I’ve always been drawn to the phrase “April Showers Bring May Flowers.” Sure, actual rain throughout the month of April inevitably leads to flowers blooming in May, but the figurative meaning of this phrase is something that I often have to remind myself is okay to endure. In life, you need to face some ugly hardships, or as I like to call them “storms,” in order for something beautiful to grow out of it. These storms can range anywhere from giant, life changing events or even something as simple as completing that small task you’ve been avoiding. 

The concept of “spring cleaning” can also have a literal meaning. When I was younger, this phrase meant it was time to clean out my room and throw out or donate items I no longer use (which for my younger self was definitely a “storm”). As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that “spring cleaning” can mean more than simply tidying up your living space. It might also be good to clean up aspects of your life that you’ve been letting clutter up over time. Maybe now is the time to go try that new coffee shop you’ve been meaning to check out (I’m writing this piece inside a coffee shop I’ve been meaning to try for two years), or even completing simple tasks like finally deleting those unnecessary pictures in your camera roll.

Cleaning can be fun when you want to clean, but not always when you have to. Cleaning is also much more enjoyable when you have a killer playlist to rock out to, and luckily the team at Honorable Mention Magazine has you covered. Whether you need the motivation to deep clean your room, finally send that email you’ve been procrastinating, or if you’re like me and are ready to swap out your colder weather wardrobe with some pieces for warm weather, we present Spring Cleaning; some tunes you can whistle to while you work.