The Ultimate Guide to a Joyful & Whimsical Springtime
27 side quests to welcome a soft & refreshing spring.
While I am an autumn girl through and through, I think spring is easily my second favorite season. The dopamine hit that comes from the first sunny, above-60 day in March or April is unparalleled in my opinion.
And between the pastels and floral prints everywhere, and that first kiss of sunshine, spring always feels particularly whimsical to me too. Since we’re all about whimsy in 2026, I figured I’d share some ideas to make it your most joyful and whimsical springtime yet.
Home
Winter interiors have a way of accumulating – the extra blankets, the clutter that was cozy in January and now just feels like clutter. Spring is a good time to let some of it go. You don't have to stage your home for spring. You just have to make it feel like somewhere you actually want to be.
Spring clean your closet.
Take everything off the hangers, out of drawers, etc. and put it to the test – is this still your style? Does it still fit? Have you worn it in the past month, three months, six months? If not, put it in a pile to either donate, sell, or reassess.
Clean out your purse.
If you’re at all like me, then you have a layer of debris at the bottom of your purse consisting of straw wrappers, broken hair ties, receipts, and loose Tylenol. Take some time to dump out your purse, throw away all the trash, figure out if you actually need three different-but-same lip glosses in there, and put it all back neatly. You’ll thank yourself next time you’re digging for your keys.
Swap out your artwork.
Put new photos in old frames, trade artwork between rooms, create a new gallery wall – whatever it is, you’ll be shocked at how new and different it makes your space look. Minimum effort, maximum impact!
Declutter your digital space.
So much of our time is spent on our computers, it only makes sense to treat it the same way we treat out homes. Take some time to clean up your desktop, delete screenshots or things you no longer need, and organize files so that you can have a stress-free work experience.
Put out some seasonal decor.
Add some florals, swap your candles out for lighter, spring scents, add a touch of something natural. I love adding anything mint green, peachy pastel pink, or butter yellow this time of year, plus anything made of rattan. Which is kind of true all the time, but I feel like spring especially brings out these urges.
Mind & Body
The mental and physical residue of winter is real. Most of us arrive at spring carrying a quiet backlog – unfinished thoughts, unresolved decisions, things we told ourselves we'd deal with later. Good news: it’s later now!!! It’s time to dust off the mental cobwebs and be kind to your mind and body.
Institute a screen deadline each night.
My husband and I have started declaring 10pm our screen deadline every night so that we have at least an hour to do anything else but be on our computers. I’ve been using it to catch up on my reading, because I started the year really strong and then haven’t read much of anything the past two months.
It definitely helps to have a buddy system, because then we can remind each other to get off our dang screens.
Eat seasonally.
Prioritize making recipes that feature in-season produce. Not only are they fresher and better tasting, but they’re usually more cost-effective and can be found locally at farmers markets or farmstands. Some of my favorite spring fruits and veggies:
Artichokes
Asparagus
Carrots
Herbs
Onions
Leeks
Peas
Blueberries
Strawberries
Make your own coffee syrup.
My twice-weekly iced coffee habit has started to become a legitimate budget liability in this economy. I decided I needed to take matters into my own hands and create my own ideal coffee syrups. Bonus points, you can also add this to cocktails, mocktails, or seltzer for a fun drink at any time.
The base syrup: 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water (makes about 1½ cups syrup, keeps in the refrigerator for 2–3 weeks).
Lavender. Add 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender buds to your hot syrup off the heat. Steep for 15 minutes – no longer, or it can turn soapy. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and let cool completely.
Salted Caramel. This one’s a little more involved but worth it. Instead of dissolving the sugar in water, spread 1 cup of sugar in an even layer in a saucepan and melt it over medium heat – swirl the pan if needed, but don’t stir. When it turns deep amber, carefully add ½ cup heavy cream (it will bubble), 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and ½ cup water. Stir until smooth, then finish with 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt.
Earl Grey. Make your base syrup, remove from heat, and steep 3 Earl Grey tea bags for 10 minutes. Remove without squeezing (it can turn bitter). The bergamot flavor deepens overnight, so this one’s even better the next day. Transcendent in a London Fog or over ice with oat milk.
Create your slow morning routine.
I’ve been trying so hard to get myself to do anything other than look at my phone the second I wake up, especially on weekends. My goal is to wake up, read a little, drink some coffee, maybe do a little journaling or some morning pages, etc. Will it happen? I don’t know. But maybe you should try it too.
Spring clean your following list.
Unfollow any influencers that make you feel bad about your life, style, career, or home. I can’t tell you how many accounts I kept following under the guise of “inspiration” only to finally be real with myself that I was actually just comparing every aspect of my life to theirs. I’ve been ruthlessly curating my feed this year and it’s made it so that opening Instagram is actually fun and inspiring, not an exercise in envy and comparison.
Do a full brain dump.
Everything nagging at you, everything you've been meaning to do, everything sitting in the back of your mind taking up space. Get it out of your head and onto paper (or a phone note, no judgement).
Have a completely screen-free day.
Read books, listen to records or other physical media, go for a walk, do a craft project, go to the library – the possibilities are endless! Need some ideas? I wrote a whole post about it here:
Creativity
Creative energy often goes dormant in winter without us really noticing – and then spring arrives and there's this faint but persistent pull toward making something. That's not restlessness. That's your creative life waking back up.
