The longer days and warmer weather often trigger people to get in to their spring cleaning and chores. With extra hands around the house, it seems like the next few weeks might just be the perfect time to get a head start on cleaning and home maintenance chores. If you run out of Netflix shows, crafts to do and books to read, here are a few ideas that will help pass some time and prepare your house for the spring.
OUTSIDE
Check all of your gutters and downspouts and make sure they are doing their job and ready for the rainy season. If you can’t safely access your gutters, consider hiring someone to do the clean out for you. Better yet, get some good quality gutter guards installed so you don’t need to do it every spring. Check your eaves and downspout connections, ensure they extending to the ground and then a good six feet away from the foundation. You can buy a flexible extension attachment if needed but getting this water away from your house can be the difference between a wet and dry basement.
If you have access to your window wells, make sure they aren’t filled up leaves and other debris and are ready to drain water away from the windows.
Have the kids rake out your garden beds and lawns. Even before the flowers start popping up, a clean garden looks fresher than one filled with dead leaves like mine currently does.
INSIDE
Pull out your furnace filter and change it if needed. We try and change ours every three months and it’s amazing how much more efficient the furnace is with a clean filter.
Kids can easily clean the windows from indoors. Have them make a 50/50 vinegar-water solution and let them scrub away.
Check your fire, smoke and CO2 detectors. Replace batteries and have kids dust them off so they are in prime working order.
Pull up your vent covers and have your kids vacuum the registers out.
It’s not a lot, but it’s a start. Having the not fun jobs out of the way means that the first day it’s warm enough, we can pull out our patio furniture and enjoy!
SHOUT OUT TO MAI BISTRO
photo cred: @mai.bistro
We’ve been fans of this Asian-Latin fusion restaurant for years but this week they officially became our fav. Mai Bistro is my Aunt J’s go-to spot for lunches, family gatherings and celebrations. This week, she had a reservation but had to cancel because she wasn’t feeling well. Yesterday, the owner / chef sent over a delicious Thai chicken soup to her house for her to enjoy. Thank-you Manh Nguyen, for reminding us what community means. If you are looking for a restaurant in the Dundas/Islington area and haven’t tried Mai Bistro don’t hesitate. From sharing flavourful tapas to ending with Japanese cheesecake this Asian-Latin fusion bistro has something for everyone. Supporting local businesses is more important now than ever. Order takeout, buy a gift certificate to redeem a later date, or go by for a delicious hot meal during off peak hours.
Hope everyone has a good week. Keep smiling!
