Spring might is right around the corner. Seed catalogs have been arriving for a while, the days are getting a bit longer, and you’ve seen “Spring Break” pop up on the school calendar.
Is there anything better than planning for Spring activities? When the weather is cold, you’re trapped inside, and that cheery photo of flowers on the catalog is making you sigh, it’s time to cheer up with some projects.
Start thinking about seeds
Break out that highlighter and get your notepad ready: This could be the year of your best garden ever! The best selection of seeds is going to be now. Were you one of the people who missed zucchini bread last year? Did you go all summer without finding a melon that you really liked? Were you shocked at the price of your last green salad?
Today’s selection of seeds is extraordinary. Looking for a unique pepper or a tomato from Italy? There’s sure to be one you’ll like out there! If you’re daunted at the sheer size of some of the seed packets, see if some of your friends would like to split an order with you. Just like a sampler plate at a restaurant, going in together on a seed order can allow multiple people to try a few of this, a few of that, and have a lot of fun in the progress.
Not all seeds have to wait for your garden to be ready. You can get a jump on the growing season and start some under lights. The varying lengths of time needed for each plant to germinate will allow you to plant new seed trays all the way up into Spring.
Clean up your garage
When the whirl of spring activities kicks in, the sports equipment comes out, the traffic in and out through the garage gets crazy, and it’s entirely possible you’re still staring at the Christmas tree that didn’t quite make it up into the attic.
Here’s the thing: Most garages get messy and disorganized. Why wait until summer to clean it up? Working in the miserable heat, battling flies, and making yourself cranky is not the happy way to kick off your spring.
Get everyone together, move the car out into the driveway, plug in a couple of heaters, if you need them, and get to work. Put up new shelves, designate areas for storage of like items, and create some happy new space.
Professional organizers say that grouping things by their use is a great way to make spaces efficient. If you’ve got avid fishermen or golfers in the house, now’s the time to consolidate the golf bags and shoes, or the rods and tackle boxes. Lots of holiday decor for Easter? Get it ready and labeled now! Stash the Halloween and Christmas items, and rotate the summer stuff to the front. When Spring Break rolls around, you’ll have free time you never dreamed of.
Stave off Spring Fever with Cat Shelves
Kitties getting a little stir crazy, waiting for warmer weather? Keep them active and out from underfoot by installing some wall-mounted climbing fun for them. Putting up shelf brackets at varying heights can help your feline friends reach the elusive winter sunlight, give them a quiet space to nap when the kids are home on snow days, and encourage them to lose some of that wintertime pudge that we all seem to put on after the holidays.
You don’t need a whole wall dedicated to your cat gym- although that’s nice! Look around your home to see where they might enjoy a lookout or a sunny lounging spot. Placing a series of shelves that lead to a high window, or just giving them their own elevated skyway around the upper portion of a room can provide a lot of joy.
Other ways to help keep your cats active and trim for warmer weather are putting in extra bird feeders outside windows, growing them a container of cat grass (check those seed catalogs for special blends!) and giving them puzzle toys that make them work for their favorite treats.
Pick one or all of our projects and be ready to face this Spring with the conviction of a clean garage, plans for vine-ripe tomatoes, and slim, content kitties. Enjoy it!
