If you’re feeling more energetic and optimistic lately, it’s likely a physical response to the expanded daylight hours and warmer weather that has come to be known as spring fever. Embrace it, says Lakeview Regional Medical Center, and expand upon those good feelings. Open the windows, plant a garden, leave work early, exercise or go for a hike outdoors, and get together with your friends without screens in-between. Or use that spring fever to do some #spring #cleaning — and #donate any extra #stuff you don’t need to ClothingDonations.org. #SpringFever
Tag: stuff
Make the Most of a Spring Break
With school spring breaks and Easter celebrations, many students will have a full week off this month to spend with their families or take a trip. That kind of down time is rare to get, so if you have (or can take) the week off together, make the most of it.
There are plenty of options for a cost-effective trip for the entire family, Family Destinations says, from spring skiing in Colorado and Upstate New York to soaking up the sun in Puerto Rico, Cancun or Jamaica.
Thriftier still — but just as fun — are road trips and camping trips. Whether you want to sleep under the stars or see the city lights, there’s likely an option within a day’s drive of home. Try Roadtrippers and other apps to plan your adventure.
The thriftiest and safest option, of course, is the staycation. While it might be a letdown for kids with wanderlust, you can make it special by planning leisure activities that you don’t normally make time for on school days.
Hikes, scavenger hunts, museum visits and art projects are all fair game. Or visit the library, camp out in the backyard or make your own film festival, National Heritage Academies suggests.
Another good idea is to spend a day or two #decluttering and #cleaning up your house in order to get it ready for the busy summer season. Chances are that there’s a lot of #stuff that needs to find a new home, not to mention some dirt and grime from the winter.
Sort through that stuff, and #donate whatever you don’t want to ClothingDonations.org. Challenge your kids to sort through, #organize and #declutter their possessions, too; there may be any number of school outfits that no longer fit or toys that get ignored.
Then, reward them (and/or yourself) with a special #spring-break outing! You’ll come home to a #cleaner, more #clutter-free place.
Declutter by Category to Make Organization Easy
#Decluttering and #organizing go hand-in-hand, according to organizing expert Marie Kondo. Decluttering by category (clothing, books, papers, komono or miscellany, and sentimental items) allows a person to get an accurate picture of their entire inventory of #stuff, The Creative Cottage says, helping avoid duplication. Once you pare each category down to the essentials and #organize them so you can quickly find anything you need, keeping even a small space such as an apartment or condo #clean will no longer require a lot of effort. Just don’t fall into old habits and buy things that don’t bring you joy — or allow any new possessions you bring in to build up, uncategorized and untidied, over time.
Super Bowl Ads Won’t Tell You Not to Shop
On the pro-consumerism side of the Super Bowl ads was Squarespace’s ode to small business, starring Zendaya as Sally, who went from selling seashells by the seashore to being a seashell-themed lifestyle brand thanks to online sales. Equally #stuff-friendly is the ad for cash-back shopping app Rakuten, which depicts a poker player betting personal belongings such as a vacuum cleaner and TV instead of poker chips. Nobody should buy more #stuff than they need just to get cash back, of course, so even if you like to shop, spend wisely and use the #declutterer’s rule of thumb: Eliminate two items for every new thing you bring in.
Super Bowl Ad Touts Experiences Over Stuff
Super Bowl advertising celebrates #consumerism, or at least the urge to watch the big game over a buffet of chips and guacamole. But Expedia went for a higher concept with its high-ticket “Stuff” ad this year, parodying classic Super Bowl spots of the past while urging people to spend their hard-earned money on travel #experiences instead of material goods. “I doubt that any of us will look back at our lives and think ‘I wish I’d gotten a slightly sportier SUV, or an even thinner TV. Or found a lighter light beer or had an even smarter smartphone,’” narrator Ewan McGregor says.