Finally spring weather has made it’s appearance in Rochester!! After a very long year of physically distancing to combat the pandemic, it is not surprising that many have grown fatigued and just want to life to return to normal again. We are hopeful that it won’t be much longer! But for those rainy spring days when you’re feeling restless or bored inside, try some of these ideas that help green your lifestyle and even make you feel a little bit better about being stuck at home.
Spring cleaning!
Spend some productive time cleaning out your living space. I like to start with one task at a time with breaks in between. When deciding whether or not to keep an item, keep this question in mind: Can I use this for something else? For example, instead of recycling old pasta sauce jars, keep them for storage or for grocery shopping! This way, you are getting rid of things you don’t need, but also repurposing items that can still be used. Not only is this rewarding in terms of getting something done, you will feel a whole lot cozier in your de-cluttered space.
Get crafty with your reusable items!
After spending some time cleaning, repurpose the old items that can be reused. You can make this pretty fun by painting old jars, making a T-Shirt into a tote bag, making art out of broken or old items. The possibilities are endless and creating something always improves my mood.
Here are some ideas of items that can be repurposed!
- A ketchup bottle into a pancake squirting bottle
- An old tissue box can be made into a plastic bag dispenser (for those old plastic bags that take up so much room in your cupboards!)
- An old bulletin or cork board → jewelry organizer
- Old utensils can be bent into wall hooks
- An old hanging shoe rack can be used to organize anything in your pantry, from household cleaners to food!
- Glass jars can be used for food storage
- Rain boots or jars can be used as pots for plants!
- Storage bins and baskets can be used for sorting your recycling
The key is to be creative! You could come up with hundreds of ways to reuse your old household items if you just think a little bit outside the box.
Make Lists
Spend some time sitting down and really thinking about how you want to be sustainable or what areas in your life could use improvement. Then, come up with ideas of how you can reach your new goal! If you want to cut down on food waste for example, think of what items you buy but do not end up being used or search for recipes that can use food scraps.
Start Growing Your Own Plants
Spring is the perfect time to begin growing your own plants! There are tons of resources online that help beginners understand what they need to begin a garden, including different ways to garden if you lack the ideal large space in your yard. If you start with herbs, like basil and parsley, you will see results in 2-3 weeks! If you lack any materials for a garden, you can start by growing sprouts- all you need is a glass mason jar and seeds!
These activities can keep you busy while we all practice social distancing and can make your home more sustainable by keeping things out of the landfills!
Written by Olivia Giovannini-Dolan, Class of 2020
Photo Credit: pixabay.com