Try one of these 5 ideas to welcome spring.

Plant Some Seeds and Grow Something.

WHY? To get a sense of the rhythms of the season. As the world shifts back into hyperdrive, planting seeds is your superpower to slow things down. It’s such a simple act with a minimal investment of time and money. 

HOW TO: Check to see when the danger of frost has passed. Start with something simple like radishes. Once planted, you’ll see them start to grow in 10 days or less. Then you can (generally) harvest them 2 weeks later. Not the gardener type? Do the next best thing and support your local farmer’s market. 

Line Dry Your Laundry

WHY? To help the planet. There is nothing like putting on clothing that has hung outside. The subtle scent that nature gives your laundry has yet to be duplicated in a dryer sheet. It may take a few extra minutes to hang your wears (clothes?) on the line, but remember you are taking a step toward helping the climate by not using an electric dryer. 

HOW TO: On a sunny day, make a simple clothesline by running some rope between two trees. If you don’t have a tree or two to borrow, place a chair outside and drape your clothing over it. Don’t have any space outdoors to hang stuff? Place a drying rack near an open window and merchandise it with your damp laundry.

Enjoy The Longer Days

WHY? March gives us the most amount of daylight gained out of any month. Now that your body has settled into daylight saving time, it’s time to linger a little longer outside. 

HOW TO: Be bold and text, call, or email a pal so the two of you can meet up and hang out after work. It could be a meal, a drink, or a walk in the park. I know I have a list of folks who might have slipped away over the past two years. Now’s a great time to reconnect.

Tidy Up

WHY? Calling it ‘spring cleaning’ is a bummer and sounds like drudgery. Let’s give spring the respect it deserves! Gone are the days of a spring cleaning. Starting now it has been rebranded. Enter the era of ‘Tidying Up.’ 

HOW TO: I’m sure you have an area in your living space that gets a bit chaotic and never really put back together. For me, it’s where we keep our gardening tools. I’m going to look at my calendar and pick a Saturday in late April. On that day, I’m going to tidy up that area. It’s not about a hard-core cleaning. Rather, it means evaluating what I have, seeing if anything can be donated, and tending to things I want to keep. 

Plan A Trip

WHY? It’s time to get out of your safety zone. Visiting Japan has been a dream of mine. I’m not sure when it will happen, so I’m doing the next best thing I can: reading about Japanese culture.

HOW TO: ‘Water, Wood & Wild Things’ by Hannah Kirshner is taking me on a riveting trip to see how handcrafted products like sake and charcoal are made using ancient techniques that are quickly being replaced by 21st- century automation. It’s so nice to end my day with this print edition book inspiring my dreams. When I’m done reading it, I’d love to pass it along. Leave a comment below if you are interested!