spring cleaning

5 Items to Refresh Your Life for Spring

As a full-time autumn and winter girlie, it pains me to say it (but it’s true): by early March, I’m pretty done with winter weather. Here in Oregon, it’s been rain, rain, rain, and, you guessed it, more rain. So much so that my town experienced flooding this past weekend (yikes).

It’s that time of year that makes me want to open every window in my house and throw away every single thing I’ve ever owned. That’s just the vibe, honestly. So it’s no wonder that I decided to redo two rooms in my house: my bedroom and my office. These aren’t the two most high traffic rooms, but they are rooms that become catch alls, which means that when things get busy (like in back to school season, the holiday season, and just-started-a-new-job season), the decluttering tends to take a backseat.

To my great embarrassment, I also have to tell you that in cleaning out the closet in my office (to make space for all the stuff I needed to move in there), I found boxes of notebooks from the job I had from 2014-2019 (why did I keep them?), as well as a completely unopened box of books I bought from Scholastic when Forrest was in pre-k. Not my greatest moment, honestly.

This is all to say: it’s clean out season and that means it’s refresh season. Which means treating ourselves to a few key items to spruce up the house. Here are my top 5 this spring.

A New Rug

Danny and I got rid of our wool rug when we moved into our house—in 2019. So our bedroom has been rug-less for almost 6 years. And not that’s its a necessary thing, but I was getting really tired of our bedroom. This rug is machine-washable and affordable even for the 8x10 size—plus it comes in a few different color ways, all of them really pretty. This has absolutely changed the vibe of our bedroom, lightened it up, and gave it more life. A win-win.

A New Vacuum

I bought a vacuum in 2018 and have been steadfastly using it since. With a large dog, that vacuum absolutely put in the work for a long time. But in the last year, it’s definitely been limping along: there were times where I could tell it was simply not picking up what it used to. I’ve been shopping for vacuums for about 6 months, but couldn’t really decide what I wanted. I ended up going with another Shark; this one is a little more heavy duty and definitely weighs more than my previous vacuum. It works so well that I feel like my floors are finally clean after my poor, weakening vacuum was laid to rest.

Fresh Frames

Since around 2021, I’ve had a mural wall in my office that I love—but I really had started to feel like it was too busy. I’ve had it in my head to start getting prints of my favorite art and so a set of frames became a necessity. This set is so cute and will fit the same vibe as my mural wall—just a little more clean and grown up.

A Fresh Body Scrub

The winter has truly done a number on my hands and feet—and let’s not even discuss what hand foot and mouth disease did. I’ve been moisturizing like crazy and I realized, very suddenly, I need to exfoliate all the winter skin off. Dove body scrubs are really affordable and smell great—and they’ve helped with my hands a lot lately.

A New Bathmat

When we first moved into our house (again in 2019—6 years ago), I couldn’t find an affordable bathmat. I ended up buying these cheap, tiny ones from the College section in Target. And while they work, they’re now falling apart—almost like they were not made to last 6 years of use. The backing crumbles every time I wash them. They’re done! Finished! Through! It was time to say goodbye and upgrade and I’m glad I did. No more crumbly mess after I wash them.


That’s that! 5 items I’ve added to my life lately that have made a huge difference. I’ve been working to make purchases more intentionally for the past 2 years and that often means taking more time to replace something I had to buy out of necessity years ago. What are you loving lately?

10 Spring Decor Ideas (You Can Use Right Now)

I have never, in my life, been involved in spring cleaning. Pretty much year round, I struggle to keep up with cleaning: the idea of doing a yearly clean out is ultimately appealing to me, but logistically impossible, especially now. Especially with Forrest. Most days, I can sweep my kitchen floors, wipe down my counters and sink, and start to dust before Forrest needs me (to play with him, to feel him, to hold him, or to just pay attention to him). 

That being said, I'm making a dedicated effort to clean my house more regularly, to get rid of clutter (I proudly threw away a bunch of knick knacks I just don't need the other day), and to work on projects I've been meaning to do for ages. Example: about 2 months before Forrest was born, my mom gave me a mirror with a frame and hooks for coats for my entryway. It leaned against a wall until last weekend. That's a solid 8 months, guys! 

I've been pinning home decor ideas like a mad woman recently. I've decided to start from the front of my house and move back and up (and, yes, obviously, I need to get the faucet that flooded my entryway fixed first, oops). I'm so excited to get my house looking like a put-together house, not just a place to hold a bunch of stuff! Here are some of the things I've been pinning lately. Hopefully they inspire you to get a little work done this spring! (Oh and you can always check out what I'm pinning for home decor by following my board here.) 

1. Get Rid of Bathroom Clutter.

My bathrooms are a weak point: to me, they need to be utilitarian because they get so much use. That being said, I also always wish my bathroom would look like a spa. But with a tiny amount of storage and a baby and a husband who isn't great at being clutter free, it's a challenge. I like all these ideas for organizing your bathroom--and bonus, most of the supplies you can find at the dollar store. 

2. Create Great Canisters for Bathrooms, Kitchens, or Kids Rooms!

I have a million coffee containers and formula tubs I've been saving for months. I don't know why I save them, but I always feel guilty throwing something so useful away. Now, there are tons of tutorials for painting containers and turning them into gorgeous storage containers for around your house. 

3. Use Letters and Thrift Store Frames 

Spelling words or names, or including your initials, in home design is a simple way to add a breath of fresh air this spring! Target sells letters in both large and small sizes--as well as a variety of punctuation. I painted Danny & I's initials teal and put them in the entryway... right above that 8-month-old mirror! I also like to go to thrift stores, buy the coolest frames I can find, and spray paint them to match existing decor. 

4. Get Your Pantry Under Control

About three days before Forrest was born, my mom went to Costco for Danny and I; as a result, Danny and his brother, Nate, put away all the groceries and since then... I cannot find a damn thing in my pantry. It's been 6 months! I need to take care of it! I'm loving this pantry and how it looks. 

5. Create a Terrarium

I've always loved succulents and I've recently become mildly obsessed with cacti. Terrariums are a perfect, no-stress way to include a little greenery in your home. 

6. Make that Entryway Less Embarrassing

Obviously, this is a personal one for me. I love these ideas for improving, organizing, and decorating entryways. Just because it's a place of transition doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a little TLC. 

7. Remind Yourself: Keep It Clean 

I am of the opinion that if you focus on cleaning a little bit every day, you can avoid doing big, massive cleans every week (or, uh, every 2 weeks...). This is a do as I say, not as I do kind of belief, of course. However, I love these tips for how to just keep your house clean. If you can follow through, it makes life so much more fun! 

8. Have a Guest Room? Make It Awesome. 

I love these guest room ideas! Some of them are easier than others. If you have a guest room (ours is Forrest's room... not that he uses it), it can be fun to make these just a little more beautiful, fun, and cozy for your guests. I especially love the framed wifi password! 

9. Clean Your Home Office

Personally, I have a stack of folders, files, and papers on my desk that's been growing/accumulating since September (yep, when Forrest was born)! Someday, I'll get it all filed and organized... and when that happens, I'll use some of these tips to get my office area cleaned up and looking better! 

10. Want a Picture Collage? Use These Tips 

Getting prints of Forrest, and creating a wall collage, has been on my to do list for ages. I love these tips for organizing, great looking collages. 

Share your spring decor tips and ideas with me on Twitter here!