Category Archives: Spring Forward

Transitioning Your Sleepwear from Winter to Spring: A Guide to Comfortable Nights and Brighter Mornings

As the winter chill gradually fades away and the first signs of spring emerge, it’s time to bid farewell to those cozy flannel pajamas and embrace sleepwear that’s better suited for the warmer months ahead. Transitioning your sleepwear from winter to spring isn’t just about swapping out fabrics—it’s about ensuring you stay comfortable and cool while getting a restful night’s sleep. Here’s how to make the switch seamlessly:

Opt for Lightweight Fabrics: Say goodbye to thick, heavy fabrics like flannel and fleece, and hello to lightweight materials that allow for breathability and airflow. Cotton, linen, and silk are excellent choices for spring sleepwear, as they’re soft, breathable, and help regulate body temperature, keeping you cool on warmer nights.

Choose Shorter Lengths: Ditch the long-sleeved tops and full-length pants in favor of shorter lengths. Consider opting for short-sleeved tops, tank tops, or camisoles paired with shorts or cropped pants. Not only will this help keep you cooler, but it also allows for more freedom of movement during sleep.

Experiment with Brighter Colors and Prints: Spring is all about embracing brighter colors and playful prints, so why not incorporate them into your sleepwear? Trade in those dark, muted hues for pastel shades, vibrant patterns, or fun floral prints that reflect the spirit of the season. Not only will it add a touch of cheer to your nighttime routine, but it’ll also lift your mood as you prepare for bed.

Layer Up: While the temperatures may be warming up outside, spring evenings can still be cool, especially during the transitional months. Layering lightweight pieces allows you to adjust your sleepwear accordingly, adding or removing layers as needed to stay comfortable throughout the night. Consider keeping a lightweight robe or cardigan nearby for added warmth when temperatures dip.

Invest in Breathable Loungewear Sets: Treat yourself to a new set of breathable loungewear designed specifically for spring. Look for matching sets made from breathable fabrics like cotton or bamboo that strike the perfect balance between comfort and style. Whether you prefer classic pajama sets or cozy loungewear sets, investing in quality sleepwear ensures you’ll look and feel your best as you unwind after a long day.

Prioritize Comfort: Above all, prioritize comfort when transitioning your sleepwear from winter to spring. Pay attention to how different fabrics feel against your skin and choose styles that allow for ease of movement and a relaxed fit. After all, the key to a restful night’s sleep is feeling comfortable and at ease in your sleepwear.

By following these simple tips, you can seamlessly transition your sleepwear from winter to spring, ensuring you stay comfortable and stylish as you prepare for a season of warmer nights and brighter mornings.

Rainy Day Activities: How to Stay Entertained on Dreary April Days

April showers bring May flowers, but they can also bring a lot of indoor time for families. While it’s easy to get bored and stir crazy on rainy days, there are plenty of fun and unique things you can do to pass the time. Here are 6 ideas to help you make the most of April rainy days.

Have a movie marathon. Gather your family and choose a theme for the day, such as a favorite actor or genre. Make some popcorn, grab some blankets, and settle in for a day of watching movies together. To make it even more special, you can create a cozy atmosphere by turning off the lights and lighting some candles.

Get crafty. Rainy days are the perfect time to break out the craft supplies and get creative. Try making homemade Play Dough, painting, or building with Lego’s. Not only is this a fun way to pass the time, but it’s also a great way to stimulate your creativity and relieve stress.

Cook together. Cooking is a great way to bond as a family and make lasting memories. Try a new recipe or bake something sweet. It’s also a great opportunity to teach children about cooking and the importance of healthy eating habits. You can involve everyone in the process by assigning tasks like measuring ingredients or stirring the pot.

Indoor Scavenger Hunt. Create a scavenger hunt for your family to complete inside the house. This can be a great way to get kids moving and exploring, as well as a fun way to spend time together. You can create a list of items for your kids to find or hide clues around the house to solve a mystery.

Game Day. Whether you’re a fan of board games, video games, or card games, this is a great time to spend some quality time together. You can also have a tournament and award the winner with a prize. To make it more interesting, you can create your own games or modify existing ones.

Family Pajama Party. A family pajama party is a fun and unique way to spend a rainy April day. This is a great opportunity to get cozy, spend some quality time together, and make lasting memories. Put on your favorite pajamas, make some hot cocoa, and settle in for a night of games, movies, and stories. To add some excitement, you can have a theme for your pajama party such as animal lovers or food and drink. You can also have a pillow fight or play charades.

Rainy April days don’t have to be a drag. With a little creativity and planning, you can make the most of your indoor time and create lasting memories with your family. These fun and unique ideas will help you to enjoy your time together and make the most of April showers.

