Spring Cleaning came late this year, it just seemed like winter would never end.  But one of the effects of losing a bit of weight is that the closet needs to be purged, a good problem to have, isn’t it?  I went into how I do this in more detail in a previous post – What’s In Your Closet?  On the clean out day, I took about four hours to try on most of my clothes, and make a critical assessment of each one.  The bolero shrugs had to go, past their prime and out of style now.  Several pairs of pants are now too baggy to keep.  The good news, two pairs of pants that I couldn’t get into before now fit well, whoohoo!!  Things that fit, were clean and in good shape were hung back in the closet. When I was done, I had four piles – keep with modification (laying on the bench – some things need repairs like a zipper coming loose, or taking in), keep but needs washing in the basket, donate in the bag and trash.

Flipping the closet, I have the summer colors out now and the winter ones put on the other side covered up to protect from dust.  It also means I have ‘new’ things to wear twice a year.  The tops are sorted by sleeve length, with spring/summer sweaters and light jackets on the right.  I cleaned all my shoes and bags with leather wipes, stored away the rust and brown, and got out the sandals and light color purses.  The light breeze  coming in from the open window airs out the closet.

Another clean out I did 2 years ago was organizing my recipes into photo albums.  See that at Getting Organized Saving Recipes.  I had a few more to add now, so got that done too.

Then, I attacked my spice cabinet.  It is amazing how long something can be kept and ignored, taking up valuable space!  I looked at each item, determining if I was using it or not.  Really old things just don’t have the flavor they should, and should be thrown out.  Why do I have two containers of Allspice?  The old one needs to go.

I found things in there I haven’t used in so many years!! The gumbo filé had a sticker on it for 63-cents! It must be 20+ years old.  The thyme container was almost empty and a more recent one was still on the shelf.  I don’t use mustard powder, why I have it I have no idea.  It was so old that it didn’t have an expiration date!  Plus, I know it moved here with us, as there isn’t a Kroger store within a 100 miles of here.

I haven’t used bullion cubes in more years than I can count.  These things are awful, full of salt (note that it is the first ingredient!) and not much flavor.  I went to low-sodium canned broth so long ago I cannot even remember how long.  But to give you an idea, this label doesn’t even show the sodium content!  That means this has been in my cabinet since before 1990, which is when the FDA made nutrition labels include sodium.  Mercy!

Seeing the age of these things, I am going to get to the medicine cabinet next.  Last time I did that there were several expired over the counter things that needed to be thrown out.  I’ll take them to the next drug take-back day here so they can be disposed of by incinerating, not flushed or put into the landfill.  I am sure this bluebird appreciates the care of our environment.

As I was rearranging things in the kitchen a bit, I noticed something fun.  And it gave me an idea for a tablescape. But, my grandmother’s silverplate service which was perfect with its floral design was in sad shape, and desperately needed a polish. I know there are more than a few who are afraid of polishing silverware, but truly, it is easy and not as much work as you might think. Using a good silver polish, like Wrights Silver Cream, makes the job a snap. Please don’t use things like Tarn-x on your good silver, it removes some of the metal to get its job done.

I half fill my farmhouse sink with warm water, and put the tarnished silver on the left.

Just wipe a wet sponge over the cream in the jar to get some on the sponge, then wipe off the tarnish.  It works as long as there are suds, so you can get a number of pieces done at once.  When the suds are used up, just wipe the sponge over the cream again, and keep going.

Yes, it really is that easy. I hold two pieces of the silverware at once, wipe the fronts and backs, then drop them back in the water on the right. Just look at the difference in these spoons. I didn’t have to scrub, just simple wiping works.

When all the pieces are clean, drain the water and use the veggie sprayer to rinse them.  I then pick up the pieces two at a time and make sure they are completely rinsed under running water.

Spread them out on a towel, and use a second towel to dry thoroughly.

Less than half an hour later, and all are back in the case, sparkling clean.

Beginning today, I am going to take a short break from blogging for two weeks. I just want you all to know so you won’t wonder. Yes, I have scheduled the Square Dance mystery clue for next Friday, so you will have it on schedule. But that will be the only post until May 27th. During this time, I won’t be answering any comments, but rest assured I will read every one when I get back. Please don’t worry, I’m fine and healthy, I just need to be away from the computer for a bit.

Have fun with your gardening and quilting, and maybe a bit of Spring Cleaning, and I’ll have some fun things to post about when I get back.  In the meantime, please check out some of the great sales going on at my affiliate links.  I appreciate all the clicks!!

Fat Quarter Shop’s Basic of the Month is 20% off Pat Bravo Basics!
If you’ve ever wanted to do affiliate links on your blog, Check out ShareASale.
Did you know, Amazon has an Outlet Store with huge bargains.  Get your leather wipes and Wrights Silver Cream while you are there.

Happy Spring!