Each year I get a bittersweet reminder of the meaning behind April Fools Day. This time of year really does trick you. One warm day has you thinking you're done with the cold and breaking out your swimsuits and sandles, and then bam! Another snow fall hits. One of my friends compared it to opening herself to love after a bad heartbreak. She keeps telling herself she won't be fooled again, but then she just falls back into the same bad habits.
I had a lot of fun with yesterday's April Fools Day joke - thanks for bearing with my love of the holiday. Each year I get a bittersweet reminder of the meaning behind April Fools Day. This time of year really does trick you. One warm day has you thinking you're done with the cold and breaking out your swimsuits and sandles, and then bam! Another snow fall hits. One of my friends compared it to opening herself to love after a bad heartbreak. She keeps telling herself she won't be fooled again, but then she just falls back into the same bad habits. Fortunately, there are signs that Spring as arrived even if the weather is really taking its time warming up. Like the weeping willows turning yellow. Did you know they did that this time of year? I just learned that nice little fact from my local ecology center. Other signs of early Spring I love: the blue skies, the break in the frigid temps that actually allow you to take your time outside, watching ice on rivers and lakes break up, hearing birds chirp again, seeing buds popping up, embracing the promise of growth and possibilities. When leaving the art museum over the weekend, my friend and I took our time walking back to our car - enjoying the view of Lake Michigan, the frozen lagoon, the red-winged black birds, the feeling of long awaited sunshine on our faces. It was glorious. And then 30 degree temperatures returned again. April fools!
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the first flowers of Spring
warmer weather for taking walks with Paul and the pups a Friday night spent at the Art Museum getting back into the swing of things at roller derby a kitchen full of seeds a live camera feed of three day old puppies spending time at one of my favorite churches feeling inspired for a new garden season getting our tax return (!!) planning our summer travel making progress on my March goals my husband who goes on dates with me to Costco, shares my love of March Madness, and is one of the most thoughtful peole I know Everybody, we did it. We made it through the epic winter 2014. Tomorrow is the first day of spring, and I don't care what the weather is, what it looks like outside, or how much snow is on the ground, it. will. be. spring. And I will be fully embracing that.
Since winter-esque weather doesn't always get the memo that its time is done for now, you might have to do a little extra to get in the spring frame of mind. Here's five tips for getting a jump start on spring when it still feels like winter. 1. Embrace bright colors: You don't have to wait for warm weather to add color to your wardrobe and your living space. In fact, if you wait for warm weather you might completely miss the chance to wear all your pretty pastel colored clothes (that happened to me last year). This time of year I still wear heavy pants and sweaters, but I usually only wear pastels or bright colors because I just can't take dark colors anymore. Switching out clothes, bed spreads, and painting my nails always helps me feel like I've got a new lease on life. 2. Plant something: Spring is all about new growth and new life. But sometimes that growth can be hard to see, especially when several inches of snow still cover the ground. Luckily you don't need warm weather to grow plants or seeds indoors. When I start getting antsy to start my garden in February and March, I order seeds and then immediately realize I'm already a few weeks late on starting my seeds indoors. It's the only time in spring when I want the warm weather to hold off a bit longer. And until everything starts sprouting, don't forget the beauty of grocery story tulips and flowers. They work wonders. 3. Spring cleaning: Have you had that moment on the first warm day of the season when you suddenly realize how disgusting your apartment/house has gotten over the winter? Maybe it's the increase in sunlight that helps me see all the dirt and salt that has accumulated all over my floors - and maybe that's why spring is associated with cleaning up and clearing out. This spring, I'm working on an Apartment Therapy home cure (that's been coming along verrrrry slowly), and I'm appreciating how having a nice living space can help distract me from whatever is happening outside. 4. Turn up the jams: Put away all your sad, slow winter albums (sorry Bon Iver), and put on some music that gets your toes tapping. I've got a Carla Bruni french singers Pandora station going right now that has the perfect touch of spring to it. I also love some good pop/dance music and anything that has the word spring or summer in the song or title. Good music does wonders for a dull mood. 5. Put together a spring/summer menu plan: Friends of mine created a binder that just included their go to meals, and I've been wanting to follow suit. In the height of summer, I'll sometimes waste the produce I was waiting all winter for simply because I can't think of what to do with it. It's lazy I know, but on a weekday night after derby or a long day at work I don't have any extra energy to menu plan....ugh. So why not use this time of year to dream about all the salads and stir fries and casseroles I can make when my favorite produce comes into season? It'll help me make the most of the crazy amounts of vegetables and herbs I want to grow this season. What helps you prepare for spring? |