— by Janeen Lewis
Get Ready for
Spring!
4) Get ready for
sunbathing season.
Do beach towels need to be re-
placed? Are you out of sunscreen? May-
be your child needs a flotation device or
last year’s pool floats have sprung a leak.
Check to make sure everyone’s swim
suit fits. Make sure everyone has a pair
of sunglasses to protect eyes from harm-
ful rays. Make a list of all your needs
for lounging at the pool or going to the
waterpark or lake, and have a beach bag
ready to go in the car. Beach towels also
come in handy to have when you are
on an outing and an unexpected spring
shower douses the family.
10 Ways to Prep in the Rainy Season
I
t’s the time of the year when the
calendar says spring is arriving,
but warm weather hasn’t gotten
the memo yet. With cool temperatures,
downpours, and muddy yards, families
are still experiencing cabin fever. What
are some fun, productive ways they can
keep busy?
It’s a good time to get organized
for the busy spring months ahead, when
sports and outdoor activities will make it
hard to get anything done indoors. Here
are some ideas that will keep you from
going stir crazy and get you prepared
physically and mentally for spring.
1) Get ready to grill.
Feeling adventurous enough to
change things up at spring dinners and
family picnics? What about trying out
a new grill marinade or per-
fecting all the fixings
for a barbecue spread?
Experiment
now,
while you have time
to research the inter-
net for recipes. Spend
a day in the kitchen with a
grill pan and your kids and cre-
ate a new family food tradition
to share with extended fam-
ily and friends in the spring.
Give your creation a test run
by having an indoor picnic or
luau in your living room.
6 WNY Family March 2020
2) Do the spring
cleaning early.
Teach kids how to deep clean the
bathrooms and kitchen or use all the at-
tachments on the vacuum. Clean out the
fridge and self-clean the oven. On days
that aren’t too cold, open the windows
and air out the house. Hate scrubbing
walls and the baseboards? This is a good
time to enlist the entire family and knock
it out in a day. Organize all the closets,
pantry and laundry room — projects you
won’t have time for once the pool opens
and the park beckons. Have a contest to
see who has the most organized closet
or room.
3) Pack away winter gear.
If you can get away with wearing
light jackets, wash all the heavy
winter coats, replace any
buttons, and hang up coats
at the back of the closet
so they are ready to
go next winter. Do the
same with winter clothes
and gear, but reserve a few
items in case the weather takes
a dip. Take outgrown items to a
donation center or consignment
store. Take an inventory of what
your kids need for spring and
shop early.
5) Be bike ready.
Replace any broken parts, pump up
low tires, adjust seat heights, get helmets
ready, and don’t forget to make sure kids
haven’t outgrown bikes. If you realize a
bike needs to be replaced, you’ll have
time to do consumer and safety research
and get the best bargain.
6) Have a foot spa party!
Get all those sun-loving “soles”
sandal ready. Buy or make your own
foot scrubs. Soak your feet and then file,
massage, and use foot lotion on them.
Try out a new spring nail polish. When
you’re done, go shopping for new flip
flops or slides to wear to the beach and
pool during warmer weather.
7) Plan and design
a garden.
Discuss what plants you want to put
in your family garden. Let kids design
and sketch the layout. Shop online for
the best deals on tools, gloves, planters,
and seeds. Check out your planting zone
and start your seedlings indoors so they
will be ready to go when outdoor plant-
ing season arrives.