Spring Cleaning Worksheets

I love spring cleaning.  I'm sure that sounds nutty, but I do.  Remember when we moved out of our house for our new addition?  I said, "I love packing."  And again when we moved back in, I said, "I love moving and unpacking."  It is all in the same vein for me - that fresh start, new project feeling.  Cleaning up and cleaning out.  I just love the feeling I get of physically working and cleaning, not to mention the lightness it brings to our house.

Our home works very hard for us - entertaining, family time, play dates, nightly dinners, big and little holidays - so keeping it in good order helps us to live fully.  We've all had those issues in our home that make us feel like "we can't have anyone over until..." or "we can't enjoy the backyard until..."  I never want any of those reasons to keep us from fully living and enjoying - having friends for dinner, family time in the backyard, relaxing on the porch with wine in the evening, coffee in the morning, and our time in the kitchen.  If your home is not serving your life in a productive and positive way, it will make you feel so much better to take some time to tackle those "if, only, when" barriers.  

Above : These are my favorite Tablets to stay organized.  You can purchase these in my store, or you can download some cleaning worksheets I've put together below.

Spring Cleaning Worksheets - Download

You can download all of the spring worksheets here.  I have blank sheets, as well my own list, in case you need inspiration.  They are in PDF, Excel,Numbers and JPeg formats.

I am the first to admit, I'm not great at keeping things neat and tidy all of the time on a daily (hourly?) basis (at all), so having this regular re-organize and deep-clean schedule keeps everything relatively nice feeling... even with my day-to-day messes.  For this spring, I made a list of the spots in our home that need the most attention.  Most of these items need to happen every season - which keeps it manageable.  I also make sure I have "fun" projects, too, like adding fresh pillows and throws.  As you can see, I did the "fun" thing first - only thing checked off so far!  Normally, I would wait until everything else was checked off, but those pillows from the spring collection were too good to resist.

The first item on my Inside list is the Freezer and Refrigerator.  I have been meaning to do this since January.  Oops!  I'll be doing that today and stocking it with healthy options fresh for spring (like favorite smoothie ingredients... and frozen cookie dough).  I'll walk you through everything that I'll keep stocked next week.

Here is the freezer inventory list I made to keep on the inside of my cabinet.  I always forget what I have in there!  I used to do this when we lived in Concord when Emma was a baby since we relied on the freezer so much.  I would be stumped for a dinner idea, then go to this list and remember that I had frozen parmesan chicken or soup in the freezer.  Every year we get a freezer full of beef from my family's farm.  This list will help me remember that I have 2 briskets, 8 ribeyes, 20 packs of hamburger and 3 chuck roasts still in the freezer.  I'll be implementing this again this spring.

I am so glad it is almost time to get our hands in the dirt again.  Since I end up working at my computer for a big chunk of the day, I really look forward to nice weather so Emma and I can spend our after school time in the backyard.  We've done the cleaning out, now the fun starts with mulch, seeding and some little gardens we're planning.  I'll share more details on those in the next week.  

We woke up to our first daffodils blooming inside this morning - so fun!  

Shop my organizing essentials in my store >

Fresh & Clean Essentials for the Kitchen | Bottles, Kitchen Towels & Brushes

I recently restocked all of the bottles from my Essentials Collection.  I've also added some new products that will help freshen your kitchen for spring.  There are new bamboo brushes for dishes and pots and pans, and classic striped kitchen towels that are soft and super absorbent.  When they're all put together, they make a lovely gift for homemaking lovers like us : )

Clear Kitchen Bottles

Kitchen Brushes

Classic Striped Kitchen Towels

Classic Napkin Holder for Kitchen Bottles

Clear Kitchen Bottles

I designed the packaging to be subtle and classic - no bright colors or distracting labels to take away from your beautiful kitchen.  These bottles come blank and empty, ready to be labeled (included) and filled with your favorite products.

Kitchen Brushes

These are a new more sturdy version of my kitchen brushes made of eco friendly bamboo.  I use the long brush for scrubbing dishes and the short one for pots and pans.  They work like a dream and hold up so well.  

I've been keeping my set of kitchen bottles in a Napkin Box by my sink.  It works great to keep everything corralled.    

Classic Striped Kitchen Towels

Soft cotton, absorbent, classic kitchen towels.

I put together this basket as a welcome basket, but would also be lovely for Mother's Day, a hostess or a  thank you gift.

The house labels are perfect for hostess and housewarming gifts.

Shop all of my favorite Kitchen Essentials, here >

Spring Cleaning Tablets

My Trick for Easy Spring Cleaning 

Spring Cleaning can be so daunting.  The idea of cleaning the entire house from top to bottom including the basement and the garage sounds terrible!  Do what I do instead - I pick 5 areas of the house that really bug me. These areas are places that I use every single day and usually are a magnet for clutter - really annoy me when they are out of control.

