WELCOME MARCH IN NAPERVILLE – March madness is upon us! In my house that means two things. One, blindly fill out a college basketball tournament bracket and dream about what I’ll do with all my winnings. Two, I begin the spring cleaning process of sorting, tossing and re-evaluating every living space in our house. Trust me, it quickly turns into madness.

This year a sorta-major renovation is being planned for our home. My goal is to make our home work for our evolving family. Tweens that need their own space and parents that need better utilized space.

First things first, look to organize. Clear out the clutter, load up the truck and head to the Goodwill Donation Center (539 Fort Hill Dr). It’ll do your heart good. There are also many online garage sale sites these days to try and sell your outgrown toys, flower pots, dressers and dresses. Try www.bookoo.com (Naperville Yard Sales) or the app OfferUp and you may make enough for some new clutter!

Once everything is cleared out, time to focus on what you NEED. For some inspiration, timeless classics, and hometown customer service take a walk around Beidelman Furniture (239 S. Washington St.) in downtown Naperville. Now, be careful, you may want to redo every room in your home when you walk through their doors. We’re (sorta) done with yogurt spills on the couch and Goldfish between every cushion. A walk through a lovely furniture store makes me yearn for shiny furniture and plush chairs to sink into.

Have a few hours to wander for treasure? Head to Affordable Antiques & More (1508 N. Naper Blvd.). This store is not for the faint of heart. Walk the various vendor stalls and find one-of-a-kind pieces for your home. Skip the cookie cutter baskets and bins for vintage crates and metal baskets. Have a piece in your home worthy of a facelift? Affordable Antiques is your go-to place for chalk paint and all its possibilities.

Whether you’re looking for new, old, inspiration or validation, Naperville has what your home needs. Clean out those closets and enjoy March Madness as we toy with warmer temps and get teased by Spring. Because as soon as the sun shines and the ground thaws we’ll ditch those cluttered cabinets for our gardens in a heartbeat.

ABOUT THE WRITER Katie Manker of Naperville is a wife, small business owner, sister, daughter and friend, but first and foremost she’s Mom to her red-headed mafia. You’ll find her driving the activities bus by day, and laughing and enjoying her family and friends by night. Katie’s chosen charity to receive complimentary promotion as part of our Modern Housewives program is Sgt. Tommys Kids. Learn more at www.sgttommyskids.org

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