Category: Spring Cleaning

Spring Home Project – Easy DIY Terrarium

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Spring Home Project DIY… bringing a little outside inside

Bringing the outside into your home with plants is a great way to (literally) bring some life Into your Spring home projects.  There are a ton of resources available at your local Goodwill to create an amazingly easy DIY terrarium!

With Spring upon us, I have been anxious to test my green thumb.  But at the same time, terrified the temperature changes will result in mass garden casualties! So, this easy DIY Terrarium is an easy indoor plant option.

Not only are terrariums perfect for our unruly weather, they’re also a beautiful option for decorating with thrift store finds. If you like budget friendly home décor options, you’ll love the Easy DIY Terrarium!

Easy as 1-2-3

To get started on your own Easy DIY Terrarium, here is what you will need from your local Goodwill for this project:

  1.   Glass Tray
  2.   Terracotta Pots
  3.   Glass Cloche Domes.  What is a cloche?  Simply put, it is a translucent cover used to protect plants. You can use any clear glass for this project. Be creative! Just be sure the class is tall.  This is key. Your plant needs room to grow. Some things that might work: glass jars, glass bowls, mason jars, or a fish bowl.

Get some potting supplies too. If you’re a plant expert, feel free to set up your terrarium however you’d like. If you’re not sure where to start, check out my full post HERE to see how I “layered” my Easy DIY Terrarium. I also shared a trick for finding house plants for cheap!

Once you have your supplies from Goodwill,  start putting together your Easy DIY Terrarium.

Step 1

It’s super simple. First, get your plants into the terracotta pots.

Step 2

Then, arrange on your tray.

Step 3

Finally, add the domes!

Tips

Tip 1:  Because the covered terrariums create a greenhouse effect, there will be some moisture build up. Which is why I highly suggest the glass tray like I used.  This will create a moisture barrier between your Easy DIY Terrariums and whatever surface you’ll be putting them on.

Tip 2:  When you pick out your supplies at Goodwill, make sure the dome fits over the terracotta pots you use. A couple of mine were a pretty snug fit, and I had to experiment with which dome worked best with each pot.

Tip 3:  Goodwill has a ton of great glassware options that would be perfect for Easy DIY Terrariums! You could also try tall vases for open terrariums, or jars and bottles for a more Boho look.

Tip 4:  This can be a fun project for kids to get involved with. Let your kids help choose the plants, and get their hands dirty potting.  They will love watching something they created grow throughout the Spring and Summer.

 

 

 

 

This month’s guest blogger is Amanda DeVries.  Get in touch with her at This Growing Home or find her on Facebook.

 

Spring (or summer!) Cleaning Myths and Resources

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The kids are out of school for the summer, how are you doing on your Spring Cleaning plan?  Has that plan moved to a summer-cleaning goal?

Many of us will have the best of intentions to organize things around our homes, and really clean things up this summer. This week we decided to take some advice from an organizing expert on the best way to start these daunting projects!

(from: https://www.clutterdiet.com/spring-cleaning-myths-and-resources/)

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People always ask us about Spring Cleaning, and I love the idea and energy of throwing open the windows and starting fresh with your house, reflecting all of the new life and beauty around us outside!

When I talk with people about Spring Cleaning, however, the first thing I want to tell them is that I am not a cleaning expert. I don’t know 100 household uses for vinegar, but I do know a thing or two about organizing your closets, bathrooms, kitchens, and garages!

I also want to bust the myth that you “must” do some kind of major overhaul of your home in the spring, like there is some kind of rule about exactly what should be done. Every home is different and people live in different climates, and people have varying degrees of maintenance they do all year round. Certainly there are seasonal things to do that are smart, like switching out your sweaters for shorts. But if you do a good job keeping things clean most of the year, you don’t “have to” break out the kneepads and scrub the floor, unless you want to. I always want people to feel comfortable doing what WORKS for them and not compare themselves to some unrealistic standard.

If you are feeling inspired by spring like so many people are, here are some questions about “Spring Cleaning” that you can think about as you approach your weekend, with some resources to help:

What cleaning projects do you want to get done? If you are inspired to do some major cleaning like baseboards, drapes, blinds, or comforters– decide on it, schedule it in and get it done, coordinating with your family for the extra effort you’ll need. For me, a must is cleaning my patio furniture so I can enjoy sitting outside. Our Clutter Diet members have access to household systems & routines that can help you plan all of your tasks throughout the year! We now offer the FREE 7-Day Quickstart which includes seven days of focused guidance from me plus an additional 7 days of full access and support!. For help with cleaning tips, please refer to Heloise at Good Housekeeping. Here is a great article with her 20 most popular household hints.