Document the everyday moments.
I want to get better at documenting things day to day (more than just the special or staged moments) but I also want to reduce my screen time… Film is cool, but it’s expensive, and finicky. That’s why I really love the Camp Snap cameras, because they’re digital BUT screen-free, and they have filters that look like film without the hassle.
(Also they’re having a sale this week AND they were kind enough to give me a discount code to share with you that stacks on top of the sale price. Use code LIZZIEC7 to get an extra 7% off!)
Curate a new playlist for the season.
Nothing gets me in the mood for spring like a good sunny day playlist. Here are a few that I’ve been playing on repeat lately:
Make something with your hands.
It doesn’t have to be good or even useful. It can be an abstract finger painting or some cookies or a pillow – whatever your skill level. Try to choose something that won’t frustrate you, that is low stakes. A paint-by-numbers kit is always a great place to start if you’re feeling stumped.
Get a library card.
Oftentimes, you can do it right online nowadays, AND it’s not just books – you can get audiobooks, e-books, and even television and movies from the library apps like Libby and Hoopla now. It’s incredible. Plus libraries do such amazing work in our communities, and supporting that feels more important than ever right now.
Connection
Hibernation is fine, but most of us come out of winter having let a few things slide that we actually care about. A friendship that's gone quiet. A plan that never got made. A person you thought about but didn't reach out to. Spring is a good time to tend to the people in your life.
Connection doesn’t require big gestures. It mostly just requires showing up – imperfectly, a little late, with a text that says hey, I’ve been thinking about you.
Get some personalized stationery.
I just think that jotting off a quick note to a friend on personalized stationery is the chic-est thing possible. Have I done it yet? Well, no. But I will, reader, I will. Papier is my favorite place for cute notecards, and Cheree Berry is where I would get some high-end stationery if I ever got really in the habit.
Plan a gathering.
It’s finally nice enough to entertain the thought of a picnic or a garden party with your friends. Put together a menu, find a playlist, make some cute cocktails or mocktails, and have a little gathering. You don’t have to have the perfect house or backyard to do it. You can have the most magical time with a folding card table and a thrifted tablecloth.
Create a birthday calendar.
Create a new calendar in your scheduling app of choice and spend a half hour inputting all of your loved ones birthdays. Set it up to alert you a week before so you have time to send a card or gift or just remember to wish them a happy birthday.
Compliment a stranger.
I love seeing the way someone’s demeanor instantly changes when you say “wow I love your outfit” or “your earrings are so cool.” Human beings a) love to be complimented and seen and b) really do just want to connect with each other.
Create a gift ideas list.
Ideally, based on actual attention, not Amazon algorithms. I like to create a private Pinterest board and save things I find or my friends mention throughout the year. That way I always have some ideas when the holidays or birthdays roll around.
Send someone flowers or a small gift "just because."
It doesn’t have to be expensive, just thoughtful. Some of my favorite companies to send long-distance gifts or flowers:
Fresh Sends – flowers & small gifts, super cute branding.
Box Fox – build your own gift box or choose a curated one.
Postable – sends cards with handwritten messages.
Belle & Blush – another gift box builder with TONS of options.
Joy & Whimsy
This is the one that’s easiest to skip and the one that matters most. Not productivity. Not self-improvement. Not optimization. Just the things that make you feel glad to be alive in a particular Tuesday in March. The little things that add a glimmer of joy, whimsy, and wonder to your days.
Create a joy inventory.
I’ve been trying to keep track of little things that are bringing me joy, either in a notebook or a Note on my phone. I call it my joy inventory, and it makes every day a bit more fun trying to find new things to add. Some things I’ve jotted down recently: a dog wearing a necktie, a toddler splashing in a puddle, a baby pug on its first walk, and some dinosaur birthday balloons in someone’s kitchen.
Add sprinkles to something (or everything).
I don’t even think I need to explain this, just buy some sprinkles and add them to whatever. Anything. Everything is better with sprinkles.
Get a disco ball.
Hands down one of my favorite things ever is when the afternoon sunlight hits the disco ball in my office window and scatters little light spots everywhere. It’s so magical, it immediately boosts my serotonin, and it’s fun to take photos of. Win-win-win.
Make some fun-shaped ice cubes.
I’m absolutely obsessed with the little star and heart shaped ice cubes I keep seeing in people’s iced coffee. Talk about whimsy!!!
Go for a color walk.
Pick a color and take a walk, noticing every time you see that color in the wild. You’ll be amazed by how often you start to see it once you look!
Spring doesn’t require a dramatic transformation. Just a little intentional attention across the parts of your life that could use it – your home, your mind, your body, your creative life, the people you love, and the things that bring you actual joy.
Happy spring! 🌱🌸
Parenthetical is a newsletter for women who dog-ear pages, overthink their seasonal wardrobe, and want to make their ordinary days more magical. Paid subscribers get access to the full resource library, plus The Well-Designed Life curriculum.
this might have just actually gotten me excited for spring !!💛
So many good ideas! A few of these I already do, but there's a bunch I definitely want to add!