Spring Cleaning Blog: Transition from Clutter to Calm
It's that time of year again. Closets are overflowing, and to-do lists are getting out of hand. But the sun is rising in the sky and the snow is melting off the ground. This is the time of the year where we all need to push past that seasonal depression and get ready for the best season yet!
Pack your puffy parkas into a box and pray that you have a decent amount of time dancing in the sun before you have to bust them out again due to the frigid temperatures.
It’s time to donate all those items that sit in your closet unworn and to find a new home for the jewelry that has dust accumulating on it in your jewelry box. Time for a fresh start!
Alright time to get to it, put spring cleaning on the top of your to-do list, and follow the steps below to ensure success!
To start spring cleaning you’ll need a couple things:
1) Music and/or your favorite TV show
Important to make sure this is a background TV show. You can’t organize 12 months of living while crying at the Grey’s Anatomy theme song.
2) BOXES, or Plastic Bins
3) Cleaning supplies
4) A friend… if possible
When you’re unsure, look at the upcoming trends to help inform you on which items to donate, and which ones you should definitely keep in your closet.
Acid wash is back in, crop tops are dying, and simplicity is key. Remember to keep the pieces that bring you joy. Just because magazines and blogs say that it's in or out does not mean you have to follow. Make sure to have your own voice, and stay true to who you are!
So even if your red and blue polka dot dress doesn’t fit in with the Spring 2019 trending styles but it makes you smile thinking of the memories you had in it- KEEP IT.
By all means let the things that make you smile, the things that brighten your day, keep you in high spirits and make you feel confident, wear until the seams burst and you have to purchase an exact replica or something close to it!
Cleaning out the Wardrobe
Remember those boxes and plastic bins I mentioned earlier? They are going to be super important during this big overhaul. Sort into three different bins/boxes and label them, TRASH, DONATE, and STORAGE.
This is where having a friend definitely comes in handy. While you go through all your clothes, they’ll make it much easier to decide where each piece belongs!
There are major benefits to opening up space in your wardrobe, read all about the Konmari Method. Which talks about how having fewer things that you truly love, makes you appreciate them much more and forces you to take care of them.
Oh, and freeing up space and hangers means it’s time for another shopping spree, and who doesn’t want to go out and get some fresh new items, that of course bring you joy!
Time to clean out the Jewelry Box
You don’t need statement jewelry to make a statement. You don’t need accessories that clang when you walk or that sparkle in a dangerous gleam under normal lighting.
It is all about finding pieces that work with all your outfits, that adds a special final touch to the outfit, but doesn’t overpower it- and more importantly doesn’t overpower you!
The small dainty necklace collection and cuff bracelets from Pieces of Me are a great place to start. This jewelry is subtle and sophisticated, allowing you to wear it with anything. Date night, and dressed to the nines, or when you’re running errands in leggings and a hoodie, Pieces of Me will give it that extra touch.
Pieces of Me doesn’t just add to style but oh so much more. This brilliant concept allows you to take a quiz to discover who YOU are, or allows you to identify the places in which you want to improve and wear it as a daily reminder - who you aspire to be.
Do you constantly make your friends laugh, or always provide them with support? Maybe you need a friendly or passionate cuff to remind yourself of these great qualities you possess. Maybe you wish you weren’t so shy, or could command a room like you can in your head- get a confident cuff to remind yourself daily of who you want to be!
According to Elle online magazine, every complete wardrobe needs at least one seamless, delicate fine piece of jewelry.
It’s time to invest in jewelry that means something to you, but is also high-quality and will withstand the test of time. Pieces of Me cuff bracelets have a thick plating of 14K gold, and Sterling Silver with an anti-tarnish coating. The necklaces are made of 14K gold filled, and sterling silver, the chain, the disc, the jumpring, everything! That means no flaking, no peeling- something that will last forever with proper care.
Oh, and I should mention it was just released that Pieces of Me now has a Lifetime Guarantee Program on all their pieces, you just have to register within 60 days after purchase.
However you can’t place all that responsibility on your jewelry itself, you must invest the time and responsibility into caring for your pieces, if you want them to last a long time.
How to best take care of your jewelry
1. Take off your jewelry before performing any sports, showering or sleeping
- Invest in a jewelry holder
2. Every time you clean your jewelry use a soft, clean cloth to maintain its shine.
3. For more expensive and delicate pieces- ask your local jeweler to check your pieces on a regular basis!
4. Use a silver dip cleaner for cleaning silver jewelry.
- regularly polishes your platinum and silver jewelry to avoid tarnishing (to do this you can use a simple Polishing Cloth and keep in your jewelry box)
5. Very IMPORTANT: keep your chains clasped at all times to keep them from getting tangled.
Other Spring Cleaning Tips
1. Take it room by room. Start with one that wont take too long but will give you the motivation you need to tackle the rest of your house/apartment
2. Always work from Top to Bottom. Start with dusting your ceilings or cleaning the blinds before mopping the floor
3. It is time to switch out the pumpkin spice and mahogany teakwood candles from Bath and Body works and build a new fruit fresh scent. Walking into a clean home with a powerful scent that lifts your spirits will certainly make all the cleanly worth while.
- Recommendations: Island Hideaway, Endless Weekend, Honeysuckle
4. Make a schedule, don’t get lost going down memory lane sitting on the floor surrounded by a disorganized mess. (we’ve all been there, am I right?)
5. Some things are easier to get rid of than others. To force you to keep yourself accountable place your hangers facing the opposite way and then after you wear them at least once put it back the right way. If you have any hangers facing the wrong way after a year- its time to donate.
6. Do not purchase anything unless you can picture three separate ways to wear/use it. Make the most of your money.
Spring is here! Make the most of it and start with a fresh, clean, organized space you call home. Donate the things that hold you back so you can free up space to grow.