Even though Puxatawny Phil saw his shadow today (meaning 6 more weeks of winter), it doesn't mean that spring isn't on it's way.  With spring comes new flowers, warmer weather, and the inevitable "spring cleaning."  What better time to go through your house and get rid of things you've been carrying around for years, and while you're at it, making green changes?

A good place to start is your home office.  It's where you store notebooks and papers that you think you want to keep and then forget about.  It's also where there are the most opportunities to green a room.  Start off by going through your desk and bookshelves, and make sure the things you keep are the things you really want.  That term paper from college however many years ago?  You might not need to carry that around anymore.  If you have a lot of software in big packaging, you could probably just keep the cd and recycle the rest.  That will also save you space.  Then make sure you have compact fluorescent bulbs in your desk lamp and overhead light, and unplug things that don't need to be on all the time (like chargers and lamps).

Also, go through your living room.  Recycle any magazines that are over two months old.  Replace your lightbulbs with compact fluorescents, and dust the light fixtures.  This will make the room seem brighter, and is a good way to have a fresh start.

These two rooms are the places that the most clutter gets stored in.  As you clean a space, check to see if you've made the room as green as possible.  Write down a list of what you need to do to reach the room's green potential, and complete the list within a reasonable timeline. 

Think ahead, too, for the summer months and what you need to do to stay green.  Make sure that the windows aren't leaking outside air. This will save money, and electricity, so you won't have to run your A.C. higher in the summer to compensate.

So go out there and get cleaning, recycling, and greening!  The next thing you know you'll be rewarded with a beautiful green world outside to match the beautiful green one you create in your home.