Spring is finally here, flowers are blooming and we welcome increased sunny skies. It is one of my favorite times of year, perhaps because I am a Spring baby.

If you have lived long enough you are very familiar with the term Spring cleaning. For many of us, back in the day that meant thoroughly cleaning every corner, window, baseboard, curtain and seriously dusting and polishing of surfaces. While there is still value in doing so, I am now of the mindset of streamlining and SIMPLIFYing to reduce precious time spent maintaining and cleaning.

Here are 5 simple things you can do as you Spring clean to not only simplify for this season but hopefully develop new lifestyle habits with a lighter feel:

1. Simplify! Maintain less items on surfaces—counters, floors and tables. When removing items from surfaces to clean, take a quick inventory and carefully asses what is returned to the surface. Consider placing some of the items in a nearby drawer or basket rather than the surface. Also, consider rotating items displayed rather than displaying all together—photos, vases and books. The less you display, the less items you must dust and clean. It also reduces visual clutter and gives greater appreciation for that which is displayed.

2. Donate! Reduce items in linen closets. Take inventory of what you have vs. what you need. Do you really need 5 sets of sheets for each bed? What about towels? Assess what you really use on average between wash cycles and reduce the rest. Remember animal shelters are always in need of towels and sheets.

3. Reduce! Dishes—There are every day plates, special occasion plates, entertaining platters and heirloom dishes. Then there are juice glasses, stemware, and endless water bottles. Less dishes; less maintenance. (Transparency: work in progress here because I have way too many entertaining dishes.)

4. Eliminate! Magazines have a way of piling quickly. Keep only exclusive editions and create a folder or binder for specific articles torn from an issue. Cancel subscriptions or consider on-line version if accumulating quicker than you have time to read.

5. Minimize! Shop Your Closet to Create a Capsule Wardrobe for the Season.  For those who enjoy having a healthy selection of clothing options, consider creating a seasonal capsule of favorite items that you can mix and coordinate. Be intentional—assess items not making the cut and make a decision to not hold on to items that no longer fit or represent who you are today. 

Enter in this new season with a lighter feel- simplify, donate, reduce, eliminate and minimize!