Spring Equinox and Celebrating Spring

Our Holiday Journey

March 20th marks the Spring Equinox and the official beginning of Spring. It's a good time of the year, with the difficult challenges of winter behind us (for the most part).

One of the things I have been doing to celebrate Spring since the beginning of the March is the 40 bags in 40 days challenge. The goal is to discard one bag per day during Lent (which started on March 1st).

I wrote two posts about the challenge so far: March 1-7 and March 8-15. This is helping to create a sense of order and restore the balance of our home which I am enjoying.

Doing a deep cleaning of each area of the home and continuing to get rid of clutter will be an ongoing process this year. I'm eager to see the end result in December.

Other things ones I plan to begin starting the first day of Spring (today...March 20th) inspired by the list at Rhythms of Play:

- Get Outside & Connect. Now that it is warmer and wildlife is more active, it's a  good time to look for new life and wildlife that is migrating back north.

Rhythms of Play suggested these great ideas too: "Watch the sunrise and/or sunset, go for a walk in the park, take a bike ride, lay in the grass, or take a hike. As you do so, observe all the new life beginning around you."

Flower in Louisiana on

March 20, 2015.

- Plant New Life. We have to wait a bit longer to do this since the ground is still frozen. Next month, we'll be able to add some cold-weather annuals for brightening up the yard. In May, we'll be able to plant our gardens.

Starting new African violet plants.

March 20, 2016.

- Bring Spring into your Home. Rhythms of Play suggested picking or purchasing a bouquet of spring flowers. We have tried to put vases of flowers around the home, but the cats like to eat the flowers. Potentially they can knock over the vases and then I have to clean up broken glass.

This year, I'd like to figure out a way to hang vases on the wall or put them up in places that cats can't reach.

The other suggestion that Rhythms of Play had was to refresh and renew your home and body with essential oils. I've been doing through March by creating new blends using a variety of essential oils. I put these in our diffusers as well as use some in the bath water or on my skin.

- Prepare a Spring Feast. I have some recipes for egg casseroles to try in March and April. Olivia has a couple of different types of breads she needs to make in her Five in a Row Cookbook. There's not a lot of seasonal local produce yet, but in June (when our CSA begins distributing food again), we'll have a weekly box of fresh produce. I can't wait!

Making onion rings to go with the chicken pot pie.

March 20, 2012.

- Have a Bonfire. We have a brush pile that's quite substantial in size in the backyard. I want to burn it because if we don't, the birds and rabbits will nest in it and then we aren't able to burn it until Fall. I'd like to - once it is burned - to re-seed around the area and then have a smaller campfire area that we can enjoy during the summer and fall.

- Enjoy Spring Arts and Crafts; and Decorate the Home. There are some ideas on Pinterest that I've posted on my Easter board that I'd like to do. I also want to make some more window stars in new patterns in pastel shades.

Window star that I made.

March 20, 2014.

- Begin Something New - Like Learning Yoga and Start Riding My Bike. With nicer weather and no mosquitoes, there's no reason not to get outside and enjoy nature. Yoga I need to learn on my own watching videos that I have. The nearest yoga studio is 11 miles away (each way...or 22 miles total)...a bit too far to travel for each class.

Olivia feeding a goat for the first time.

A picture taken on March 18, 2010...

as close to the Spring Equinox I could find.

- Establish a Daily Rhythm. This is something that I just wrote about the other day. According to Rhythms of Play, "Establishing a rhythm will help you get organized and provide a framework for your day. It increases your ability to stay focused and get things done. Children also thrive on rhythms in the home."

Shadow and Meenie resting together.

March 19, 2011.

(The closest picture to March 20th that

I could find in 2011.)

As I look back on raising Sophia and Olivia, having a predictable rhythm of the day was beneficial.

Setting up the leprechaun trap

on March 16, 2013.

(The closest picture to March 20th that

I could find in 2013.)

For the most part, we still have an over-arching rhythm of the day. However, there is more variation in what each day holds - in and out of the home - than when they were younger.

Chocolate candy in a fish shape.

March 20, 2009.

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year...and being able to celebrate it in different ways is a great way for me to get the most out of this beautiful season.