With everyone required to stay home as much as possible, now is the best time to tackle the to-do list of tasks you’ve been meaning to accomplish for the past couple weeks – or longer!
Clean the Pantry
Start the pantry clean-up by pulling out all food and supplies stored there. Discard any food that has expired or turned stale and any supplies that are broken and can’t be fixed. Any items that haven’t been touched – and aren’t likely to be – but are still good and not expired, can be put aside to be donated when it is safe to do so. All items to be kept can be placed in a pile to go back into the pantry. Before starting to put items back, take a moment to quickly wipe down the shelves.
Organize like items in the “to keep” pile and put them back on the shelves together. For example, keep all spices in one area and all snack food in another. When deciding on where to place items, make sure the items used the most are kept on the lower shelves so they are easy to access.
Organize Photos
Whether they are printed or on the computer, take time to organize all photos into properly organized folders. Start by sorting pictures by year and then event or occasion. To be able to search and find photos easier, consider tagging them or renaming them with detailed descriptions.
For people with boxes of printed photos, consider taking the time to digitize your collection. Similar to the method above, try first organizing the printed pictures by year and then occasion. This way, when they’re scanned onto the computer they are already in some kind of order.
Complete Home Improvements
Take a look around the house and think of what small projects that you have been meaning to do but never got around to completing – like painting the bedroom, installing a new shelf, or hanging a painting. If you need supplies, try ordering them online and having them delivered if possible, to minimize the need to shop in-store.
For those who might not have a lot of experience with home improvement projects, consider looking online for tutorials on how to complete whatever DIY project you’ve been meaning to work on.
Start on Spring Clean-up
Spring is here, so why not complete your spring cleaning? From polishing the furniture to making the windows sparkle, there is no shortage of areas in your home that can use a bit of sprucing up. Get everyone staying in the household involved and assign an area or project for each person to complete.
With temperatures rising, get outside and start on your outdoor clean-up in time for summer. Organize and clean out your garage and/or shed and clean off your deck or patio. Consider uncovering or unpacking outdoor furniture and giving it a good dusting. If you’re planning a garden, you can take the time to take stock of your supplies and what you might need to stock up on before the season begins.