How to Spring clean your Closet

Spring cleaning is a great way to refresh your home and start the new season feeling organized and energized. One of the most important areas to focus on during spring cleaning is your closet. Not only will a clean and tidy closet make getting dressed in the morning a breeze, but it will also help you to see what items you have, what it’s time to get rid of, and what you may need to purchase for the upcoming season.

The best way to tackle the task is to do it step by step and we’re here to make the process super simple and painless.

Step 1: Clear everything out

Take everything out of your closet and lay it on your bed or floor. This will give you a clear picture of what you have and what needs to be removed. As you take each item out, ask yourself if you have worn it in the past year, if it’s in good shape, and if it still fits and flatters your body. If the answer is no, it’s time to let it go whether that be in the trash or donated.

Step 2: Sort and organize

Now that everything is out, the next step is to sort and organize your clothes. Begin by grouping items into categories such as tops, bottoms, dresses, and outerwear. Then, take it a step further by organizing each category by color or type, for example, grouping all black tops or shorts together. Don’t forget to extend the same level of organization to your sleepwear, sorting them by type including shorts, pants, nightshirts, and sets. It’s also a great idea to separate your winter flannel pajamas from your lighter, cooler options to make them easier to find when the seasons change. By taking the time to properly sort and organize your clothes, you’ll create a super functional space.

Step 3: Purge

After you’ve sorted and organized your clothes, it’s time to purge. This can be a hard step if you have sentimental attachment to items but the bottom line is if it no longer fits or flatters you, is out of style, or you just don’t wear it, let it go. Be honest with yourself and don’t hang onto anything that is just going to continue taking up space.

Step 4: Re-hang, re-fold and rotate

Now it’s time to reorganize as well as rotate your clothes for the season, and that means it’s important to properly re-hang and re-fold before putting everything away. Use proper hangers that won’t damage the fabric or distort the shape of the garment and fold in a way that prevents too many wrinkles and creases from forming. If you have limited closet space, investing in storage solutions such as a hanging organizer or shelf dividers can help maximize your storage space.

Step 5: Say Goodbye

Lastly, don’t let your donated items become a permanent fixture in your home – take them to the donation center right away! Remember, out of sight, out of mind (and out of the closet)! If you wait too long to donate, you might end up digging through the bags (been there, done that) and having a change of heart about those old bell-bottoms.

Step 6: Reward yourself with New Spring Pajamas!

Happy Cleaning!

Hello Spring! It’s time to come out of hibernation.

There’s just something about spring that lifts our spirits as we say goodbye to gray winter days and hello to blooms, blossoms, and all things green. With longer days, warmer weather, and increased activity all around, our moods naturally improve and we look forward to what’s ahead.

While Mother Nature is doing her thing outside, it’s the perfect time for us to get a jump-start on the season and think about how we can also refresh. Here are some things you can do now to spring into spring.

Spring cleaning. On warmer days, open your windows and air out the house to get rid of that winter stuffiness. And once you have that old air out it’s time for a deep clean including behind the furniture and into all those cracks and crevices. It’s a lot of work but the outcome will give you that satisfying feeling of freshness and renewal.

Refresh yourself. Winter can be harsh on our skin and hair so consider getting a facial and a deep conditioning hair treatment. Spring is also the perfect time to try a new hairstyle. If all these things aren’t in your budget, give yourself a spa day at home. There are plenty of products you can purchase for much lower prices than what professionals charge that will give you close to the same results.

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Switch out your wardrobe. Put away those bulky sweaters, winter coats, hats, scarves, and mittens. It’s time to get out the fun florals and lightweight clothing and it’s always nice to add a few new items to your wardrobe. And don’t forget you need new spring pajamas too!

Car Detail

Get your car detailed. All the salt, sand, dirt, and other icky things that come with winter have taken up residence inside your car. Find a local business that does detailing on vehicles and give your car a little love. There’s nothing better than getting into a freshly detailed vehicle.

Don’t forget the pets. Your furry friend had a long winter as well and they would love a little pampering. A bath and a haircut (for long-haired animals) give them that spring in their step and they will be oh so thankful as the warm weather comes around.

Butterfly

Clean up outside. Your yard is likely full of things that weren’t there in the fall. Get the whole family together and make a game of cleaning it up. Try contests like whoever fills a bucket 1st, picks up the most sticks, or spots the 1st butterfly wins a prize. If you make yard clean-up fun, it will get done a lot faster.

Spring Walk

Take walks. When the weather is crummy we tend to just stay indoors and hide. With warmer days here, you have no excuses. Get out and walk. Enjoy the sun on your face, the fresh air in your lungs, and take in the transformations going on around you.

lawnmower

Prep outdoor needs. This is the best time to get a tune-up on your lawnmower, make sure your batteries are charged, the patio furniture is clean, and your barbecue grill is ready to go. It won’t be long till the weather is consistently beautiful so prepare in advance and you won’t be rushing around when you want to enjoy your backyard.

