A Fresh Perspective on Spring Cleaning

Greetings, y'all! Can you believe it's already April?! I really had every intention of starting my spring cleaning in March, but, I guess life had other plans for me. I've proudly achieved the age of 52, and now, I’m realizing that I've spent so much time just rushing and not being in or enjoying the moment. So, in an effort to slow down and put myself first, I’m taking a fresh perspective on what spring cleaning looks like for me this year. I’ve chosen four areas of my life to focus on—emotional growth, personal health, pet health and green cleaning.

Emotional Growth
For me, a big part of emotional spring cleaning will be letting go of what I cannot change, accepting that I don't know what I don't know and leaning into the vulnerability of making space for something new. I’ll be working on shifting the way I speak to myself and about myself, changing negative statements into positive ones.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”― Rumi

Personal Health
I did the sugar fast in tandem with Lent in March, and while I did indulge a few times (I’m human, after all), I still managed to drop some pounds. My personal health spring cleaning will be a gluten cleanse. As hard as it is giving up all those favorite breads, pastas and carbs during the first week, I know it’ll get easier and I’ve already got some great GF recipes lined up—and of course, I’ll share them. And hey, maybe it’ll help me feel sharper, more productive and lose a little more weight right before we open our pool.

Pet Health
Because our animals' systems are incredibly simple, they need natural products without mystery ingredients, bi-products, fillers, chemicals, sugars or preservatives. As a pet parent, I have to do my part to keep my fur babies healthy. There are many harmful ingredients that are hidden in fancy words in food, treats, cleaning products, etc., and as a pet advocate and someone who enjoys educating everyone on pet health, I’m going to do a spring cleaning of all things pet-related—and I’ll share what I’ve learned with y’all.

Green Cleaning
This month, I'm tossing all those cleaning chemicals that give me migraines, sinus infections and skin irritations, and I’m turning to greener solutions with simple ingredients that enhance my cleaning experience and are safe for wee ones and my fur babies. I used to think that going "green" meant working harder to get something clean, and that’s not the case. Plus, I’m sure I’ll have some more money in the piggy bank at the end of the month.

So, as I slow down and take a fresh perspective on spring cleaning over the next few weeks, my hope is that my experiences will inspire you to clean out some clutter in your own lives. Sometimes, we forget that things will get messy and out of order, and that’s okay because that’s just life. For me, it’s about the tools and skills I’m learning to clean up the messy bits and put my life back in order. Stay tuned for how it goes…

Amy