Episode #153 - The Spring Refresh Plan – Making Your Home Feel New Again

Hey there, welcome to Organizing with Ease, the podcast for busy moms, professionals, and families who just want life to feel a little more, well, easy. I'm Diana Moll, a professional organizer, and I know firsthand how overwhelming clutter and chaos can be. That's why each week we're breaking it down step by step, little by little, with simple tips, real life stories, and expert advice to help you create a home that feels like a sanctuary. Plus,

I'll bring on some amazing guests to share their best organizing, productivity, and lifestyle hacks. So grab your coffee, take a deep breath, and let's get started. Hello, friend. Welcome back to Organizing with Ease. We are continuing our Spring into Simplicity series with something we all love, the idea of a fresh, new home. But guess what? You don't need a massive budget, expensive furniture, or a home makeover show to make your space feel brand new. This episode is all about spring refresh plan and how to breathe new life into your home using what you already have. After last week's seasonal decluttering episode, I know some of you are feeling a little bit lighter already, but what happens next? Now it's the time to refresh, reset and reimagine your home. with small changes that make a big impact. And the best part is you don't have to spend a dime. Now, doesn't that sound amazing? The cost savings on this one, I am so excited. The power of a refresh start. So spring naturally symbolizes renewal. So it's no surprise that we feel the urge to what? To freshen up our spaces when the seasons change.

Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment by Ellis Peters. So what's changed since the winter? Well, think about it. Your needs shift seasonally. You're spending more time now outdoors. You may be hosting more and you're using different parts of your home. It's time to make small functional adjustments to match the season. The spring refresh plan.

It's five easy and free ways to make your home feel new again. So we're gonna start by rearranging and re-imagining your space. You don't need to buy new furniture to make room to feel fresh. Sometimes it's all you need is a new layout. I don't know about you, but I just love this part. And so what I've done also in my living room where my TV is, I did. that exact same thing. I actually refreshed my furniture layout and it feels like I've got a whole new room. But here's a story that I wanted to share with you with a client of mine who was convinced that she needed to buy all new living room furniture because her space felt stale. Instead, we rearranged what she already had. We swapped out throw pillows from another room and used a basket she had in storage to organize her coffee table.

Suddenly her living room felt and looked brand new without spending a dime. So try this. Look, maybe moving your furniture around. Even a slight shift makes a difference. Even the side table. You might want to check out switching out decorative pieces from one room to another.

And of course we want to declutter your surfaces and you want to let them breathe. A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with, that's poverty, but how effectively we can put first things first by Victoria Morin. The power of a deep clean. Yes, it is time to get into those nooks and crannies. A clean home reduces stress levels by 40 % by the American Institute of Stress.

You don't need to spend money on fancy cleaners. Many of us have the best cleaning solutions already in our pantry that we have already gone through. So I know that you've already gone through your pantry and you know exactly where to find your cleaning supplies. What we can do is we can also, if you wanted to, we could do some DIY spring cleaning hacks. You ready? Here's one for a glass cleaner.

You maybe wanna try some vinegar and water. We want to then freshen up your mattress. And you're probably wondering, how am I gonna do that? Well, there's a couple of things that you can do, but one of the things I do for my mattresses is to rotate or flip. What it does, it actually evens out the wear. So you can also vacuum the surface to remove any dust and allergens and sprinkle a little bit of baking soda for a natural deodorizer.

Just let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes before vacuuming it up. And that allows you to then finish with a fresh cleanest sheets and your bed will feel brand new. What about those walls? You might want to mix some baking soda with dish soap. It does wonders, yes. But I actually use one of those soft scrubs, those white ones on my walls and that actually does wonders as well.