Plan Summer

Think ahead to summer. Even though we’re barely into spring, summer will be here before you know it so think about planning your vacations, kid’s activities, and other details for when school gets out now.
Do you have a routine that you follow when spring arrives? Share it with us below or tell our community on our Facebook page!

Spring Cleaning Could Earn You a Pretty Penny

Spring cleaning time is upon us again. It’s when we open the windows to air the house out, shake out the winter dust, and get rid of all that clutter. Spring cleaning typically means throwing away junk or putting some not-so-often used items into boxes to be brought to a charitable organization.

You might want to look into the value of some of these items before you simply discard them. Vintage is in, and people are willing to pay a pretty penny a piece of the past. Here is just a sampling of items you may have in your home right now that you don’t even know are worth anything.

Glasses

Themed Glasses. Peanuts, Flintstones, and other cartoon favorites were printed on glasses mainly as giveaways for many years. If you have some of these fun drinking glasses shoved in the back of a cabinet taking up space, you may want to put them up for sale. Here’s an example of what a lucky seller scored for their McDonald’s glasses.

Records

Vinyl Records. Believe it or not, people are going back to spinning records to listen to music.  The sound is warm and reminiscent of simpler times. Vinyl records have become a huge commodity, and depending on the condition of not only the record but also the sleeve, you can probably make some money on them. If you are lucky enough to own an early pressing or limited edition album, it could be worth thousands.

Costume Jewelry

Costume Jewelry. Do you have some of your mother’s or grandmother’s old costume jewelry lying around? Don’t just throw it away. Some of these pieces are very collectible and have even become a fashion trend again. Check out these recent costume jewelry sales.

Tupperware Containers

Vintage Tupperware. In the age of grab-and-go containers and throwaways, Tupperware is not as popular as it used to be. It’s pricey and takes up a lot of room. Nowadays however, vintage Tupperware is all the rage. People have come to realize that the quality these products offer cannot be found in today’s disposable plasticware.

Beauty Products

Discontinued Beauty Products. It happens all the time. You find a product you love and the company discontinues it. Have a bottle of shampoo you bought a while back that didn’t work with your hair type? There might be somebody out there looking for it. Recently a bar of face soap that was discontinued years ago was sold for big bucks.

Phones

Cell Phones. If they work, there are plenty of people willing to pay for them. If you have an old “brick phone” like you’d see in movies from the 80’s and 90’s, or the very first iPhone, they can be worth a bundle in the right market.

Costumes

Halloween Costumes. If you purchase new costumes for Halloween every year and then stick them away somewhere to gather dust, consider selling them. We all know that many times dressing up for that one day out of the year isn’t cheap. Why not recoup some of your money and giving someone else a deal at the same time?

Fine China

Fine China. Nowadays most people don’t break out the china for dinner parties or special family dinners. It’s likely taking up space in a box in the attic or basement. Depending on the manufacturer, certain sets of china can be worth some money. If you have a collection, take it to an appraiser who specializes in antiques.

cookbooks on shelf

Old Cookbooks. In today’s digital society we get our recipes off the internet and save them on a Pinterest board or something similar. If you have old cookbooks lying around,d check a couple ‘for sale’ sites and see what they bring. As an example, if you have a copy of Julia Child’s original cookbook published by Knopf in 1961 Mastering the Art of French Cooking, it’s worth hundreds of dollars.

VHS Tapes

VHS Tapes. Before Blu-rays and streaming, VHS tape is how we watched movies at home. Did you know that some of them are worth a lot of money? Take a look at your collection and do some research before just throwing them in a landfill.

What are you waiting for? Start digging through those boxes and bins that you stuffed away years ago. Extra money is fun and can buy you lots of new pajamas!  Good luck with your treasure hunt and happy selling

7 ways to get ready for spring

It’s almost time to put another winter behind us. Every day we’re seeing a little bit more daylight, the temperatures are starting to rise, and signs of spring are starting to pop up everywhere.  There’s something about the fresh start spring brings that just makes us feel so great!

When that first perfect day hits, you’re going to want to spend time outdoors enjoying the nice weather. With a little prep, you can ensure that you’ll need less time for work and more time for fun!banner daphne

Rotate clothing– We won’t need heavy sweaters or winter wear for much longer so start washing and storing the really wintry stuff now. At the same time, start pulling out your spring clothes so you don’t have to sift through your wardrobe to find the right outfit on that first 70-degree day. Don’t forget about your spring pajamas… lighter fabrics with floral prints are perfect for setting that spring mood.

