Fresh Starts for Spring

Simple, minimal-expense ideas (other than the basic spring-cleaning) for some fresh-starts this spring:

Home:
- buy or make some new dish towels. take the grubbiest of the old ones and repurpose them as rags or craft supplies.
- change out the photos in some of your frames around the house, and/or re-arrange where they are.
- put a comfy chair and a throw blanked near a window. take at least 5 minutes a day to just sit and look out.

Body:
- add one small positive thing to your daily routine, like a walk, a vitamin, or flossing.
- take away one small negative thing, like staying up too late or too much coffee.
- make an appointment for a check-up if you have been putting it off (like me).

Mind:
- put a small notebook and pencil near your bed. every morning when you wake up, write 5 words about anything: how you feel, how you want your day to go, what you dreamed, etc. every evening, write another 5 words: what you want off your chest before you sleep, things you're grateful for, hopes and dreams, etc.
- think of someone in your life that you admire and appreciate, and find a way to tell them so.
- read something new: a book, a blog, or a magazine that is different from what you would normally read.

Children:
- find a child (any child you know, not just the ones related to you) and tell them something about them that you are grateful for. do this often.
- ask a child to tell you a story about what spring is, and listen attentively.
- spend time outside with children observing birds, leaves, seeds, mud puddles, and other spring changes.