Camp Creek Press

Is spring cleaning still a thing?

I clean in the winter. Mostly because in the spring (and summer) (and fall), I have better things to do than clean. Also because in the winter I'm trapped inside with what needs to be cleaned. And organized. And dispatched.

I donated eight bags of clothing yesterday. Am I the only one who can't keep up with how fast the kids outgrow their things? Any attempts to keep hand-me-downs from the older one seem to fail miserably. For one thing, the younger one (three years younger!) often laps his brother, managing to be a half-size larger than his brother was the year before. If something would actually fit, then it manages to disappear until just outgrown.

I have no "resolves" as the boys call them, but I am determined not to buy new bins. Every urge to clean and organize seems to come hand-in-hand with a desire for new bins.

The bins and bags of saved t-shirts that were meant to be turned into t-shirt quilts are being cut into quilt squares and rags, which will create a whole new space in my closet. Halfway through this project, I realized that I should be making this quilt for myself, as I am the one who is nostalgic and weepy over these bits of stained cotton, and the boys are merely embarrassed.

It is very satisfying to cut the piles of shirts into usable scraps and discard the "bones". While sifting and sorting, Jack became inspired to make a gift for a new baby friend. A design was sketched, and fabrics chosen. This is one reason why all my sewing projects move forward so slowly. I can't touch the machine without a child materializing with a fistful of material and a big plan.

But I'm not complaining.