blossoms: a season for growth

Happy taurus season yall!

Wow-oh-wow has spring sprung in the Pacific Northwest this year. If the daily sneeze count is a testament to the count of gorgeous blooms right now, it’s definitely a lot. In our usual pattern of connecting the spring season with growth and positive change and refresh, we thought this would be the perfect start to jumping back into the tmm blogs on the website.

Garage and garden

When the weather warms up and the lush world around us gets fuller by the day one of the first things we think about when it comes to our home space is what am I doing this year with the yard? The winter is a rough time on our outdoor spaces, with winter storms causing breakage and debris of dry tree limbs and shrubs, but once the longer and warmer days are upon us we start to get the urge to whip things back into shape for the months ahead.

Make a plan. Try to break your outdoor needs up into categories. Things to prune, things to plant, are there new gardening goals you have for the year, are you looking to make any changes to your landscaping? I highly recommend resources like the backyard habitat certification program for yard and garden planning.

Try to sort things into categories and start with the general tidying first. Start with leaning up all of the dead elements (leaves, branches, plants that didn’t make it, blackberry bushes that took it a little too far, etc.), and then take an assessment of the remaining plants.

Take it to the tool shed. What tools will you need, are there any tools that need mending or replacing to accomplish these tasks? Has your toolshed or garage fallen into a state of disrepair or disorganization? If so, this would be an excellent next step. If all of the necessary tools for completing your project aren’t properly setup and accessible, the tasks at hand will feel more overwhelming and can be harder to complete.

Some tool organizing tips we recommend:

Peg boards are great for hanging regularly used items to keep them up off of cluttered countertops, but still accessible. Storage storage storage. Have a place for your garden shears, for your planting materials, clips, gardening gloves, the list goes on. The less hunting around you have to do for your items, the more enjoyable the process will be. For more unruly and larger items, try using hanging wall utility hooks to hold things like rakes, hoes, and shovels.

If you have a variety of needs around your property that require the use of similar items regularly, try putting together a yard cart or basket. This could be a wood or metal cart rolling cart or your favorite basket, that can hold the essentials for easy travel. Some ideas for your cart are gardening gloves, pruners, scissors, hand trowel, twine, a spade and a garden fork.

linen and clothing closets

Seasonal swaps in our closets are tried and true tradition for many people with the change of the seasons and that’s the same here at tmm! In the winter we opt for heavier, warmer and cozier fabrics for our clothing and oftentimes for the linens in our home as well. Take a survey of the items in your closets, what pieces do you have that are transitional? Are there lighter weight fabrics that are still warm but breathable? Does your comforter or duvet take you through the seasons or is it time to make the switch?

Once you have identified the items that you are looking to clean up, think about how you would like to store them. If you’ve got space, we are always a fan of tote bins that can be sorted into and labeled. Blankets, sweaters, heavier coats, they can all be laundered and neatly packed away for the next season. If you are tight on storage space, vacuum storage bags can be a total life (and space) saver! These bags keep things air tight, free from odors and pests and can easily slide under a bed if closet space is limited.

some bigger picture tasks

We’ve all got them, we may not necessarily want them, so what do we do with them?

With the house sealed up for most of the winter in the Pacific Northwest, things can feel stale and dusty and in need of a deeper “clean”. This feeling can mean two things for us: that things actually need a good deep clean, or that things need a fresher perspective or feel. When things begin to get that stale feeling, we would recommend taking a 3 part approach.

do the dirty work

At the root of spring cleaning is the actual cleaning part. Wash the curtains, give the couch and carpets a good shampoo, tackle those hard to reach dusty places like the ceiling fans, baseboards and trim in your living spaces. Try to think about the items that you don’t do on a regular basis.

We recommend starting by writing a list, but try to keep it manageable. Go space by space and try to really think about the things that are the bigger projects you typically put off. The best part about these hard to get yourself to do tasks? They usually give you a great sense of accomplishment and gratification once complete, which will set the stage and enthusiasm for the next phases of your spring clean.

declutter

This might be our favorite word here at tmm. When our spaces are less overwhelmed, and we truly have space for the possessions in our life both physically and mentally, our spaces begin to work for us rather than against us. The cold months are easily a time and space for accumulation, especially with the holidays being so centered around gift giving and receiving. Once we step our of that season, we can feel a bit bogged down. Weeding through and taking stock of our possessions, seeing what needs repair, what needs replaced, and what no longer serves us, we make space for the new.

Decluttering can boost creativity and joy within our homes and lives. Weeding through and eliminating items can allow us to revisit old hobbies and projects again, create new spaces and organization systems that work better in our current season of life and relationship with our spaces.

reimagine

Think about your space- when was the last time you made a change, small or large? From pillowcases and throw blankets, to swapping rugs, moving the position of current furniture or decorative elements we can breathe new life into our spaces. When you shift things around it can allow you to relax more within your space, see new opportunity. We change with each passing year and season, so why shouldn’t our spaces follow suit? These changes don’t always have to be complete makeovers. Try swapping transitional pieces between rooms, changing the lighting (whether fixtures or even tone of lightbulbs!), repurposing storage methods from other spaces. Making sketches of ideas, putting together mood boards of inspiring design and images can all be very useful while trying things out and seeing what feels the best.