A fantastic list of things to do in April to help sort out both your home and life. Lots of inspiration and ideas to add to your planner this month. Included a free printable TO DO list with everything written out for you, some April facts, and birthday gift ideas. You’ll be more organised than ever!
This is part of the HOW TO GET ORGANISED ALL YEAR series of articles – with a detailed TO DO list (and free printable!) for EVERY month of the year waiting for you. CLICK HERE to get them all.
April – the time of year when…
It’s the month of Easter (most of the time!), the start of Spring, and lighter nights have arrived – it really is one of my favourite months!
April is the start of the second quarter of the year, and really feels like a great time to think about refreshing a few things in your home, as everything seems to be more visible after the winter (cobwebs that the winter was nicely hiding seem to spring out of nowhere!), and we have a bit more energy from the lighter days to get more done.
If we can get our home sorted now, it means that it will be far more under control by the time the summer months hit and you can sit back and relax a bit during the hotter (hopefully!) months….
Related: 30 Easy Things To Declutter In April – Streamline Things A Little!
Things to do in April
Regular monthly tasks
There are some things that, as a homemaker, you need to do each and every month. Without them, you will start to fall behind pretty quickly.
I wrote a post about these 3 main tasks to do each month HERE if you want to read the full article, but the quick list is here: –
#1 – Check your diary
- Add in any special dates (there are some written further down this post if you need any help on the main dates to remember).
- Add in dates specific to your life (birthdays, events, appointments etc….).
- Get some dates in the diary for your social life – and book babysitters well in advance
- Have a general view of what’s coming up, so nothing is a surprise
#2 – Sort all cards and gifts
- Make sure all presents and cards for April are on track to get to the recipient at the right time (post or hand delivered)
- Check that you have got all the presents and cards ready for May
- Buy all presents and cards for June
#3 – Check your bank statement
- Are all outgoings correct?
- Are all incomings correct?
- Are you on track with your budget?
Tasks specific to April
#4 – Easter Holidays
It’s the Easter holidays for most schools in April so now is the time to spend time with the children.
Why not organise some days out, the local park for a picnic is a winner every time! – get some friends over etc…
But it’s also a great idea to make the most of the time at home by doing some organising – why not sort their clothes and toys with them and replace anything that needs it?
This shows them there are certain “upkeep” jobs that need to be done as well as having fun.
Also – make sure you’ve got the summer school uniforms ready – its perfect time to get the kids measured up and ready once the weather gets warmer.
#5 – Spring Cleaning
It’s my month to spring clean the house – getting back on top of things again.
This isn’t just cleaning to me, but also some level of decluttering and sorting – and you’ll be pleased to know that I’m definitely not advocating getting it all done this month – but at least getting some done, and putting a plan in place for the rest (that’s where the deep dive tasks I’ll talk about later come into play…).
The house is a big project – and it can be daunting to try and tackle everything in one go – but there are things that naturally would be done as part of a big “spring clean” and that can fall through the gaps as they don’t come up on a weekly cleaning routine.
I think of Spring Cleaning as a chance to focus on those areas that you don’t really get round to in your usual cleaning routines, and get them back to looking great again.
Spring cleans came about originally due to the open fireplaces that were heating every home throughout the winters.
They left dust and soot everywhere – so that when the spring came (and the light!) the whole house felt dirty and in need of a thorough clean.
But we don’t all have these issues now (although as I said before, the winter grey can stop us seeing some of the dirt *cough* cobwebs * cough* that accumulates!), so the way we tackle things can be different too.
However you tackle Spring Cleaning – make April the month where you do a little more than your regular cleaning, and you’ll love the difference it makes to how you feel and how your home looks.
#6 – Change your regular meals
Now that it’s Spring and Winter has well and truly gone, it’s a great time to look at swapping out the more wintery food from your meal plan and add in lighter and fresher foods.
Take away the soups, stews and casseroles and add in more salads, the odd BBQ etc… – this will rejuvenate meal time again.
