SPRING CLEANING: ROOM BY ROOM

There’s nothing like a good spring purge.  Hoarders be warned, this is not for you.  Don’t think of spring cleaning as an epic, all at once task.  Like your work out rituals, tackle one room (or area or drawer) at a time.  It will be worth all the effort.

The Kitchen Sink

Underneath:

Go ahead, and pull it all out.  Wipe it down.  Get rid of scented garbage bag, toxic potions and ugly packaging, and bring fresh to the kitchen.

Besides, everyone has a "catch-all-the-crap" drawer in the kitchen.  Take 2 minutes to sort and you’ll be good as new.  Buy the large format wraps and bags from the teens that come to your door fundraising.  Then augment with lunchskins re-usable snack bags and Abeego beeswax re-usable wrap for all your left overs.  Stock up at trishmagwood.ca and turn your sea of elastic bands into an ever growing ball, good use of space, and a natural stress ball.

On Top:

Pretty up sink side. It’s the most highly used (and seen) spot in your home, so keep it up to date, clean and with products and scents you love.  Everyone sees it and smells it.

My picks for the Elevated Domestic (green, clean, work like a charm, smell addictively delicious):

Graydon’s plant powered uber pure hand soap + dish soap and surface mist spray (keep on in your car, for your yoga mat, in the loo, by the kitchen sink and in your kids hockey bag). Signature grapefruit + lavender forward scent: purchase it here.

C is for Clean all-natural grapefruit all-purpose cleaner concocted by Toronto chefs who know how to keep it natural, clean and smelling fabulous.

Natural Laundress copper scrub and gorgeous limited edition artistic reusable dish cloths - get your favourite (GreenPan) clean and preserved.  I don’t want to see ratty j-cloths when I come to yours for a drink.

The Living Area

Tuck away your wool and mohair blankies and sheepskin throws, open all your windows, dust the cobwebs, air your house out and buy yourself some flowers.  Spring is here. Invest in a light linen throw - turquoise, of course, by Pehr Designs.  And throw out the stub ends of your candles.  Treat yourself to a new candle – Picks by Trish is the first in Canada to bring in Pour l’air by Jocelyn Fortier.  Addictive.  And ditch the old tea towels for new timeless linen naturals. My grandmother said linen is the only way to go. Shop it here.

The Front Hall/Mudroom

Mandatory for kids or others in the house to try on and pass on or put away.  Invest in the storage bin.  Sort by season.  Adieu hats and mitts.  Pull out and try on soccer cleats and sneakers.  Cheap and cheerful Ikea front hall storage is a perfect solution for the space-pressed.  Obsessed with Pehr designs cube bins for the basement, bedrooms and front hall closet, they bring sanity and pretty to the what was chaos. Get yours here.

There’s no reason to ram your sneakers into your purse or use an ugly grocery bag for your work out kit.  Vibrant coloured, stylish and compact (squishes into a bitty little sac), Baggu bags can be coloured coded for each sport or activity.  And I love them so much, I brought in the leather version.

The Front Door, or Entry-way

Get rid of your Christmas lights and tattered ho-ho-ho door mat – please. Toss out your evergreens and replace with seasonal flowering tree bits like Magnolia, Crab apple or Hawthorn (go to your local nursery, they’ll sort you out) in this transition season. My new door mat is bright green with a Cheery hello welcome.  It won’t last forever. Some things don’t...

For more local goods, check out Magwood.co. The shop is always open.