Spring is the Season of New Beginnings.

Animals awaken from hibernation and the earth seems to come to life again. Warmer temperatures means the ground grows softer. Crocus plants can emerge and bloom, even while snow is still on the ground.  Farmers and gardeners plant new seeds.  Spring is literally RE-FRESHING.

Time to open up the windows and dive into spring cleaning. Thankfully, nature has provided us with all the necessary ingredients for spring cleaning without exposing ourselves, loved ones or fur babies to harsh detergents or toxins.

Lemon - High in citric acid, lemon juice one of the best natural cleaners due to its low pH and antibacterial properties. Lemons also smell great and aren’t likely to cause damage to materials around what you are cleaning such as fabric or wood. The list of things that can be cleaned by lemons is quite impressive.

White vinegar - The natural acidity in white vinegar makes it a great natural antifungal and antibacterial. In addition to being a fantastic non-toxic degreaser, it also eliminates soap scum that may develop from hard water and natural soap.  See all the versatile ways you can use vinegar to clean around the house here.

Baking soda - Not only is this is an effective deodorizer it's also an effective antiviral agent and surfactant that eliminates grease and grime. Here are 35 great uses for baking soda around the house.

Don't forget now is the perfect time to clean out the closets, medicine cabinets. and clean up eating habits and your finances. 

According to The Everygirl, there are seven questions you should ask yourself when cleaning out your closet. 

1. Does this fit?

2. Have I worn this in the last 12 months?

3. Is it likely I will ever wear this again?

4. Is this currently in style, and/or does this still accurately represent my style?

5. If this is damaged in any way (e.g., piling, rips, stains, missing buttons, broken zippers, fading, etc.), will I actually make the effort to get this repaired in the near future?

6. If I was shopping right now, would I buy this?

7. And most importantly: Do I feel confident when I wear this?

If you answer a firm "no" to any of the above, it’s time to say sayonara and decide whether to sell, donate, swap, or toss or upcycle the item.

How about 13 Upcycling Hacks to Organize Your Closet Like a Pro?  We think they ROCK!

About the medicine cabinet. Anything expired – chuck it! Most over the counter drugs have a few years, as compared to 1 year with most pharmaceuticals. Ineffective or half used medicines, don't bother keeping. If you took half an antibiotic and then your doctor switched you to a new one, there likely isn’t enough left to kick a future infection.  

Very important! Please don't flush them. Dispose of everything properly.  

This is a great time to do a little spring cleaning with your finances, too. Bankrate lists five areas where a little time and effort can make keeping up with your money easier and save you serious cash. 

And finally, it's the perfect time to clean up your eating habits. We all know that beauty starts with proper nutrition. Eating clean is a good way to refresh your eating habits: it’s about eating more of the best and healthiest options in each of the food groups and eating less of the not-so-healthy ones.

Shop the perimeter.  Picture your favorite grocery store. Chances are the fresh produce section, the meat and seafood departments, and the dairy case are all located around the perimeter of the store. This is where you should concentrate most of your shopping time. Why? Fresh foods are generally healthier than are the ready-to-eat foods found in the middle aisles. This helps you better control the fat and sodium and added sugar in your diet. 

Limit Processed Foods. Many processed foods are full of excess sodium, sugar and fat. An easy way to clean up your diet is to look at the ingredient list on packaged foods.

Bump Up Your Veggies. Fresh vegetables (organic preferred) are as clean as they come since they are unprocessed and come straight from the farm (just don’t forget to wash them before you eat them!). The recommended daily amount for most adults is 2½ to 3 cups.

Swap Out Saturated Fats (like those in butter, cheese and meat) in favor of healthy fats like olive oil, canola oil and the kind found in nuts and fatty fish.

Choose Whole Grains Whole grains include more nutrients than refined grains because the bran and germ are not removed. Look for the word “whole” with the first ingredient in breads and pastas. 

Up Your Fruit Intake Fruit nickname is “nature’s candy” because it’s naturally sweet and delicious. Fruit is also rich in potassium, which can help keep blood pressure in check, and vitamin C, which is important for a healthy immune system. And just like vegetables, fresh fruits are whole, unprocessed foods. Frozen, canned and dried fruit is minimally processed and can be a great clean-eating choice as well. 

New season - New you! Refreshed and ready to emerge and bloom!