Spring is here and has us in the mood for a clean and decluttered house. While this may not be the case for everyone, let’s talk about small actionable steps to a cleaner and well organized home.

1. Pick your starting point
   1. Be it the kitchen or the linen closet, pick one space a day to clean out, declutter and reorganize. You might be surprised with what you find and what you might need/want to get rid of. Even though this was probably on the top of your to-do list at the beginning of quarantine, it’s time to re-evaluate!
2. Go through everything
   1. It sounds like a lot, and it most certainly can be but by going through everything you are sure to have peace of mind and a cleaner home. We are talking about no sock drawer or spice cabinet is to be left unturned. So find the matching sock and toss the 2012 expired spices. Your future self will thank you.
3. Stick to it
   1. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your house won’t magically be clean in that amount of time either. Make a list of all your spaces and stick to it. Speaking of cleaning, be sure to check out your cleaning products and if they are doing their jobs. You’ve got this!

Speaking of spices back in point #2 let’s do a deep dive real quick! Ground spices and whole spices as pertaining to longevity of freshness are different. Ground spices lose their flavor faster than whole spices and require a little extra love when cooking with them to amplify their flavor. To liven up the flavor, simply put them in a pan to lightly “toast” them up before adding them into your dish. Outside of the “best by date”, which is a freshness indicator, give the spice jar a smell. If it doesn’t smell like anything, it’s time to toss them out!