1- Kitchen Junk Drawer
2- My Closet
3- My Car
4- Makeup Drawer
5- Garage Entry/Mudroom

I tackled all of these areas in just a couple hours and everything feels better.  Do laundry while you're working on these areas and you'll really feel ahead of the game.  When you get everything fresh and clean, treat yourself to some tablets + LePens to make your new tidy areas pretty and better functioning.

[Free Shipping Continues for orders $75+Shop >](https://everyday-occasions.myshopify.com/)

Garden Tool Stationery Suite

I love this stationery suite because it is rustic enough to use to label your gardening supplies, but still elegant enough to use on your Easter table.  I think it would be perfect for a springtime gift to a friend - maybe a potted plant or a favorite packet of seeds.  

 Tags : Set of 10

Tablets : 50 pages

Card & Envelop Boxed Sets : 10

Wellie Boots Stationery Suite

What is more charming than a pair of Wellie Boots?  They are nostalgic, yet modern, seemingly child-like yet utilitarian for any adult that enjoys the outdoors, alike.  This paper collection of tags, tablets and cards will add that sweet, charming touch to a gift.  I set the kids' Easter table with a tablet at each place, ready for drawing.  I'm also using it as my official tablet for the School House.  

Tags : Set of 10

Tablets : 50 pages

Card & Envelope Boxed Sets : 10

"House" Stationery"

I decided I needed a little more whimsy in my life!  I designed this set of paper products to be my "house" stationery.  If I'm bringing a hostess gift to someone, or need to write a thank you note, this is the stationery I'll use.  I'll use the tablets to make my to-lists for around the house.  I like to keep the short version in my purse with a LePen (tucked in these canvas bas!) for easy note taking and list making. 

Tags : Set of 10

Tablets : 50 pages

Card & Envelop Boxed Sets : 10

Kitchen Stationery

I designed this set of paper products to be my "kitchen" stationery.  If I'm baking a loaf of banana bread for a friend, or dropping off dinner for someone with a new baby, this tag will be attached + a note card tucked inside. I'll use the tablets to make my to-do lists in the kitchen. 

Tags : Set of 10

Tablets : 50 pages

Boxed Cards & Envelopes : 10

Sometimes it is just the little things that can make those daily tasks a little more fun.  Sitting down to fill out your Weekly Schedule, or make your Grocery List is much more tempting with a full supply of beautiful LePens on your desk, right?

Many of you have become fans of LePens like me.  I keep a glass full of them on my desk at all times.  For three years, I've sold four of them in a set with my Tablet, but I know many of you would love to have a big supply, too.  Now, I'm offering them in a box of 12 - perfect for getting organized as we begin a busy new season.

Shop All of my LePens & Tablets >

Fresh & Clean Challenge | $250 Gift Card Giveaway

Since I released my Everyday Essentials Bottles, I have received emails from many of you telling me what a difference they make on your counter, in your bathroom and in your laundry room.  Sometimes it can be the simplest things that make the difference!

Today is MOVING DAY!  As you can imagine, I've been day dreaming of perfectly organized everything at the new house.  In this day dream, each closet, cabinet and pantry is stocked and tidy all of the time - and I never leave towels on the floor, and Emma picks up after herself... and doesn't splatter paint on the cabinets/walls.  Notice that Mike is left out of this day dream because Mike is actually the (only?) one in our household who will actually put everything back where he got it, his clothes will be put in the hamper and keep his drawers and closet perfectly perfect.

I, on the other hand, was not built that way.  Or at least that is my excuse.  Actually, being a "creative" type has always been my excuse.  Most of the day I am going - fast, getting things done, putting out fires, making dinner, running a business - like all of us I'm (we're!) busy.  I move at a fairly fast clip most of the time, leaving turmoil in my path - in the kitchen, in my closet and in my car ; )   I don't like to live amongst clutter, so at the end of the day I spend a chunk of time picking up after myself.  I always think it would be so much easier if I just did this along the way.

Baking Pantry Post

You're probably thinking, but your photos always look so perfect - I assumed you were a neat freak.  What I am really good at is making things look pretty.  There is not a lot I enjoy more than organizing and making utilitarian spaces look pretty... I'm just not the best at maintaining them.  For me, it is like an art project.

Linen Storage Post










In fact it might surprise you to know there is a quote that I love, "a well-kept house is a sign of a poorly lived life."  So much truth to that.   I don't want keeping a home to rule my life, but I don't want a messy home keeping me from enjoying every second either.

