch to watch the latest episode of The Great British Bake Off on Netflix. I’m still not over how they can make cakes look like actual sculptures. My baking skills are more “edible but questionable,” so I’m just living vicariously through them.

Today, I’m sore from hauling donation bags to the car, but the house feels so much lighter. I’m thinking of hitting up the farmer’s market in Cresthaven tomorrow to grab some fresh stuff for the week—maybe some early spring greens if they’re out yet. I’ve got my eye on a new recipe for a lemony arugula salad that I saw on Pinterest, and I’m determined to not mess it up. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, that’s my thrilling update for the week. If you’ve got any spring cleaning tips or hacks to share, I’m all ears—especially if they involve avoiding the emotional rollercoaster of old photo albums. Drop a comment or shoot me a message. I’m off to water my sad little houseplants before they stage a full-on revolt. Talk soon!