The cold, dark days of winter are behind us. Here are 10 ways to celebrate the return of spring.

Hello and welcome! Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite ways to celebrate spring!

Spring is my second favorite season of the year (Autumn is #1).

I find it so magical to watch the nature be reborn. It is so exciting to go outside and see the animals and plants come out to welcome the return of the sun.

Take a Spring Hike or Walk

Head out to your local forest or park to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

While you are out don’t forget to look for signs of spring:

• Birds are chirping and flying around.
• Robins are a sure sign spring is upon us.
• Woodpeckers will be drumming away.
• Migratory birds, like ducks and geese, are beginning to return.
• Early spring flowers include crocuses, daffodils, snowdrops, and bluebells are blooming.
• Trees and bushes will start to grow buds.
• The smell of spring. Early spring smells of wet, musty earth; decaying leaves, and the muddy top layer of soil that has start thawing.

Do Some Spring Cleaning

Cleaning is not fun to everyone and it can become quite a chore. However, once it finally starts to get warm it can be good to get all of the winter grime cleaned up.

Some spring cleaning ideas:

• Wash your car to get road dirt and rock salt off
• Wash your house windows
• Take rugs and doormats outside and beat them to get the dirt off
• Do a thorough mopping to clean up any leftover rock salt off your floors
• Dust furniture

Plan this Years Gardening

Once March rolls around I start researching and planning any flowers or crops I am going to plant for the upcoming year.

Since I live in a suburban apartment, my planting options are limited to container gardening so I typically grow tomatoes and peppers.

Additonally, I like to do some container flower arrangements for the front porch.

I great resource to learn more about planting seasonally is the farmers’ almanac. The farmers’ almanac has many guides on what you should be doing each week.

Cook with Seasonal Foods

One of my favorite parts about the return of spring is that farmers markets will be opening soon!

For anyone else who lives in Pennsylvania, early spring means nettles, mint, morels and other mushrooms are coming in season.

I try to buy local, in season foods because they taste so much better then anything you can get in a grocery store.

You can also forage foods, but more on that later.

If you don’t know what foods are season in your area and you live in the USA you can go to this website, select your state, month and it will give you a list of items in season.

Bake a Seasonal Treat

Food is a common way humans have celebrated the changing of seasons for thousands of years.

This year I hope to bake hot cross buns as it has been on my spring bucket list for two years now!

Some other spring treats you can bake:

• Lemon Pound Cake or Quick Bread
• Carrot Cake
• Berry Scones
• Custard Pie

Go Foraging

During your spring forest walk you can also forage for wild plants.

Edible and medicinal plants vary by region, but in Pennsylvania spring plants for foraging can include:

• Dandelions. Yes, that is right! The common weed is edible!
• Fiddlehead ferns
• Nettles (Dead/Purple Nettle and Stinging Nettle)
• Wild garlic
• Chickweed
• Wild Violets
• Garlic Mustard
• Plantain
• Red Clover

I do want to err on the side of caution when it comes to foraging. It is extremely important that you correctly identify plants, ethically collect plants, collect plants in an area without pollution, and collect in an area that you have permission to collect in. I HIGHLY recommend that you do research on foraging before going out to pick plants. There are many resources online.

Enjoy the warmth of the sun

If there is one only thing you do to celebrate the return of spring, this is it!

Get out there and feel the warmth of the sun on your bare skin, listen to the birds’ chirp and smell the season!

Even just taking 5 minutes of your day to step outside and take a moment to recognize the change in the earth is a magical way to celebrate the return of spring.

Read a Spring Themed Book or Poetry

This spring, I decided to start reading the Anne of Green Gables series.

This classic novel is whimsical, dreamy, and felt like a perfect spring read!

The story is set on a farm on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the author perfectly captures the seasons within the personality of Anne.

Two other books that I considered and may still read this spring are The Botanists Daughter by Kayte Nunn and The Language of Spring: Poems for the Season of Renewal.

“Everything is made new in the spring. Springs themselves are always so new, too. No spring is ever just like any other spring. It always has something of its own to be its peculiar sweetness.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

Create a Spring Capsule Wardrobe

Don’t get me wrong, I love sweaters but once the spring comes around I am ready to trade in sweaters and coats for skirts and dresses.

I go over my wardrobe seasonally to make any changes or updates.

This year the number 1 item I want to thrift is a denim/chambray button-down flowy skirt.

I am leaning toward vintage, cottagecore vibes lately and I think this one item can make tons of different outfits.

Bring Fresh Flowers Into Your Home

As soon as tulips and daffodils are available at my local grocery store or florist I make sure to get some!

The best thing about daffodils and tulips is that after they bloom in the pots you store the bulbs over the summer and replant the bulbs outside. With the right care, they will return year after year!

Final Thoughts on Ways to Celebrate Spring

Thank you for reading the 10 ways to celebrate the return of spring!

I hope you are able to take advantage of this wondrous time of the year and live in the season and the moment.

Let me know in the comments below how you celebrate.

Until next time,

Rachel

PS. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST CLICK HERE TO READ MY OTHER SEASONAL LIVING POSTS.