You don't realize how bad it was until it's fixed

And a printable, seasonal home maintenance checklist

This weekend I worked on spring cleaning and spring sprucing up. The warmer weather has drawn me to outside projects and although I find outdoor projects much more satisfying than the indoor counterparts, I couldn’t help but thinking: “Do I really need to do this? Are these small projects even worth my time? I have so many more things to do.” If I’m honest, I also thought, “I don’t see my neighbors doing this!”

I struggled through it. I struggled through the power-washing, the painting and the cleaning up. I gritted my teeth and reminded myself that I’m lucky to have a house at all. I took a picture to document my work because if it was interesting-ish, I’d show it on the ‘gram and if not, at least I had it for my own documentation.

My firewood holder before & after spray painting.

When I put the paintbrush down and after I put away my tools, it was shocking. Something that I thought looked “fine” in the before pictures, admittedly a little faded, but still nice from a distance became downright shoddy to its “after” counterpart.

In life we get used to things, even if those things are bad. We get used to our cluttered homes, our creaky joints, our horrible commute and general sense of malaise until we do something to shake things up. Maybe we go on vacation, participate in daily walks, get a new job or start anti-depressants.

Sometimes we don’t realize how bad things are until it’s fixed.

The roof to my greenhouse before and after power washing.

This week I want to challenge you to look around and “fix” something. It doesn’t have to be revolutionary. It could be that you clean your stove. It could be that you wash your windows. And if you feel like you aren’t accomplishing much, I encourage you take a before and after picture. The results may surprise you.

If you need some ideas, I’ve included a downloadable, printable Home Maintenance checklist for paid subscribers (below). This checklist includes things you should do each spring, summer and fall to keep your home in good condition.

Hope springs eternal,
Melanie