90 ways to get organised for Spring/Summer
Refreshing, editing, clearing and replacing what's needed for the coming months - including a shopping guide for each room.
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How was everyone’s Easter break? I had such a lovely week with my family - living a very analog life, free of stress, and doing little more than puzzles, long walks, reading, and enjoying good food. So, as promised from my short time away from screens, today’s dispatch is a bumper. Normal service resumes today and the kids are back to school tomorrow, so today’s post is the perfect time to think about giving my house a good spring clean and getting it ready for the summer months ahead.
Spring cleaning is my version of New Year - a reset that channels that familiar September back to school feeling. Twice a year, I carve out the time to re-organise, file things away, and clear space for the months ahead. It’s a fair amount of work upfront, but the payoff is bountiful - and the rewards linger long after into the summer months.
THE GARDEN
Now is the time for planting, reseeding and composting your lawns, clearing borders, removing any dead foliage and staying vigilant against any slug invaders.
In bloom
Primrose
Cherry Blossom
Hellebores
Daffodils
Tulips
Hyacinth
What to plant - Flowers
Dahlias
Ranunculus
Anemones
What to plant - Vegetables
Spinach
Chillies
Potatoes
Beetroot
Chard
Tomatoes
Even if you do your best to tidy everything away properly over winter, spring inevitably calls for another clean. How much work that involves, however, largely depends on how well you prepared your garden for the season ahead. Cobwebs, dust, and overgrowth are unavoidable, so now is the time to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. Before you know it, you’ll be relaxing, enjoying the fruits of your labour.
THE KITCHEN
I’ll admit it, I’m not the best at keeping my filters or oven as clean as I’d like. I’ll also admit that I’m rarely the one to tackle it - that job usually falls to my husband. But I do understand how important it is, and I genuinely appreciate it when it’s done. Consider this my pledge to wipe everything down after each use, from here on out.
Whenever it’s time for a proper deep clean of the kitchen and utility, I have to brace myself for the mammoth task ahead. And yet, once it’s finished, the difference is undeniable. It’s the kind of invisible labour that goes unnoticed by everyone but you, but it keeps everything running more smoothly - and in some cases, like with filters, it’s essential for safety.
Other tasks on my list include replacing everyday linens, such as: tea towels and well-worn tablecloths and updating tired kitchenware: from a chipped bread bin to plates that have seen better days, among many other small but telling details.
THE LIVING ROOM
The living room sees less traffic than the kitchen, but it still absorbs the wear and tear of daily life. It’s also usually home to the household’s library of books, along with blankets and cushions - all of which require regular upkeep and careful dusting.
THE BEDROOM
The place you spend a significant portion of your life: sleeping, unwinding, and recalibrating both body and mind - deserves a certain reverence. A space like this should feel boujee and indulgent, layered with the finest touches to cocoon and replenish you. Is there anything better than falling into bed at night? Maybe only when you sneak an afternoon nap when its pouring rain outside… Heaven!
THE BATHROOM
If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the living room its soul, and the bedroom its sanctuary, then the bathroom is its place of restoration - where the rituals of each day begin and end, shaping how you feel for the day and night ahead.
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Chat to you next week, Jennifer x
I’m going to clean all my filters tomorrow and my washing machine and tumble dryer. Thanks for giving me the push 👍