8 Ways to Fool People Into Thinking You Are Ready For Spring

Spring is traditionally about new beginnings. It’s the season of baby animals, pastel shoes, floral print dresses and fresh blooms on all the trees. There’s a lot to do to get ready for all the flowers, sunshine and rain showers of probably the best season ever.

It seems like a daunting task to prepare for actually feeling sun on your skin again, not to mention all the family fun that spring has in store like Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, graduations… Here are 8 ways to quickly spruce yourself up inside and out in time for the sunniest, happiest season of baby chicks, bunnies and egg shaped candies ever!

1. Don’t jump the gun.

After a long winter, it’s hard not to pull out your flip flops and short shorts on the first 70 degree day. Just be patient – there will be plenty of time for flip flops in June. For now, enjoy some ballet flats and a light sweater or a t-shirt and a classic trench coat. You will miss those things in August when it’s 95 degrees in the shade.

2. Get your nails did.

Okay, yeah, I said no flip flops just yet, but think about those picnics in the park… walking barefoot on the grass. After a long winter’s hibernation couped up in all those heavy boots, let your toes out, stretch them, let someone rub those shoe weary feet. Get your feet (and hands for that matter) into the spirit of the season too with color! For this spring, pastels aren’t just a great color for pants or shoes, they’re also a hot color for your nails. Try a pretty lilac, delicate pink or even a fun minty green.

3. Shed your winter layers.

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your house, it is also for your body. It is easy to hide in cold weather under layers of long johns, tights or jeans. Whether it means you want to simply exfoliate a bit of that dead winter skin away or maybe you feel like taking a razor to your legs, or even (if you are feeling like you want a drastic cleanup) book an appointment to clear the weeds from your personal garden… it might just make you feel a little springier and ready to face the prospect of wearing your first sundress or (Eeep!) bathing suit of the season….which means….

4. Emotionally prepare for bathing suit season.

Unless you live somewhere that is already getting hot, you still have a month or two to wrap your head around having go out in public in a bathing suit. But shopping for a bathing suit is going to come sooner than you think! Look, you made it through trying on jeans for fall, I know you can do this!  Lucky for those of us who don’t love the idea of being half naked in public, this season is all about high-waisted bikinis and sporty one pieces. Of course, for the girls that are feeling bold and daring, the skimpy string bikini is back, too.

5. Try and look like you’ve seen the sun before.

Despite being raised in the south where the tanning bed is still king, I am not advocating that you bake yourself. But getting a light self tanner for your soon to be exposed legs and arms might be just what you need to add an extra glow to your skin. Be careful, though, and don’t lather on too much – we all know you live in Minnesota, not Miami.

6. Make plans to spend some time outside.

Get baseball tickets, plan a road trip, do something that takes you out of your Snuggie and into the great outdoors. I urge you to make plans because in big, winter ravaged cities on nice days parks, outdoor cafes and baseball games fill up really quickly. So text all your friends now and get out in the sun. You can literally smell some roses!

7.  Take care of your skin!

Winter dries your skin out, but spring really puts your skin through the paces. From windy days that chap your cheeks to unseasonably hot days in early May where your makeup sweats off before noon, you need to have tools for whatever spring brings. You need a lightweight moisturizer for windy days and oil free sunscreen for hot, sunny days. And protect that skin around your eyes with a cool new pair of sunglasses.

8.  Go shopping!

Not just for the season’s hottest trends, but GIFTS. You’ve got Mother’s Day on May 11th and all kinds of graduations at the end of spring and that can add up. Don’t get your usual last minute flowers for mom or a gift card that you got at Walgreen’s for grad. Do something special this year. A nice photo album, book or a bottle of wine (for Mom…). If you start thinking about it now, you can be ready.