It was unseasonably warm this week in Washington, DC. So warm, in fact, that I was able to walk my dog Hershey without either of us wearing a sweater!

That got me thinking about spring. Now, I'm not optimistic enough to believe that winter is over. We'll probably have some cold days, and maybe even some snow, before the seasons turn. But I can start preparing for spring:

• When the weather is nice, take a walk around the outside of your house and see what repairs and improvements you will need to make in the spring.
• If you garden, decide what you will plant and order seeds or seedlings.
• Check the outdoor furniture that you have in storage to see if anything requires cleaning or repair.
• As much as possible, use winter evenings or bad weather days to de-clutter your house. It will make spring cleaning much easier.