Happy leap day! A bonus day is cause for merriment. Or, in my case, cause for tending to the niggling things. In addition to my massive cleaning spree, I’ve been slogging through the mountainous mending pile that’s been accumulating on my ironing board. You know, the usual: holes in socks and jeans, ripped seams, garments that need to be shortened, curtains that need hemming, etc. etc.

Remember the navy and black stripey dress? It just never felt quite right, so I hacked a few inches off and now I love it as a t-shirt.

I removed shirring from the waist of this dress because K found the elastic bothersome and the dress kept riding up. I’m happy that it still fits her and I’m sure it’ll be in heavier rotation now. Ohhhh, and then there are the socks. Darning socks is one of the least pleasant activities for me, for obvious reasons. Who wants to patch up holes in items that never seem entirely fresh no matter how much you wash them? And sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it because the puckering that results from the mending tends to irritate the soles of my feet, but then I am inevitably proud of myself for not wasting otherwise perfectly good socks.

And after months of avoiding it, I finally took the fifteen minutes it required to hem these curtains for K’s room. She immediately decorated the window with the adorable heart garland I received as a gift (Thank you, Beccy!).

My ironing board — the default dumping ground — is now free and clear. Although I’m still sneezing like an iguana (who knew? Iguanas are supposedly the “sneeziest” animals. I’m a sucker for animal trivia), my increasingly tidy environment is making me feel worlds better.

What about you? Are you spring cleaning or tackling your own niggling things? Or maybe you’re giving the whole concept the heave-ho?

P.S. Furoku friends! Part 1 of #12 is headed your way tomorrow!!