Refresh your home, habits, and heart with 7 simple ways to savor the spring season.
Spring is one of the very best seasons of the year.
In spring we get to shake off the heaviness of winter, and welcome the increasing vibrance of a fresh, new world.
Spring is nature’s way of pressing “reset.” It’s why we also feel a strong urge to refresh and reset our own homes, too.
These 7 simple spring resets will help you refresh your space, lighten your routines, and run headfirst into the new season.
The goal of this list is to inspire you to welcome spring with fresh joy without spending money on unnecessary items or trying to cram a million things into an already busy schedule.
These are meant to feel renewed by the season, not overwhelmed. No need to buy anything new or commit to a Pinterest-perfect lifestyle.
Pick one. Pick three. Ignore the rest. Whatever works for you.
Let’s get started.
7 Simple Ideas to Welcome Spring
Ready for a spring reset? Try these 7 simple, no-cost ways to refresh your home, mindset, and routines.
- Clear Away the Old
- Spend Mindful Time Outdoors
- Refresh Your Plate (and Palette)
- Bring in the Blooms
- Plant Something
- Throw Open the Windows
- Redecorate for Free
1. Clear Away the Old
There’s a reason “spring cleaning” has stuck around for centuries. After being cooped up all winter, it just feels right to scrub everything down and clear out the cobwebs!
This yearly ritual provides a fresh slate so you can actually enjoy your home instead of fighting clutter every time you walk through the door.
Recently I did a deep clean of my kitchen. I wiped out drawers, degreased the range hood, and scrubbed the stove until everything was sparkling clean. Once finished, I couldn’t stop looking at it.
Some other places ripe for a spring cleaning include:
- The entryway or mudroom (prime real estate for winter clutter, right?)
- Your wardrobe (rotate out heavy sweaters and bring in lighter layers)
- The car
- The garage
- Any closet
Even cleaning one surface can create a ripple effect that can result in a refreshed, spring-ready room.
Give this a try and notice how much lighter you feel with the clutter cleared away.
2. Spend Mindful Time Outdoors
My fellow Indiana natives know the weather can be pretty erratic in the spring, but we do get some warm, blue-sky days, even in early spring.
When that first sunny, warm-enough day of spring arrives wherever you live, get yourself outside.
Going for a walk and getting your body moving outdoors is a mood lifter any time of year.
So explore the neighborhood.
Wander your yard or your local park.
Notice what’s changing:
- Are tree buds starting to swell?
- Have any bulbs begun peeking out?
- Which perennials are the first to wake up?
Watching life come back to the world is so rejuvenating to the soul after a long, cold, sometimes white (but mostly brown) winter.
Snap a photo of the first sign of life that you notice.
Pretend it’s the first time you’ve ever seen this phenomenon. Allow yourself to feel awe and wonder at the natural world, even if you feel a little silly at first.
Spring reminds us that although the world is bleak and dark in winter, things will grow again.
Out of the dark, lifeless soil will sprout new seedlings.
And if you were feeling pretty bleak and dark yourself, take hope in the coming of spring!
3. Refresh Your Plate (and Palate)
Eating with the seasons doesn’t just taste better. It also connects you to the natural rhythms of the world and can save you money since in-season produce is usually cheaper.
Plus, your body just naturally craves certain types of food at certain times of the year.
We’ve lost this as food gets shipped all over the world for us to buy any time of the year we want.
This spring, why not eat seasonally?
Here are some delicious spring foods to pick, forage, or purchase:
- Greens: arugula, spinach, bok choy
- Herbs: dill, mint, parsley, cilantro, chives
- Veggies: asparagus, radishes, peas, turnips, fava beans
- Fruits: strawberries, rhubarb, haskap berries
Whether or not you have a garden, you can embrace spring harvests by choosing seasonal spring foods at the market to add to your plate.
Make special seasonal foods like chive blossom vinegar.
Or try a new “spring drink.” I find myself craving strawberry basil tea and other drinks that are light and refreshing this time of year.
What food or drinks do you crave most in the spring?
4. Bring in the Blooms
I cannot tell you how much joy it gives me to pick the first bunch of daffodils blooming in the backyard and bring them inside.
The first weeks that they are blooming, I make sure to keep the vases full of straight bunches of daffodils.
There’s just something energizing about bring spring inside.
You don’t need a fancy arrangement. Just grab a few stems of whatever’s blooming, or even a branch that’s starting to leaf out.
And if you don’t have blooms in your yard, check your local grocery store for inexpensive flowers.
Here a few ideas for you:
- Potted spring bulbs
- Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils en masse
- Forsythia branches
- Flowering cherry or crabapple branches
- Pussy willow branches
Use a heavy, small-necked vase or jar for branches so they don’t tip over. I recycle old liquor bottles for this.
Pop small flowers in creative vases like a teapot or mug.
Spring beauty is simple. Don’t overthink it and just the flowers and budding branches shine.
If you do want a little more guidance, check out my post on making a spring flower arrangement.
5. Plant Something
Spring is the ultimate time to plant and grow. If you only do one thing this spring, do this.
It doesn’t have to be big at all.
Start a small pot of herbs indoors, or seed start tomatoes to plant outside later.
Sow early spring veggies and herbs in your backyard garden.
Or you could even repot a beloved houseplant in need of some TLC.
Spring is a great time to plant perennials and shrubs for cut flower use, as well. See a list of my 21 favorites here.
Get your hands in the dirt. It’ll literally make you happier!
Scientists have found a soil microbe that boosts your mood. Thank you, Mycobacterium vaccae! (source)
6. Throw Open the Windows
This next idea is so easy. Let fresh air in through the windows.
Fresh, spring air can make the whole house feel lighter.
I just love the feeling of the wind moving through the house, and I like to imagine that it’s blowing away all traces of winter and ushering in spring.
I also like to take bedding and blankets outside on a sunny day to air out. It’s something our grandmas did, and it works.
Don’t worry if it seems too cold to have the windows open. Just two minutes will be enough to refresh your home without making it too chilly inside.
7. Redecorate Without Spending Money
Redecorating or reorganizing your space signals to your brain that the season has shifted and your home has been renewed.
And you don’t even need a full spring decor overhaul to refresh your space. Moving furniture around or changing out photos will make it feel like you’ve redecorated.
Try these free or low-cost redecorating ideas.
- Display seasonal family photos or kids’ spring-themed artwork.
- Rearrange the furniture.
- Bring a tea set or pretty serving bowl out for display on the kitchen counter.
- Reorganize a bookcase or display shelf.
One of my favorite no-cost redecorating tricks is to move a piece of decor from one room to another.
Your home will feel brand-new.
The best part? It’s free!
Celebrate Living Simply and Seasonally This Spring
These simple spring refreshes are small steps to help you welcome the season with a lighter heart and a fresher home.
I hope you found one thing you can do this spring to embrace the season and enjoy a simpler life.
Whether that’s degreasing the stove, eating your weight in strawberries, or sitting on the front steps with a mug of tea, that counts.
We’re not pursuing perfection or trying to be better than everyone else.
We’re keeping ourselves rooted, thankful, and in tune to the world around us.
Which of these resets do you need most today?