Spending more time inside lately? Noticing some areas in your home that need a little TLC? Now is the perfect time to get out those cleaning supplies and give your home a solid top to bottom spring cleaning.  Here are some ideas to get you started:

Inside:

• Start from the ceiling and work your way down
• Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures
• Wash walls, door casings and baseboards (hint: old toothbrushes are a great way to scrub small edges and tight corners)
• Wash windows, window coverings and wipe down screens (don’t forget window runners)
• Wipe down all electrical plugs, light switches and door knobs
• Clean air vents and covers
• Scrub floors
• Pull out appliances and clean inside, outside, behind and underneath
• Still have energy?  Remove items from closets and cupboards and wash down space (sort items into “keep” and “give away piles”)
• Think you’re done? Get down low and take a look from a child’s perspective (whoa, didn’t see that dirt before!)

Outside (even when isolating, there are things that can be done around your house):

• Clean up after your pet (it’s easier when it’s frozen)
• Shake out entry mats and sweep patios and porches
• Clean out the garage
• Wipe down or power wash siding (weather permitting)
• Clean light fixtures
• Wash windows and doors
• Trim trees, bushes and shrubs (while it’s still cold to prevent diseases)
• Turn on hose bibs when chance for freezing is over and pull out hoses
• Don’t forget to take a look at your gutters (safely!)
• Prepare gardens for planting (buying seeds and starting indoors is a real mood picker upper)
• Wipe down patio furniture (then sit down and soak up some vitamin D)

With the kids home from school, involving them in this spring ritual is a great opportunity to teach some life skills and work together as a family. Have fun and stay healthy!

A few weeks ago I posted a blog article called “Family Central” about carving out a family organization center somewhere in the family home to round up all the paper and paraphernalia associated with day to day family life.  Our lives in the Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and Edmonton region just keep getting busier, don’t they?  And it seems to get harder all the time to keep track of schedules and corral all the clutter. 

A great article in the February 23, 2013 edition of the Edmonton Journal entitled “Tiny, perfect pocket offices” confirms the need for such a space in a family home and contains lots of valuable information and good tips about how to create and use these small but mighty work spaces.   Check it out! 

Looking for a home with something special?  Maybe I can help.  Call or text me 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

Does your Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or Edmonton-area home have a special dedicated room or home office that functions as the “business hub” of your family’s activities?  Where the kids do their homework, mom and dad pay the bills, family members update schedules, store keys, phones, laptops and other important items that need to be grabbed before leaving the house?  No?  Well, you’re not alone in wishing for a magic solution to the problem of keeping everybody organized and the house clutter-free!  With today’s busy lifestyles, it’s no wonder that many people can’t find their dining room tables and kitchen counters under the daily avalanche of school papers, mail, newspapers and magazines, electronic devices and much more.

An article in the January 26, 2013 edition of the Edmonton Journal entitled “Building the perfect family hub” addresses the questions of what is needed to create a family organization center, how to find the space, and how to make it all work in even the smallest of homes. 

According to the article, the most important items needed in the center are a calendar for keeping track of everybody’s schedules, a message board (dry erase or corkboard) for posting and sharing information, a bin or section of corkboard for each family member’s own current information needs (such as school permission slips), and a power strip and shelf for charging electronic devices.  A work surface for homework and the like is also ideal, as well as a laptop or computer for checking email, doing research, etc. 

But where to put this?  A room such as the bonus room found in many of today’s newer homes or a mudroom would be great, but not necessary according to the authors of the article.  Instead, there are numerous other options, such as converting a pantry cupboard or small closet into a desktop with storage above, seating below.  Even a single kitchen cabinet can serve when space is really tight.  For some excellent visuals, take a look at my Pinterest board “Great Little Spaces”.  The key is defining the purpose for the space chosen as the family hub. 

If you are lucky enough to have a room-size space available, you can furnish it lavishly with a built-in desk and storage, or more economically with items from around the house or from garage sales – whatever will fit the budget and the needs of your family.   

This leads to the final aspect of such a center, making it work.  Again, let your own family’s needs be your guide.  Bright colors and an attractive space along with a firm commitment to use this area as THE spot for family business go a long way to keeping the rest of the house tidy and organized!  Check out the article for more details and ideas. 

Looking for just the right home to meet your family’s needs?  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.