I don’t know about you, but I am getting sick and tired of winter and all of this snow. Although I am still hopeful that warmer weather is just days away, I decided now would be a good time to do some spring cleaning so that I can do what I do best when it does get nice – sit on the deck and watch the grass grow.

It’s also a good time since the Easter Seals truck is coming around to my neighborhood this coming Wednesday. Hey, if they are willing to come around and pick up clothing and things we don’t want or need anymore, who am I to argue.

The first thing I need to do is quit fooling myself and bag up the clothes that I have been hanging onto “just in case” I lose a little weight. If I haven’t worn it in over a year, it’s gone. The next batch of clothing will be the stuff I bought on sale that just does not look good on me. Why is it that something can look so good on the rack, but when you get it home – yuck! One of the things I hate doing most when shopping is trying on clothes, hence the reason I have so much to give away.

Once my things are cleared out, I’ll ask my husband and son to make their own contributions of T-shirts, shoes and jackets. It is for a worthy cause, after all.

Easter Seals will also take linens, curtains, household items and more, so the next step will be to go around the house and see what needs to be removed or changed and pack up another couple of boxes.

I thought about having a garage sale this year, but we just moved into our house and am not in the mood to go through all of that again. Besides, if there’s anything I forgot after the Easter Seals truck has come around, there’s always the Goodwill store less than a half a mile away.

Although I furnished much of my home by going to consignment stores like Garage Sale 360 & Hitz Consignments and Fratz Consignments, both in Fenton, it did not escape me that other people have the opportunity to make some cash with their unwanted items by becoming consignors. It looks like a win-win situation to me. Instead of merely giving away the higher quality items you no longer need or want, why not let these consignment stores sell them for you and split the profits.

After the clutter is cleared, then I will begin the work of cleaning the walls, the sofas, deep dusting, hardwood floor mopping and rug cleaning. My shopping trips during “spring cleaning season” are the usual suspects for a variety of supplies – Home Depot, Dollar General, Kmart, Walmart, Aco Hardware, Taylor Hardware – but it will, of course, depend on who offers the best sales.

After I'm all done, I just might treat myself and place fresh cut flowers from Yard 'n Garden or Gerych's all around the house - at least until I can grow some of my own.