January Seeds

Start thinking about your garden. Do you grow vegetables? Do you love having a yard full of flowers? With more people spending time at home, gardening has become a hot new hobby. This caused many greenhouses and nurseries to run out of stock early last spring and many people were unable to purchase plants. To make sure, that you have everything you want to grow this year, why not start seeds indoors? Empty cardboard eggshell cartons are a great way to keep your seeds separate and nurture them until you can plant them outside.

Skincare products

Springtime skin and hair care. Cold dry air in the winter requires a different skincare routine. We typically use heavier moisturizers, and a lot of people don’t use as much sunscreen during the winter months. As the humidity and UV levels rise, you’ll want something lighter with sunscreen. The same thing applies to your hair care routine. In the warmer months, you may not need a super-moisturizing shampoo or thick conditioner. Pick up what you’re going to need now so you’re not in the checkout line when you should be enjoying yourself.

Cleaning Blinds

Start thinking spring cleaning. De-cluttering and refreshing your home feels great! There’s nothing like opening your windows on a beautiful spring day and kicking the winter dust and stale air to the curb. Even if we’re not quite there yet, you can start the cleaning part now.  Go through closets & cupboards and start throwing things away. Pull out that furniture in low traffic rooms to vacuum and dust.  Then when that perfect window opening day comes, you can tackle the main parts of your home.

Furry Friend

Don’t forget about your Furry Friends. If you have pets, chances are they’ve got a full, thick winter coat right now. As the weather warms, they will start to lose that hair. You can be proactive now and make sure to brush and comb them regularly to start thinning that hair out, or you can wait and clean it up daily from your furniture, clothes, and floors. We recommend option A.

Pedi

Get a pedicure. It’s almost flip-flop season! Need we say more? Make sure those little piggies are ready to come out of hibernation by getting a pedicure now!

Exercise

Start exercising now. If your new year’s resolution to start exercising fell by the wayside in week 2, now’s the time for a resolution reboot. Short and tank top weather is knocking on the door and you want to look your best. Start exercising to shed that quarantine AND winter weight.

You’ll find this to be a great start. Happy spring! Bring on birds, blossoms, and tree buds.

At Home Spring Activities for the Whole Family

With the weather getting warmer and spring knocking on the back door, it’s time to brush off the winter dust and embrace spring. With what’s currently going on with the Corona Virus, some people are a little nervous about doing things that involve large groups of people, but still want to take in the warmer weather and embrace spring. We’ve got some great ideas on just how to do that without straying too far from home.

blog animals-avian-beaks-birdhouse-1156507Watch the Birds. During March and April, the bird migration season is in full swing. Hundreds of species that spend their winters in warm climates make their annual trips north to breed and spend their summers. They will be hungry from their long flights, so a great way to see a wide array of feathered friends is to set up bird feeding stations. Orioles, Hummingbirds, and songbirds all like different food, so make sure you have enough for everybody. Here is a great resource to learn about different feeding options and how to attract birds to your backyard. You might want to pick up a birders guide as well. The whole family can help identify your visitors and learn a lot along the way.

young-tomato-5808Plan a Garden. Nothing is better than veggies straight from the garden. Not only do they taste so much better than store-bought produce, but the satisfaction from planting, maintaining, and reaping the fruits of your labor are second to none. Sit down with the family and decide what you want to plant and who will be responsible for the various tasks like weeding and watering as the garden evolves. You can get your space ready and start seeds now so that when the weather is warm enough, you are ready to get planting. This website offers hundreds of tips and pointers for starting, planting and caring for your garden.

SM BearCheeks_IGDo Some Spring Cleaning. When the whole family gets involved, spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore. You can even do it in your pajamas! Turn on some fun music, assign everyone a task, and go to town. There’s a great chance that you’ll unearth some forgotten treasures and memories in the process. You can also teach kids lessons about giving back to others. Share with them that there are a lot of people who don’t have as much as they do, and how wonderful it can be to donate unused and unwanted items to people who can use them. Have fun with it, teach life lessons, and get organized all at the same time!

family-1454783_640Take a Walk. Ok, so technically this isn’t an ‘at home’ activity but there are likely places in, and around, your neighborhood where you don’t have to deal with crowds but can still get outside, enjoy the weather, get some exercise, and take in nature. Do an internet search for local hiking or walking trails, or large parks where you can be out in the open and enjoy the great outdoors without the crowds.

paint-1167786_640Create Outdoor Art. Brighten your outdoor living space with décor created by your family. There is so much you can do like painting rocks, making patio pavers, and creating flower planters. Look on Pinterest. You’ll find ideas that you never even thought of. And once you’re done, you’ll have one-of-a-kind outdoor artwork for the whole neighborhood to envy!

We’re confident that leaders will be able to control and eliminate the current health scare our country is facing. The most important thing to remember is to practice good hygiene and make wise decisions. If staying home to be safe is one of the things you choose to do, at least these ideas will help make it much more fun. Happy Spring!