Emma's Nursery Post 




SO.  What I do want to attempt to do is make the process of keeping a home easier.  Having clutter in closets, pantries and cabinets gives me stress.  I want not to spend my time at the end of the day picking up after myself.   I want to spend it drinking wine on the couch... or in my new bath tub.

Here are my goals :

1)  I want there to be a place for everything.
2)  I want us to have less clutter and consume less.
3)  I want everything to function and be easy to keep clean.
4)  I want every corner of the house to be stress-free.
5)  I want to spend less time picking up at the end of the day, and more time drinking wine : )

Moving into a new house is almost like January 1 - a fresh start and new resolutions.  As we unpack (in just a couple of hours!), I'm going to resolve to set up each area of the house to function at a high level and be easy to maintain - self cleaning.



Who's with me?  I know that the Spring Cleaning frenzy was a couple of months ago, but I'm challenging you to look at your home - what areas drive you crazy?  What closet gives you a headache?  Does your kitchen keep you from actually cooking?

I'm looking for support!  Do you have really creative home organizing ideas that work really well?

Our old extra room : Office, Landry, Pantry, etc. space.

Here is the challenge : 

1) Take an area of your house that brings you down and transform it into something pretty.

3) Use an Everyday Occasions product to help you - Fresh and Clean Bottles, Glass Spice Jars, Linens, Kitchen Brushes... or any of my products that helped you!

3) Send a photo to me of the After (don't worry about a Before picture!) to jenny@jennysteffens.com subject : Fresh & Clean Challenge

4) Deadline : June 1st

You'll be entered for a chance to win a $250 gift card for my store!  I can't wait to see what you all come up with : )

Happy Post-Spring Cleaning!

Home | The Living Room | Fresh Spring Update

As you probably remember, we finally got furniture for our living room last Christmas. I wanted to freshen up the cozy Winter decor to give way for Spring. So, I started by removing our brown velvet pillow covers and replaced them with white linen.

Above : I updated the bookcase by removing the dark color books and adding touches of light blue - frames, and artwork. I also added this pale blue pillow to brighten our leather chair.

I have a large bunch of blooming branches in the corner on our blanket chest and a light blue journal in the rattan basket on the coffee table.

I love the white cable-knit pillow cover from pottery barn.

Mr. is checking it out...

This pie safe is displaying my new Napa Home & Garden pottery pieces from Red Cedar Country Gardens and some glass apothecary jars.

Here are some botanical prints. I like to display flowers and plants that actually grow on our property. Top : Dogwood, Bottom : Peonies

Here we have a magnolia.

And here are my ferns down the hallway.

Spring Cleaning | Sunshine & Wine

I recently stumbled upon a great KC Blog, "Sunshine & Wine". Blogger Suzanne shares tips and tricks to decorating and keeping her first home. Here is a list that she shared for spring cleaning... I'm going to check it off TODAY.

Seasonal Cleaning List


Kitchen:

__Empty and scrub down the inside of the fridge and freezer

__Empty and clean inside of the utensil drawers

__Scrub down the cupboard exteriors

__Clean the stove hood filter and fridge condenser coil

__Replace water filters in fridge, sink, coffeemaker, etc

__Clean drain (baking soda, vinegar, cover, sit, then add boiling water to wash it

down)

__Shine sink (Bon Ami, then Windex)

__Polish appliances and clean coffeemaker

__Scrub tile grout

__Clean out pantry and reorganize

__Clean oven (use self-clean feature)

__Clean microwave

__Discard expired food


Bathroom:

__Launder shower curtain

__Empty, weed, clean out and reorganize medicine cabinet

__Shine sink

__Scrub tile grout

__Go through and discard old makeup and beauty supplies

__Clean and wipe down walls next to sink

__Use Draino on all sinks


Bedrooms:

__Strip the bed, flip the mattress, and vacuum

__Launder mattress pad and dust ruffle

__Launder pillows

__Sort through wardrobe to donate unused clothes/accessories

__Clean out from under the bed

__Organize and purge from night table



Living/All Areas:

__Wash inside of windows

__Change HVAC filter

__Flip sofa and chair cushions

__Clean and scrub down baseboards and moulding

__Wax floors if needed

__Clean light switch covers

__Disinfect all door handles

__Launder/dry clean window treatments

__Shampoo wall to wall carpeting and air-out area rugs

__Dust and clean all light fixtures and ceiling fans

__Clean fireplace and flu if necessary

__Test/replace batteries in smoke alarms


Outdoor:

__Wash outside of windows with water and vinegar solution

__Clean screens

__Power wash porch areas

__Clean out grill

__Clean and store/bring out outdoor furniture and accessories