Guess what, I got it from my Momma! In my family, my mom is known as a super cleaner. We joke that she “loves” to clean, when in actuality she just loves a clean space. Now, however, all my sisters and I know exactly what she meant all those years. Having a clean home seriously makes any bad day feel better.
 
The fresh scents, clean counters, and neatly organized drawers makes things easier to find, take stock of and just overall keeps me smiling. I need to look into the psychological effects of a clean space because I swear, there is something to it.
 
But the counters and toilets are not the only things you should be cleaning. Try incorporate the 8 things below into your cleaning routine. These ones don’t have to be weekly cleanings, but things you should do every 1-2 months to keep even the darkest corners feeling fresh.
 

1. Light switches – We touch these probably more than door knobs so keeping these fresh keeps the germs at bay, sticky free from any dirty hands that touch them, and your walls looking fresh.
2. Base boards – This is like a dust collection monster or a shoe scuff’s favorite spot. A magic eraser sponge does wonders here. 
3. Drawer/Cabinet crumbs – No matter how much I try to keep things in organized tupperwares or their sealed packages, there always seem to be crumbs, especially in the junk drawer. So every time you clean, try to dump out one drawer or cabinet and wipe it down. And then overtime, you’ll keep those crumbs under control.
4. Dishwasher filter – I always forget about this one and then wonder why my dishes aren’t looking as clean. The first thing my mom says, “did you clean the filter” and every time, that is the reason. One day, I’ll remember, and now all of you can too :-)
5. Kitchen cabinet faces – Whether it’s a little cooking grease that accumulates or dirty hands hitting them as they pull the drawer open, these can sometimes start to look a little sad. Taking a quick spray and wipe down makes your kitchen stand out even more.
6. Door knobs – Seriously, we touch these all the time and so does everyone else that comes to our home..
7. Fans – Dust accumulates up there, especially during summer months when our doors and windows are open more.  Wipe them down with a damp cloth and keep a bag nearby to wipe the dust into so it doesn't fall on the floor or your furniture. 
8. Under the bed – turn your mattress while you are at it. To keep your mattress lasting longer, you should actually rotate it often so that you don’t end up with too deep of indents on any particular side. So, while you lift the bed to get all those dust bunnies, take a mattress rotation too. 

How often do you guys clean these spots? Any other nooks and crannies that need some extra love and attention on your list? I'd love to hear them in the comments!

When it comes to holidays, my mom has always been the BEST decorator, cook and activity planner. She has done Easter egg hunts for us every single year (yup even as adults and even if we are on a family trip. One year she hid the eggs in the hotel room while we are at breakfast and we had the best time searching all the new hiding places).

Needless to say, I've picked up a few tips from her to make the best hunt possible. 

My mom would leave a little basket with a few socks, chocolates, and knick knack treats outside our door so that when we woke up in the morning, we had a sweet surprise and could also use the basket for the hunt that was soon to ensue. Whether bucket or basket, picking out one that can add great decor to a room after the fact is an added bonus!

First it's best to start with a good number of eggs, enough for each person in the group to be able to find at least 4-6. Once you have all your eggs packed with your favorite candy (we love Starburst Jelly Beans and Cadbury Mini Eggs) count the final number of eggs that you end up hiding. This way, once everyone thinks they are all done, you can know for sure and that way you don't find a less than fresh egg in October.

My sisters and I can be a bit ruthless when it comes to Easter egg hunts (what can we say, it's just tradition). We scurry all over the house trying to beat each other to the best hiding spots. My mom always would hide a few in plain site, like against the hallway baseboards, near the front door window, or next to a vase. However, she would also hide just a few in really tricky places like behind picture frames, in between couch cushions, and inside drawers. This was the perfect balance for excitement and problem solving to try and figure out where the last egg ended up. 

Our family tradition has always been eggs and bacon (with either toast or biscuits) cooked by my dad and hot cross buns that one of our close family friends always hand delivers on Easter morning. This was great for two reasons, first, after scouring the house for candy, it's easy to want to start eating it, especially when we were kids, but having a nutrient rich meal at the ready made it easy to say no to candy until a more reasonable hour. Second, it created a special moment to sit and eat together, having time to laugh, talk and enjoy our family time. 

