Ozark Living

place you'd like to adapt, grow or change. Pick something to improve about yourself and set a time limit (spring, March-May), so it's not a daunting task. Personal change is difficult. If you cannot find a source, return to the idea of writing down things you are grateful for. at subtle mindset change, accompanied by seeing those positive words daily, will make a subconscious and noticeable effect on mood. Gratefulness does that. 5 Warmer Climes means Good Times - With the thermometer mercury rising, it means more times outdoors and also just more daylight in general. Heralding in the first day of spring, March 21 brings with it an extra hour and more time to spend outside in relatively comfortable temperatures. Activities should shi locale from indoors to outside. More time in sunlight increases Vitamin D intake and consequently, better moods and attitudes. Just think of the warm sunlight as a free vitamin that we all need to take –a cure for the winter blues. 6 Spring Clean & Declutter - I find cleaning and organizing, while daunting at times, endlessly rewarding. Going through drawers and piles of goods in closets and cabinets helps you rid your life of clutter and items you no longer use. Extra stuff becomes a burden to carry around, particularly between each move. I recommend cleaning and de-cluttering at least two times per year in the winter and spring, just to help simplify and downsize your life. e simplicity that comes with having open space, breathing room, and empty drawers (or less cluttered ones) gives great peace of mind. It also opens up room for new and better things to take their place. I like to turn all my hangers in the closet backwards at this time, once I've ridded my clothes of unnecessary and unworn pieces by taking them to the thri store for donation. Come winter if a clothing item still has a backwards hanger that means it wasn't worn all season and it's time to get rid of it. De-cluttering can be hard if things are nostalgic. Group collections and get rid of unneeded items. Allow yourself one junk space per room but not more than that. If you don't use it, get rid of it, and clean drawers as you go with a smell good scent to give what you've de-cluttered a new feel and aroma of accomplishment. 7 Picnics & BBQs - e return to the backyard and outdoor spaces means outdoor foods too. Grills get cleaned and spring menus involve blankets and patio chairs. Eating outdoors or alfresco is always such an enjoyment for me when I travel overseas. Why not bring it home and make a dinner to be had out of doors this spring, even if it just means cooking inside and taking the plates outside to eat under the stars? Enjoying the beauty of fresh air and nature while dining is a true treat, and accessible to all, not just European vacationers. 8 Earth Day & Easter - Both holidays represent outdoor activities and reverence. I fondly recall Easter Egg Hunts at Grandma's house and big hams with Mac & cheese for Easter Dinner. Gathering the family was something Easter had in store for me, plus my faith of all it meant on that special day. Earth Day, while less celebrated by many, could become a new family tradition of picking up trash around the neighborhood, having a picnic or watching a nature documentary like Our Planet to remind ourselves of the value of conservation and preservation of our delicate landscape. It's important to value and celebrate all we hold dear: our family, faith and home. 9 Establish a Spring Tradition - Spring may be a season many easily look over in anticipation of summer climes and holidays. But if we really value each moment in our life, it might be fun to find a new springtime tradition to commemorate annually so this time of year doesn't fly past. Perhaps it's a hike to look for waterfalls, an annual planting of flowers, or having a patio party complete with sangria and all your dearest friends to begin the season. 10 Springtime Self Care with all the new changes spring can bring it's important to ensure you're taking care of yourself in the transition. Stripping away the heavier foods and clothing of winter may mean a refocus on health care, by spending time exercising outside, taking walks in fresh air or perhaps going fishing. Make sure you make time for the quiet awakening that spring provides by doing relaxing things outdoors and also using the outdoor landscape as your new workout room. e simplicity enjoyed by truly noticing and reveling in each season cannot be underestimated. We live in northwest Arkansas, a rare locale with all four seasons to experience. Many folks around the country do not know what a true spring feels like: let's remember why we live here and how wonderful and blessed we are just by getting to enjoy spring in the Ozarks by actually doing it. Now at least you have 10 reasons why! OZArK liViNG • April 2022 • 17

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