Do you enjoy the switch from Winter to Spring? Are you more of a Winter fan? I was as a child, but now as an adult with aches and pains, I tend to love everything but Winter, and I am often so grateful we don't get snow. Nonetheless, the last few days of Winter, and the first weeks of Spring, are some of my favorite of the entire year.
If you know me at all, you know that I am not one with many traditions, and I have been working on creating as many as I can. There has been a lot of trial and error. We try new things, and stick with the things we like, and call the others tried. I have found a few that we definitely embrace yearly, or at least as often as we can. These are the things that really signal the end of Winter, and the start of Spring for us.
1. Attend a local Spring festival. I wanted to put this one first, because it is truly my favorite thing, as simple as it is. Whenever the weekend arrives for our Spring Festival, my mood immediately gets a million percent better. I think it is safe to say, that I have moods that are easily impacted by the season, and Spring is like healing medicine for my mood. We do not even have to do anything super exciting at the festival, just being there, it is all I need. So, I highly recommend finding a Spring Festival in your area, and attend it.
2. Out with the old, in with the new. Nothing says good bye to Winter more than Spring Cleaning, and getting your home refreshed. Normally, I also put up a few Spring decor items. We especially love to decorate the windows, doorway, and the porch flower pot.
3. Spring crafts. This is something that is going to be new for us this year. Gigi is really into arts and crafts lately, and I have some simple crafts from Target's Dollar Spot to do. I was also thinking about trying a few I saw on Pinterest. I figured this would be a fun and easy way, for Gigi and I, to get ourselves into the spirit of Spring.
4. Start doing more outside play. This definitely signals the end of Winter for us. When we start doing regular park trips, that means Winter is finally leaving. This year, we have new bikes, and I am hoping to add fun bike rides into the mix. I have this crazy idea, about trips to get ice cream or cookies, and then riding back home in time for Sunset.
5. Makeover. This is something new I have planned for this year, and if it goes how I think it will, I will probably make it a tradition. We always focus on changing and cleaning our home at Spring. Well, this year, I plan on doing a mini makeover on myself. Now, I have not finalized my plans, but I will definitely be getting a pastel pedicure, and my hair is getting changed. I just do not know exactly what I am going to do to my hair yet. I originally thought about cutting it short, but then I decided I definitely want to keep the length. I had decided on getting a perm, and now I am on the fence on that as well, since I spent so many years of my life getting my curls removed. So, I am thinking a change in color, but my mind is blank. I have been doing red since my Dad passed away, and I LOVE it, but again, why just change the house decor? So, I will let you know on my Facebook page, what I decide on, but my look is definitely getting refreshed for Spring. Honestly, I don't know why I had not thought of this before, and I think it will be a tradition. I will even add Gigi into it, once she is a bit older.
6. Menu Refresh. This is something I just recently decided. I was sitting down, thinking of ideas for dinner, and I realized I was tired of everything. I then realized it is because we do the same meals over and over. I do have a few meals, that are Summer only meals, but usually just the same meals on rotation. Well, I have started compiling a list of meals to add into the mix. A few will probably be year round, but many are meals that scream Spring to me. I know many folks already cater their menus to the seasonal foods, but this will be a first for me. I am pretty excited.
7. New batteries, new towels, new pot holders, new scents. With the change of the season, I like to change the batteries in the smoke alarms and remotes. I also do a update on kitchen towels and pot holders. Plus, I bring more floral scents into our plug-ins, candles, and car scents. Spring means floral and soft to me. I like things to be fresh and fun.
8. New books. Every few months, I like to pick out some books to read, and then I spend the next few months reading them. I tend to cater the choices to the season and my mood. For some reason, whenever Winter is coming to an end, and Spring is arriving, I like to read inspirational books, funny books, cookbooks, and historical fiction. I will be picking new books soon. I already have "Girl Wash Your Face" ready to go. I also want to do a re-read of "The Power of Broke". I just need a few others, and I will be set. Please, feel free to recommend any you think I should read. I am always open to book suggestions.
9. Love Manteca. Here in our town, we have a citywide volunteer day, that is focused on members of the community completing various projects around the city, and improving our city, and welcoming Spring. I hear that these are pretty popular all over, so if you check, you probably have something in your area. If not, maybe you could start it? Maybe you could get your neighborhood together, and do a project that improves your neighborhood. Doing good deeds is never a bad idea. The Love Manteca is usually a busy weekend for us, because it tends to be very close to the same time as our yearly 5k, but this year, we have some time between the two, and I am extra excited for both events.
10. Goal. This is something I just read about. Seasonal goals. I am definitely going to make this a thing. It was suggested to make two goals per season. A goal of something you want to change and a goal of something you want to improve. It was also suggested to try a goal you want to accomplish. I am going to try for the first two, and if I can work in the third, yay. Do you do this? Have you heard of it? I am interested to try it. I always hear about New Year's goals, and often mostly about failure of them. So, I like this idea of doing something which each season.
Tell me about your favorite signals of Winter's end. Are you happy about it or sad?! I feel like most people tend to get happy about it. I really think it is just the freshness that Spring seems to add to life.
Make sure you check out the rest of this month's Blog With Friends Winter Thaw posts!
Lydia of Cluttered Genius
Warm up with a 5k (Tips from a Not-So-Athletic Runner)
Warm up with a 5k (Tips from a Not-So-Athletic Runner)
Here are a few links, to craft projects I found on Pinterest, and plan on attempting with Gigi.
There is just something about the promise of renewal that comes with spring - and I love the idea of a seasonal goal!
ReplyDeleteWe love attending spring crafts festivals here, and I love retiring my heavier meal options that I make in the winter and replacing them with lighter, grilled foods.
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