This Is How We Do Spring Cleaning

Miriam Gee

I always joke around with my girls (and sometimes I’m for real) that I’m going to organize cupboards on the weekends or in a spare moment. I say this because I get such a sense of satisfaction and achievement when my environment is organized. It feels better and more comfortable, and I feel more relaxed.

When I know where everything is and where everything goes, getting ready, doing my skincare routine, or cooking in the kitchen is so much more seamless and effective. When my home is organized, it makes me feel calm, and also ready for family and friends to come over. I always want everyone to feel welcome and stop by whenever they want.

My favorite room to organize is my living room because it's the center of my home. It's where my guests and I visit by the fire and it's where my grandkids and I cuddle on the couch watching their favorite shows.

My coffee table in particular is my star. I collect print magazines and save them as future inspiration and have them neatly stacked on my table just so. I love to flip through them and get inspired and see beautiful visions. It’s something I’ve done for years and years and reminds me of my editorial days working as a beauty editor. I love to change it up season to season, and will style my table differently depending on my vision and creativity. I love to pop into 6 By Gee Beauty and see what Michelle has curated like a gorgeous vase or tray.

Natalie Gee

I’ve started my kids’ closets already for the season because they were growing out of so much so the need really dictated the process. Before adding in anything new I always want to evaluate what we’ve got thats still great and fitting them, while ensuring it’s clean, matching and still represents their individual personalities.

Then I add in, or shop for essentials based on the season, and what their activities need of them. They each have their own style and vibe and I want them to feel represented in how they dress. This can be certain colors or cuts of however they express what they like. I love to listen to them and work with them on this. Some kids are more easy going that others about clothes, whereas my daughter loves to see exactly what I’m shopping for her! Lately she's really been loving Pixie Lane but our usuals are Zara Kids, Target and H&M.

This season for me its all about de-cluttering my mind and my options. I don’t want to see 25 tops, or blazers, and a ridiculous amount of jeans. For some people I know, seeing so many options gives them countless outfit ideas, but for me, it feels overwhelming - and if you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love and thrive having an edited down look that becomes my signature for the season, or even the year.

I look at what I already have to make the outfits come to life, and then fill in the gaps with a few key pieces I know I can wear in multiple ways. When its time to remove things from my closet, I put everything into bags or containers and store them for about 6 months, and then go back to them to see if I want to keep and make them work, or its time to donate. In the past I have given away or gotten rid of items too quickly, and have regretted doing so!

Celene Gee

About twice a year I love to do a deep dive in my kitchen cabinets, cleaning out my pantry, fridge and even my countertops. It usually starts off - like pulling a thread - you know when one thing runs out and then you think you can organize one shelf and then it all unravels and your whole kitchen is laid out on your counters!

In terms of pantry items, dried goods and spices, I like to evaluate whether we’ve been using it over the last few months. Toss anything that you haven’t been cooking with, and then I try to group everything by category (jarred veggies like heart of palm, artichokes together, then grains and legumes etc..) when I clean the shelves and put everything back in again.

I love to edit down spices to ensure they’re fresh and I even wipe down the bottles and their caps to ensure it’s aesthetically pleasing. It’s a good time to re-fresh my staples like my Jennifer Fisher Salts and my Flamingo Estates Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. I love to keep my spices and oils as close to my stove-top and oven as possible.

As for the fridge, I love to really do a deep clean and trash whatever isn’t fresh. You’d be surprised what most of us have a few expired products somewhere in the back. Again here I like to organize by category and it’s a good time to also get a shopping list going of what needs replacing. I do like having all the labels facing straight outwards (anyone else?!) I know a lot of people like to use fridge organizers like containers to pull out and keep things grouped tighter together - I’m going to experiment and try some this Spring.

Once everything is organized in the cupboards and fridge I look at freshening up my countertops and how I style them. I always want to find the balance of it feeling styled, personal, not too stark looking but also not cluttered. I’m so visual and sensitive to things looking cluttered (which for me starts to feel a bit heavy or chaotic). Each time I change it up I love to pick a theme, maybe wooden accessories like a tray or bowl, or maybe something more playful looking like a vase with curved details, or even just color-coding my cookbooks. I also love to use a small tray under my dish soap beside the sink, and even one under my olive oil beside the stove. I always add in fresh flowers and a new candle to finish the overall look!

Steph Gee:

There is nothing like a fresh start. I look at spring as a time of renewal and that means, deep cleaning! We recently moved into our home so thankfully I’ve been intentional with most things in the house, but the bathroom definitely needs my attention when it comes to product organization.

This is the perfect time to go through your cabinets and edit down, taking stock of what you don't use and what has expired. I do the same with my makeup and I always feel so accomplished afterwards. If you ever need guidance, we offer a service in our Toronto studio called Red Hot Right Now which is all about helping you to build your perfect makeup routine and organize your makeup bag for the new season!

When I'm organizing my bathroom, I'm very conscious of keeping what I use most, in my reach. I keep my daily makeup and skincare essentials on the vanity and I keep my more wellness/lifestyle products and tools tucked away. Since these can be larger bottles and tools, I like having them off the vanity so that it looks sleek and organized.

I'm a big 'everything shower' person so I keep a wide array of products in the shower. I have everything organized on shelves so that the floor is clear. I also make sure to switch out the eucalyptus leaves which I keep tied to the shower nozzle. If you've never tried it before, it's a must! The shower steam really helps the eucalyptus scent blossom and it literally turns your shower into a spa!

Happy Spring cleaning!

xx The Gees