Now look, I don’t promise to do all these things. However, it occurred to me as I contemplated giving my house a thorough cleaning tomorrow that it would go better if I had a kind of game plan–a list, if you will–of what I need to do. Some people would find this list annoying or bossy, but I like it. It makes me feel more organized and it keeps me from skipping things. Here it is:

My Spring Cleaning List

In Every Room:

Sweep and mop all floors
Dust sides, tops, and inside of all furniture
Clean the trim around windows and doors
Dust lamps and lights
Dust all art
Water all plants
Generally pick up and de-clutter
Clean mirrors, windows, and paintings with glass fronts
Vacuum/beat all rugs
Take out trash
Write a list of things to sell
Write a list of things I need

In Specific Rooms:

Scrub baseboards in hall and kitchen
Hang up clothes in bedroom
Organize bedroom closet and remove clothes I don’t like
Ditto bureau
Change sheets in bedroom
Tidy up books and magazines in office
Clean and organize pantry
Wipe down all kitchen cupboards
Clean outside of all kitchen appliances
Clean the trashcan (Yes! Even this has to be done sometimes.)
Organize under sink
Clean kitchen sink
Cat box
Vacuum leather furniture
Bleach and clean bathtub/shower
Toilets
De-chicken the guest room (i.e. remove the brooder, dust, sweep, etc.)
Organize guest room closet
Clean and bleach the entire guest room bathroom
Organize coat closet

Things I Can Skip:

Blinds. I don’t wanna.
The stovetop in the kitchen. My husband’s turn.
The hood over the stove. Because, gross.

I don’t think I’m missing anything.

A friend sent me this link awhile ago for Bryonie Porter’s wallpapered furniture. It looks like they use a combination of paint and wallpaper to cover old furniture. Great idea, especially if you have access to some kick-ass wallpaper.

I especially like the idea of using maps to cover a bookcase or dresser for a kid’s room, like so:

Every year there seems to be a rush to re-define the dyed Easter Egg. As a result, tons of techniques for dying hard boiled eggs have popped up. For example, as I mentioned last year, there’s natural dye, which is made from kitchen ingredients such as turmeric, beets, and coffee. It looks like this:

Craft pointed me to this tutorial on making a Pysanky, the Ukrainian Easter egg:

Martha Stewart has the brilliantly simple idea of using narrow strips of electrical tape on the eggs before you dye them, which can look like this:

Or this:

Martha Stewart also has these German-Style Paper Cutout Easter Eggs, which look labor intensive, but lovely:

Then there’s these Pearlized Easter Eggs from Better Homes and Gardens use acrylic paint. I am not sure if that is a good idea on an edible product, but it looks pretty:

And finally, there’s this tutorial on making marbled eggs by The Barefoot Kitchen Witch:

Why not try something different this year?

Here’s an adorable way to decorate for Easter–Peeps Bunny Bunting. Dana from Made created these buntings shaped like Marshmallow Peeps to cheer up your Easter celebration or baby shower.

Normally, I don’t see the point of making decorations like these because they take up so much time and other kinds of decorations–streamers, ribbons, etc.–are so cheap. But the buntings are so cute that I would make an exception.

If you are interested in making your own Peeps bunting, check out the tutorial on the V and Co. blog. (Via Craft.)

Here is Padme Lakshmi, the model/host of Top Chef, on the only part of her house tour I liked–her indoor swing. It would be great to have a swing inside the house, especially since it doesn’t have to be permanent. You can take it down when you’re tired of it.

Here’s a how-to on how to build an indoor swing. It looks child sized, but why? Adults like swings too.

Or better yet, put a porch swing indoors, like this guy did.

Super romantic. And putting in a porch swing could be a cool–and cheap–alternative to a couch. Better than a futon, that’s for sure.

Turns out a Erlenmeyer flask makes a great vase.

Romantic bedroom decor is an important part of Valentine’s Day. After all, who doesn’t want a clean, calm, lovely oasis in which to end the evening?

Well, there’s no need to check into a hotel. There are ways to make your own bedroom more romantic. The key is to start with a clean, uncluttered space and then add romance on top. Here are some tips on how to spice up the bedroom for Valentine’s Day:

First, the basics:

1. Clean the bedroom. Vacuum, hang clothes, dust blinds, polish wood, etc.

2. Remove clutter. Shove it in the closet if you have to, just get it out of sight.

3. Change the bedding. Clean sheets are a must.

4. Remove the TV. Cover it or take it out of the room. There is nothing less romantic than an ugly TV.

5. Hide Family Photos. As much as we all love our relatives, no one needs to look at their faces during romantic time.

Okay, the room is clean. Now it’s time to consider the extras:

1. New Bedding. If you are planning to get a new duvet or sheets for the bed, Valentine’s Day is a good time to inaugurate them.

2. Candles. Candles equal instant romance. You don’t need that many, either. One or two does the trick. If you like scented candles, only burn one at a time so it isn’t overwhelming.

3. White Christmas Lights. Use them as lighting by weaving them on the bed frame or along the ceiling or anywhere that would add a sense of romance. Here’s an example from furniture for small spaces:

4. Extra Pillows. By putting all the pillows in the house on the bed, you get a look of luxury and excess. Use similar pillowcases for a sense of uniformity. Alternately, splurge for some new throw pillows or make them.

5. Canopy. You can rig a canopy over the bed for increased intimacy. Here’s an example from Home Interior Decorating:

6. Flowers. To tell the truth, I’m not a fan of putting rose petals on the bed because they are annoying to clean up afterwards, but I would be remiss not to mention it. Alternately, you can just put some flowers in vases by the bed. The more the merrier in this case.