Deep dive tasks
These are things that follow my organising roadmap for the year. April is the month for tackling your cleaning schedule, and possible getting help going forward.
#7 – Update your cleaning schedule
If you don’t have a cleaning schedule at all as yet, then create one this month.
You can read my detailed post about how to do that HERE.
If you HAVE got a cleaning schedule already, then now is the time to sit down with it and go through it to check what is and isn’t working, and tweak if needed.
One tweak you may want to add into your schedule is to get help with some of the tasks, which brings me nicely onto the next point: –
#8 – Look at getting help
I recently got a cleaner once a week for my own home, and it’s been a game changer for me.
Work has got very busy, and there are just not enough hours in the day to do it all (try as I might!) – something had to give.
I’m not quite there in terms of delegating working tasks to someone else, so I decided that delegating the regular weekly clean would be a great option.
It leaves me with an extra couple of hours a week to get my work done, and gives me peace of mind that everything’s still clean.
I can then do the extra tasks, deep cleans etc… – but the day to day is covered. Bliss!
The amazing thing is how long it took me to hire someone though.
I felt guilt for not being able to do it all myself, something I know that we as women are always feeling.
But now I feel no guilt.
I know that I *can* clean if I have to, I actually enjoy it – but my time is better spent right now on work stuff. Because I work, I can also pay for the cleaner myself – so I am taking control of what I want to spend my time on – and sorting it out myself.
So – if you are hesitant to get help, then I urge you to consider it. It can be a real pleasure, a treat, and may just keep you sane in the process!
There are several different ways to get help – so think of what would suit you and your budget the best: –
- Hire a Cleaner / Window Cleaner / Ironer etc….. You can pick and choose how long and how often they do things for you
- Get the whole family to help out – create a schedule for each of them based on their time available and their ages
- Swap tasks with a friend. If you love ironing but hate cleaning, you may find that you prefer to do that for your friend, and she will clean for you.
Free printable TO DO list for April
If you’d like all these TO DO’s in one easy to use checklist, then you’re in exactly the right place!
The gorgeous TO DO list has everything I’ve talked about in this post written down for you to print off and tick as you finish each task:
Want a copy?
Your very own copies of this gorgeous (and helpful!) printable is waiting for you in the Free Printables Library.
To get FREE access to the entire library simply click the button below – hope you enjoy!
Important Dates in April
- EASTER (Although changes every year – so could be in APRIL also.
- APRIL FOOLS DAY – 1st – just be on the lookout for any pranks coming your way!
Also – don’t forget to add your own important dates to your diary (including Birthdays, Events, Appointments etc….).
April facts
- APRIL BIRTHSTONE – Diamond
- APRIL FLOWER(S) – SweetPea
- APRIL ZODIAC SIGNS – ARIES Mar 21st to Apr 19th, and TAURUS Apr 20th to May 20th
Gift ideas for April Birthdays
I LOVE buying gifts for people because it’s a chance to show them that you care for them and they are someone who means a lot to you.
There are lots of gift guides and gift giving inspiration for different people on the site already, so take a look HERE, but if you want something specific to the month then why not use the April Facts in the section above, and take inspiration from them?
I’ve put a couple of ideas below to get you started, and I really hope they inspire you:
#1 – APRIL BIRTHSTONE BRACELET – A gorgeous little keepsake that a special woman in your life would love to wear.
#2 – BIRTH FLOWER SEED BOX – LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea! I would especially use in the Spring as that’s all about flowers and new growth etc….
There you have it – all the things to do in April to get more organised!
Getting on top of things in the house after the Winter months, setting up/tweaking your cleaning schedule, and getting help, are the important homemaking tasks for this month.
Alongside that, reinventing your meal plan to be more in line with spring and summer food can be a lovely way to introduce the family to new meals, and make cooking interesting!
Oh, and of course, enjoy the Easter break whatever you are doing – you deserve it!
Read Next: Get Spring At Home Sorted Out – Best Tips And Ideas Right Here…
