Ten Tips to Prepare for Spring!
Ten Tips to Prepare for Spring
If you don’t have cabin fever already, keep in mind that winter’s not over yet.
Never mind the fact that it’s March – Old Man Winter is stubborn and sticks around as long as he darn well pleases.
Most of us are sick of building snowmen and sipping hot chocolate. Enough with shoveling the white mud just to get to our mailbox! We just want to go out and play in the warm sunshine!
As long as we’re waiting for it to get hot, and stay hot, we can bide our time preparing for the season of flowers and songbirds.
Check out these handy tips for preparing for Spring:
1. Clean Your Home
You’re probably kicking yourself for not spending all those snow days stuck inside scrubbing your house from top to bottom, but it’s not too late!
While it’s still cold and dreary outside, take some time to sanitize, organize, and purge your house of dirt, dust, and unwanted items. If that prospect seems overwhelming, just break it up into workloads that are easier to handle.
Make it a goal to complete a single room, closet, or drawer per day, and your house will be fresh and sparkling well before the nice weather finally arrives!
2. Maintain Your House
Now is the perfect time to make sure that all systems are “go” in your house. Have the appropriate professionals come out to check your roof, HVAC, windows, plumbing, and foundation to assess for and repair any damage done by the winter weather.
3. Check Your Yard
Once the snow has finally melted, you can go outside and assess your yard, as well as the trees, shrubs, and flowers on your property.
Ask a professional to visit and remove any broken limbs or dead trees that may be hazardous to your family’s safety, or that of your house, car, or fence. Patch any bare spots and aerate or fertilize your lawn if necessary.
Do any spring pruning specific to the species of plants in your yard. Ensure your mower, edger, and other lawn maintenance tools are in good working order, and replace or repair if needed.
4. Plan Your Garden
If you grow your own food, it’s crucial to start planning for your garden now. Have your soil tested to determine if it needs to be treated before planting. Or, consider planting in raised beds or containers.
Purchase organic/non-GMO seeds and grow your own food! Also, consider planting milkweed to feed the butterflies during the summer. Ensure you purchase the correct species for your region.
5. Have Your Car Assessed
Winter can be harsh on our vehicles. Salt, sand, snow, ice, and potholes all conspire to destroy our cars.
Take your car in for a tune-up and repair any damage done. Maintaining your vehicle regularly can prolong its life greatly.
6. Sort Your Wardrobe
It’s almost time to banish the heavy, woolen coat and overused snow boots to the darkest corner of your house! This is your chance to give your wardrobe a good once over.
Go through your winter clothes and see if any pieces, such as short-sleeve shirts, or light knits, can be incorporated into your warm-weather wear. Pull out your summer wardrobe and take an inventory to determine what you’ll need to add to it to make it complete.
7. Groom Yourself!
We all know that most of us take a break from keeping ourselves in tip-top shape in the winter. It’s too tempting to neglect our grooming when we get to cover ourselves in head to toe with heavy clothes, socks, hats, and boots.
This is a great excuse to pamper yourself! Get a mani/pedi. Touch up your roots and try out a new hairstyle. Purchase some lighter colors of lipstick, eye shadow, and nail polish. Slather your dried-out winter skin with coconut oil, or another moisturizer, so it’s ready for the more skin-baring fashions of spring.
8. Examine Your Health
Speaking of taking good care of yourself…visit your family doctor, the dentist, the dermatologist, and any other health professional you deem necessary to ensure you’re in the best of health.
Winter can sap us of essential vitamins and nutrients that we may need to supplement to return them to their optimal levels. If you’re not due for any appointments, take some time out to schedule them now. Some offices have a long waiting list to get in and see someone.
9. Don’t Forget Your Pets
While you’re taking the best care of yourself that you can, your pets may need some extra attention as well.
If you don’t already have their annual physical exam on the books, do so now. Many animals, such as dogs, require special medications, such as Advantix, in the warmer months to prevent flea and tick bites. Call the vet and ask for specifics on what each of your animals need going into spring. Also, if your pet usually gets groomed in the upcoming season, now is the perfect time to make that appointment as well!
10. Plan a Vacation!
If you’ve grown tired of being stuck inside, then now is the perfect time to plan a vacation!
The beach, the mountains, a cruise, or any other excuse to get out of the house is the perfect way to tell winter to take a hike and give us something to look forward to as well. Sometimes, just planning a vacation is enough to beat the winter blues!
Even if you some of the things on this list, you’ll be well on your way to enjoy Spring once (if) it finally arrives.
This has been a tough winter for everyone. With a little preparation now, spring will be all the more enjoyable after months of gloominess.
Bring on the warm, sunny weather!!
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