That’s all I have. The rest is up to you.

While I do like the clean, streamlined look in decorating, I seem to prefer houses that combine different styles, display quirky collections, and reflect someone’s personality. I like decoration that is interesting, where everywhere you look there is something to take in.

Samuel Barrett Genthner’s house tour on Apartment Therapy certainly fits this description. He is co-owner of Monument, vintage and antiques shop in San Francisco. Apartment Therapy gushes that “almost every San Francisco house tour seems to mention Monument as a favorite source and inspiration.” And it is indeed a very cool store–I have been in there many times–although expensive (some might say overpriced). Anyway, Genthner’s house is like the best of Monument. For example:

I love these drapes and the gun pillow cases.

Dining room with cool lamps and mustached head on the table.

Brilliant.

Owls! And a close up on the lamps.

Part of the living room. Notice the globes in the corner. Like owls and old phones, globes seems to be getting hot for people to collect. They can be a cheerful collection to have in the corner or on top of a shelf.

Genthner also has some good advice on decorating: “Trust your eye and your instincts. Go with your feelings. If it’s attractive to you, it’ll be attractive to someone else. Try not to follow trends.”

More of the house tour here.

I’m getting rid of clutter right now. Clothes, furniture, dishes, etc. are all going. I don’t know if I will ever get to the point where I have exactly the right number of possessions, but I keep trying.

The way I look at it, if something in my house is taking up space, then it should serve a purpose. It should either be useful in some way, or it should add beauty or other value to my life. Otherwise, it’s just cluttering the room. Usually, a clean, calm space is more valuable than the thing itself.

Here’s how I know when it’s time to get rid of something:

1. I got a new version of the thing, thus replacing it. No need to have two of most things.

2. I haven’t used it in at least a year. Obviously it is not necessary, then.

3. I am sick of it. It have no qualms about dumping something if it annoys me.

Still, sometimes it’s a little hard to figure out what to get rid of. You know your closet is overflowing, but you’re not sure what’s useful and what’s not. When that happens, I start by reorganizing the closet in question. As I do this, I ask myself the following questions:

1. Do I need this? Yes, keep it. No, then ask:

2. Do I like this? Yes, keep it. No or not really, then ask:

3. Can this have another use? Is there some other way this can serve a purpose or is there a new way of looking at it that makes it interesting again? Yes, keep it. No, then it’s time to get rid of it.

If I’m still not sure, I put the item aside for a week and then look at it again. Something about that space of time clarifies the issue and I will know whether to keep it or dump it. Usually, I dump it.

Now. Sometimes clutter comes from having too many of something useful–too many mugs, too many pencils, too many towels, etc. This can get tricky because, technically, these things have a purpose, so it’s hard to balance how many you really need. Here’s a couple of question I ask myself in that situation:

1. How long is the life of the item? If the thing can be used up, then you might as well keep it. For example, if you have too many bars of soap, the smart thing to do is store all of them and stop buying new soap until they are gone. But if you have too many purses, say, they will not get used up, so it may be time to consider getting rid of some of them.

2. How many will I use? Think of the scenario where you will need all of an item and do a count. Someone gave me a giant box of wine glasses, way more than I can ever use. I thought of the biggest party I would have where I would break out wine glasses. I figured about 12 people. So I kept 12 glasses and got rid of the rest.

3. How much space do I have to store these? I had a bunch of teapots, but only one small part of my kitchen cupboard to store them in. Since I don’t need multiple teapots, I forced myself to get rid of some. Turns out, I didn’t even like them that much and it’s nice to not have teapots falling on me whenever I open the cupboard.

Annd three more thoughts on getting rid of clutter:

1. I don’t keep things out of guilt. It is silly for your own possessions to guilt you. I don’t like it when I make a mistake and buy something that I didn’t end up needing, but that isn’t a reason to keep the thing in question. (Instead, I look at why I made the mistake in the first place and try not to repeat it.) Likewise, while I appreciate when people give me presents, I won’t keep something just because someone gave it to me. Possessions should serve you, not the other way around.

2. I want a clean, serene space. As mentioned above, when you are de-cluttering, you are trying to gain something of value–space, cleanliness, and calm–in exchange for the things you are getting rid of. It’s about having a nicer life by keeping only the things you want and need around you. It’s a good thing to keep in mind.

3. I have never missed something after getting rid of it. Okay, once. In college I sold a green cardigan that I sort of liked and then later wished I still had. That was 10 years ago, and it is the only time I have ever missed something after getting rid of it. So I must be doing something right.

What are your de-cluttering tips?

I don’t like Swiffers. To me, they seem more of a marketing tool than a cleaning tool. Instead of using a sponge on your mop–which take forever to wear out–they convince you to buy these disposable cloths instead. As a consequence, you have to keep buying more of the cloths to continue to clean your house.

Still, I understand why some people like Swiffers. Mops get gross. It is hard to change the sponge, and when you do, they are expensive to replace. You don’t have to store a bucket for mop water. It is more convenient to use a Swiffer.

That’s why I like the idea of making your own Swiffer cover, like this one from Berlin’s Whimsy:

It is a reversible, washable Swiffer cover made from old towels. I love it. When it is gets dirty, you simply throw it in the machine. No more buying disposable Swiffer cloths, which saves money. And since it’s from recycled towels, it probably costs almost nothing to make.

Incidentally, the mop I use is very similar to this. It’s possible to buy mops that have washable fabric pads. Since it’s so easy to clean, I shouldn’t have to replace this mop for a long time, not until the fabric wears out. And maybe then I’ll just make the replacement myself. (Via Craft)