Spring is finally here in San Francisco, with warmer days, and lighter, brighter nights. Who doesn’t love the sunset after 7:00 PM? I am looking forward to a change in wardrobe change, the abundance of berries and asparagus, and the opportunity to engage in a few spring chores and activities. Here are my top five chores and activities to complete this spring:
Spring cleaning
Spring is a fantastic time to do any deep cleaning or detailed cleaning because the weather is warmer and drier. My carpets, window treatments, and living room upholstery could use a deep clean. If you know of a good cleaner, please share. If not, I will be renting the rug cleaner from Safeway. On the same token, our beloved Honda CRV could use a detail clean. Since we park it on the street in our neighborhood, it never stays clean. The inside is a little better, but I still regret that we have cream-colored upholstery. Oh, and I should probably clean my makeup brushes too.
Purge our closets
Living in San Francisco, we can never have enough jackets or sweaters because our nights warrant wearing them. But there will always be some clothes that don’t get any use or are a little too worn. Now’s the time edit our closets and toss or donate clothes we don’t wear anymore. As a parent of an active toddler, I am constantly cycling through Ilse, my daughter’s leggings because she wears the knees out. She is also going through a dresses-only phase, so a stack of new t-shirts are not getting any wear. On a personal level, it also frees my drawers and closets for new spring clothes. Hello, sleeveless dresses!
Personal grooming
Yes, ladies, it’s time to shave our legs! Admittedly, all of us postpone shaving our legs during the winter because we are dressed in tights, pants, and leggings. It’s too cold to go bare-legged unless it’s one of those freakishly warm days we get in February. It was almost 70 degrees on February 4! In addition to shaving my legs, I am also trimming my curly mane. My summer do this year is to grow it longer; the trim will de-fluff and give my hair a little more shape.
Plan our summer trips
As a travel industry professional, I personally don’t enjoy traveling during the summer because it’s the same time of year that everyone else is traveling. I also loathe the crowds and the inflated pricing. However, with a little advanced planning, summer trips are worthwhile. I focus on midweek trips for the best deals on airfare and hotels. Weekdays are also less crowded for attractions. A win for all of us!
If during your trip planning, you notice that hotel room rates seem a little high, call the hotel, and ask about any special events that may be happening at your destination. Changing your trip by a few days to move away from a special event could mean the difference of hundreds of dollars in savings and less stress from not being at a congested vacation spot.
Attend a few baseball games
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our family’s favorite sport that arrives with spring: baseball. While we bleed the Orange and Black for our beloved Giants, we follow all the other teams, too. The MLB network is on every day in our household during baseball season and gives my husband and I a little respite from watching “Paw Patrol” and other children’s programs. This year, we are also planning to take Ilse to a few games. Now that Ilse is older, she might want to run the bases at the Little Giants Park. After all, baseball is a family sport. If you’re headed to AT&T this year with your family, I shared a few tips for you in a previous article.
While my favorite season is fall, I have a fondness for spring, too. Spring has its own rhythms and rituals that make it a worthwhile season to enjoy, too. What chores and activities are you looking forward to doing this spring?