What organizing projects do you want to get done? We suggest closets because of the seasonal swap-out of clothing, and we also think it’s a great time to organize your garage, since it’s not too hot outside yet. Your refrigerator and pantry might need some attention, and your bathroom cupboards probably need first aid items and sunscreen to be restocked. If you’d like some support to get these projects done, our expert team is available 7 days a week to consult with you in our member message boards! 

What is your disposal plan? When you do big projects, especially like garages or basements, you need to plan ahead a little, and you will probably need some help hauling away that old broken bulky stuff.  If you just need to find your nearest Goodwill Donation Center, go to Goodwill-NI.org.


Enjoy your weekend, and enjoy your summer! What are your favorite Spring-Summer Cleaning tasks? Share in the comments!





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Spring Cleaning With Goodwill

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Cleaning lady vacuuming a soft carpet in living room.

It is that time of year again when we all have the urge to get rid of the useless items , reclaim our garages, and restore order in our home. I used to try to do spring cleaning in one week, but with endless activities on our calendar, it makes it difficult to devote a week’s worth of my time to just cleaning. Who really has time for that?

Instead of doing one deep cleaning try “spring cleaning” all year long rather than trying to set aside a specific time to do this. By simply incorporating smaller scale spring cleaning projects into your daily routine, you can accomplish the same tasks on your limited schedule.

vacuuming dirt off a green carpet

Make a Checklist- Begin by making a checklist of everything that you would normally do during your spring cleaning. Tasks like washing all the linens and drapes, wiping down baseboards, washing windows inside and out, cleaning out your pantry, washing your shower curtains, organizing your linen cabinets, wiping down walls, and cleaning doorknobs and light fixtures are items that are typically on a spring cleaning checklist.

Take Inventory of Your Supplies- Take inventory of your cleaners and the tools that you will need in order to accomplish all of the necessary cleaning. Nothing is worse then getting ready to do your task and then finding out that you are missing that one component needed to complete your task. Put the items that you will need on your shopping list and get these items on the day that you perform all of your errands.

Add Just One Hour- Continue doing your normal daily routine, but add an extra hour each week towards accomplishing just one of these tasks on your list. Check off the items that you accomplish and press on to the next one. By just devoting one hour a week towards your spring cleaning goals you will have a more manageable deep cleaning routine.

Donation Day

Reclaim Your Home- Clear out as much clutter as you can. Make a box for trash and a box for your Goodwill donations and fill these with all of the unnecessary clutter in your home. By donating these items to Goodwill your items continue to help Goodwill’s mission to provide jobs, training and placement services for people with barriers to employment. Not only will someone who needs these items more benefit from your donation, but you can receive a tax break and reclaim space in your own home. If you don’t like to dust it, don’t love the item, and want an organized home- donate it!!

Make Cleaning Convenient- Keep a caddy of cleaning supplies on each floor. I find it much easier to clean my house when I know that the tools that I need to accomplish my task are just a few steps away. Keep your checklist either in one of your caddies or somewhere that is accessible so that you can always stay on track with your deep cleaning.

As an aside, I also encourage you to do your cleaning when it is convenient for you. Some people work better during morning hours while others of us would rather be snoozing and do better in the evening. Take advantage of the times that you work best. If you would rather break the hour into smaller increments that is totally up to you. The idea behind all of this is to make it as easy as possible so fit it in wherever and whenever you can.

bench monday: what a mess

Get the Kids Involved- Enlist your helpers to help you on these tasks. Your children and your husband can be active participants in getting your home organized just like they help to contribute to the clutter. Schedule dad for clearing out the garage, taking inventory of the tools you will need to do your gardening, cleaning out the basement, weeding through the family electronics, or other tasks inside and outside of the home. Children can aid in cleaning their own rooms by helping to remove some of the clutter in the house. Involving your family can be beneficial in showing them all that you do to keep your house running smoothly.


Make it Fun- Whatever you do, try to make the experience a fun one. Turn on some great music, watch television while polishing tables, do whatever you can to make getting your home clean easier and more enjoyable.

What are your best tips for Spring Cleaning? We would love to hear how you accomplish the Spring Cleaning in your home!

Please click on the above pictures for photo credit and to access the photographer information for each image.