Let's get right to it!

1. Wash bedding, blankets, bed skirts, & curtains

IMO, the best way to freshen up any bedroom is to wash the sheets. With three young kids and a farmer husband, we wash bedsheets fairly often anyway. But I can honestly tell you that our bed skirts and curtains don't get washed. I didn't even know you could wash curtains! When you do wash your curtains, be sure to read the care instructions. Don't learn that lesson the hard way... And then of course, wash your blankets. Anything you might have used in the car or shoved in a basket in your living room. Even if you haven't used them often, such as throws. A quick wash will freshen up their smell and color!

2. Swap out your winter wardrobe for spring & summer styles

You don't have to go on a shopping spree (although I'm totally down for some retail therapy). Depending on your closet space, this may look like putting all of your winter clothes on one side and your warmer weather clothes on the other. Personally, I like to take my winter clothes completely out of my closet and store them under my bed with this storage container from Walmart. But you could find something similar anywhere you buy storage options.

3. Open the windows

It truly is amazing what a little fresh air can do. If your house smells like "December" (i.e. dusty, musty, and maybe a little like a pine tree) then it's time to throw open your windows! And if you live in the Midwest like me, then your windows haven't been opened since October. So, this is a must-do for our spring refresh! (Could be a good time to wash the windows, as well.) It's also very windy where we live and that seems to calm down at night, and there's something about having your windows open a

t night that makes it feel a little more like summer.

4. Spring Maintenance

Up until this point, the rest of this list has been pretty fun. But here's the important, not-so-glamorous things to remember. You're going to want to check your smoke alarms, clean out your dryer vent, replace water/ furnace/ air filters, check pipes for leaks, and if you live in the land of snow - make sure your sump pump is in tip top shape! I like to enlist my husband (and sometimes my dad) for this step.

5. Decorate!

The last thing I do is get out my spring decorations! I am a minimalist, so this doesn't take long. But as I swap out my seasonal decorations, I'm able to dust all the surfaces in our home and it's a perfect time to reorganize my seasonal storage closet under the stairs. Who else has that one space you use to store all of your Christmas, Halloween, Easter, 4th of July, and Flag Day decorations?

And that's it! You're officially ready for Spring.

XO, Courtney

What else would you add to this list?