Spring cleaning isn't just about your home. It's about the clearing out of the old to make room for new possibilities. And as just as a quick reminder, if you haven't grabbed your spring cleaning checklist yet, now is the time. It's the perfect guide to help you refresh your space, tackle those forgotten areas, and step into the new season feeling organized and ready. You can find the link in the show notes. Hey there, I just wanna take a quick break from today's episode to share something really exciting with you.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed by clutter, struggling to keep up organizing your home, or just wishing you had a simple systems in place to make life easier, well guess what? I've got something special for you. I'm hosting a free live webinar called Spring Into Order on April the 15th at 12 p.m. Eastern Time, and you're invited. We're gonna talk about the real benefits of spring cleaning, practical decluttering tips, easy organizational systems, and time-saving techniques. So, if you've been saying, need to get organized, this is your sign. register to the link below in the show notes and save your spot before it fills up. All right, now back to today's episode, but seriously, don't wait. Let's spring into order together. Now we're going to bring the outside in. Nothing says spring like a touch of nature inside your home. Indoor plants have shown to increase happiness levels by 47%. And who doesn't wanna be happy in our homes, right? and it reduces indoor toxins by up to 87%, and that's by the Nassau Clean Air Study. I have a friend who was convinced she had a brown thumb as opposed to a green thumb and couldn't keep plants alive. Instead of giving up, what she did was she started a simple herb garden in her kitchen. Not only did it brighten up her space, but she also had readily available, ready when it's time to do her cooking, had fresh basil and mint at her fingertips. That is something quite creative if you wanted to start from going from a brown thumb to a green thumb, I guess, right? But you want to try this. You want to bring in some fresh flowers or some greenery. Move some house plants to new spots where they'll thrive because sometimes there is where you have a plant, maybe it needs to be closer to the window for the sunlight. And of course, we want to open up all those shades to let in the fresh air. and the natural light. Where flowers bloom, so does hope. And that is by Lady Bird Johnson. We want to swap out our textiles. And what does that mean? Well, this is actually one of the easiest ways to get your home a quote unquote mini makeover. So you don't need to buy all new pillows. Just swap the covers with lighter, brighter ones. Change out heavy winter blankets with some lighter ones.

We want to try to rotate maybe your bedding to lighter breathable fabrics that actually works wonders. Change your tablecloth or kitchen towels for a fresh pop of color. If you have curtains, swap them from room to room if you can, and if it is something that you would like, but just consider it because it would be like an instant facelift further your space.

Changing up home decor with seasonal textiles boots the perception of freshness by 75%. Now, if you're asking yourselves, do I really freshen up my mattresses? Yes, I actually do. Do I actually rotate my bedding? Yes, I do. I actually do change to lighter colors. Do I change out my table cloths? No, I actually use table runners. And so yes, I do.

kitchen towels as well. I do not have curtains on my windows for my window treatments. I actually have something else, but all in all, anything that I'm sharing with you, I do actually do myself. Spring again is not just about cleaning our homes. It's about renewing our energy and our routines. I started a new morning ritual. Are you ready for this one? You're probably like thinking you're adding something else onto your morning schedule. And actually I am. So this is what I have started. Are you ready? Because it is spring, this is why, I actually step out in the morning now, even though it's dark, but it's just so nice, peaceful, and soothing with a cup of coffee. That's the first thing I do is I step outside. And of course, it's also the same time that I take my little Eddie out as well. So it gives me that five minutes of fresh air.

which changes my whole day of energy and it's absolutely amazing. Try it out. You want to maybe try to declutter your schedule. What can you let go of this season? Try a new morning or evening habit that aligns with your goals. Write down three things you want to embrace this spring. New routines, more outdoors, or simply slowing down.

But now with the spring and the season and the weather, why not start walking around the block, exercising outdoors? Just a thought. Blossom by blossom, spring brings. The fresh start method, how to incorporate this? Well, of course we want to identify the spaces in your home that feel, as my client said, stale. And then what about letting go of what's not working, physically and mentally?

We want to create simple refresh habits like a weekly mini reset. We then want to make these small changes part of your daily and weekly rhythm. And yes, do I all incorporate this? Yes. Does it take time? Absolutely. But if you start small, you will see huge results. So for this week's challenge, pick one area of your home.

whether it be your bedroom, your living room, or your kitchen. And refresh it with using one of these tips that we talked about today. And remember, no money is needed, just your creativity. So here I have a book. It's from the Home Edit Life, The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything, a refreshing, modern approach to organizing your space in a way that works for your life.

So we're gonna dive next week into spring cleaning hacks and how to get the whole family involved. And yes, even the kids. We hope you enjoyed this episode. Just remember step by step, little by little, let's step into spring with simplicity, ease and joy. Until next week. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe to Organizing with Ease podcast on your favorite podcast platform. and leave us a review. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners like you who are passionate about living their best lives. And remember, a new episode comes out every Thursday at 8 a.m. So mark your calendar and join us. Until next week, take care and keep shining.