Traditions have always been such a special part of my upbringing and I hope that you got some great ideas. What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Jessica

In our house the phrase "clean eating" has two meanings, how/where we eat and what we eat. 

Do you ever notice that when your life starts getting a little busier or more stressful your eating habits start to decline and then consequently the piles of mail and uncleaned crumbs start to increase on the kitchen counter? Whenever this starts to happen for me, I have a quick trick to get back in the swing of things...clean the kitchen. 

It may sound like just one more thing you don't have time for, but with just thirty to ninety minutes of organizing and prep, it can turn your unhealthy habits around. 

One of the reasons I love home decor and design is because how you feel in your home and in your space can impact your mental state. If things start to get out of order in your home, you will surely start to feel that same stress and disorder in the rest of your life. The same is true for the opposite, stress from work, kids and relationships can cause us to break some of our better habits. So just like New Year's resolutions, I have found that a quick power hour of cleaning or organizing can get my mind in the right place for positive and productive focus. 

The best way I have found to fuel my healthy routine in times of stress is:

What is the 1 & 1? You know the "junk drawer" in your kitchen, thats one. The other is the pantry. No matter how many times I clean these two places, they always find a way to get a little bit "higgly piggly" as my mom always says. Each one should only take 15-30 minutes each to clean depending on how big they are, but be RUTHLESS in your cleaning. It may be hard at first, but trust me it's worth it in the long run of feeling good in your space. 

For the pantry:

• Check expiration dates and see what you can donate. (If you haven't eaten it in five years...are you going to?) 
• Place items back in the pantry by "type" I like to put pastas near pasta sauces and cereal near granola boxes. If you have enough space, try using bins and labels to keep things together and organized. (Major inspo here from Brighton Keller). 

For the junk drawer: 

• Ask the question, "should this go somewhere else?" I find that sometimes things that have another home end up in the junk drawer for who knows what reason. So first up is put things in their rightful homes. 
• Second, keep it to one layer. The reason these drawers become junk drawers is because we don't know what the heck is in them. So as you purge this drawer, try get it to a point where you can see everything in it the moment you open it. This way you a) .know what's in it and b) only keep the super important things that make the cut there. 

The best way to eat healthy, is to have the essential items easily at hand. I've found keeping my olive oil and stir spoons right on the counter in a decorative way does two things. 

• Makes it easy to grab them when you are sautéing (one of my favorite ways to cook up healthy meals with tons of veggies and ground turkey or cubed chicken).
• Adds unique dimension to your kitchen. I had some old candle holders that never got used and they now hold my oil and vinegar bottles. Looks great, is functional, and keeps them in a quick and easy spot. (win, win, win!). 

Once you've got a little organizing done, grab you keys and head to the grocery store. (If you have time, give your fridge a nice cleaning first). It's much easier to eat healthy, when you are excited about what is in your fridge. Here is my go-to list for re-inspiring the clean eating train. 

• Spinach (I love eating it raw in a salad or steamed. Takes almost no time to cook and has tons of nutrients). 
• Yogurt (My favorite is plain, whole milk yogurt. I love it for protein rich breakfast with cereal or granola and then also use it as a substitute for cream in more saucy dishes). 
• Fruit and Veggie snacks (carrots cucumber, apple slices, oranges or celery, they are great to have on hand as an easy grab and go when you are busy and also pair well with peanut or almond butter for some added protein.)
• Pick a healthy treat (Life is all about balance right. I like to have one little sweet treat after dinner but to keep it healthy, I stick to either low quantity a.k.a. a tiny piece of something decadent or low impact like Halo Top ice cream or fresh strawberries with a light drizzle of chocolate sauce. 
• Flowers (They may not be edible, but they definitely help make your space brighter and draw you in to spend time enjoying where you are. While what you eat fuels your body, where you are fuels your mind.)

The craziness of life isn't always in our control, but for me a little organization can help bring my mind and motivation to the right place for other healthy habits. Clean space = clean eating :-) and if you need a little motivation while getting your clean on, check out my Spring Cleaning playlist. I hope the tips help and if you have questions or ideas I may be missing, I'd love to see them in the comments.