After a few long, cold and gloomy months, winter has officially given way to spring.

The sun seems to be smiling, green blades of grass are peeking through the patches of that stubborn leftover snow and every morning you awaken to the calling of birds. Getting out of bed isn't a chore like in previous months, it is now a joy to plan and get ready to make the most of your day.

One of the other pleasure points of springtime is the annual spring cleaning ritual. In a culture that is known for its excess, how does one effectively spring clean? I think the more efficient term is detox. How does one detox their life and why is it necessary?

It is very hard to maintain a productive lifestyle when your home is filled with clutter. This seemingly harmless habit transfers energy into other aspects of your life. Do you feel as if you don't have enough time to accomplish the simple tasks on your list? Is cleaning out your closet a task that takes a full weekend to complete? Do your magazines, both read and un-read, consume an entire corner in your home? If so, it may be time for a detox.

Sometimes spring cleaning and detoxing requires a good look at oneself. I will use myself as an example; I am a collector or many things. A few of my favorites include clothes, accessories, hats, DVDs and shoes. I am also an emotional collector, I keep every birthday card or hand-written note from my grandmother or loved one. I have tons of photos spanning from childhood to my most recent birthday celebration. I am an avid reader, so any chance I have to grab a book about business or marketing, you better believe it is coming home with me.

I am also a product test market junkie, so many point of purchase items also find their way into my shopping cart. What is worse, I tend to collect people in my life who are toxic. Not to say that they are bad people, but for some reason the energy that I release and my giving nature tends to attract needy, selfish people who don't always have my best interest at heart.

Finally, there are the bad habits of winter eating. In my cabinet I have collected all kinds of cookies and candy. In the freezer you may find some choice flavors of ice cream and frozen candy bar bites. This too, must change.

There you have it, I have laid all of my cards on the table. Now that time is here, it's a perfect time to tame some of this chaos, clear some clutter and breathe again.

Having a storage space in your garage or attic is one thing, but when you live in a loft-style, Downtown apartment a little clutter can have your apartment looking like a discount rummage store. For some collectors, this may be the most difficult task to accomplish, but I am here to spread some springtime joy and offer you some incentives that may set your spring detox in motion.

Let's start with our closets. I have still have my prom dresses! Now I know I look as if I graduated high school yesterday, but it has been some time since I danced the night away with a teen in a rented tux.

The plan was to hang on to them for my daughters, but I decided that I couldn't wait that long to rid myself of needless clutter so I decided to make some money, which could be the best incentive for you to clear your clutter.

In Milwaukee, there are a couple of places that will take your lightly used and cared for garments and offer you the option to consign them or allow the store to purchase them. Re-Threads Milwaukee is known for this buy, sell or trade mantra. It's a great way to clear your closet and make some money.

A second option is eBay. If you have an item that you can't bear to part with for less than you paid for it, I would suggest creating an eBay listing. You are in charge of the price, and duration of the sale, and what's even better, the customer pays the shipping! You can sell everything from electronics to accessories, DVDs, shoes and household items.

For the items that you can't sell like photos, letters and personal mementos, I suggest going to Target or T.J. Maxx and purchasing decorative storage boxes. This will allow you to organize, label and store.

Going about the friendship detox, unfortunately, isn't quite as easy ... but it's necessary.

Really take the time to think about who in your life is taking up time and personal space with negative vibes. We all know the gossiper, the attention whore, the exploiter, "Debbie Downer" and the fair weather friend.

None of these people is good for your personal growth. If you have people in your life that wear these titles, it is time to purge and detox. Don't feel bad about it; the easiest way is to simply be honest and remove yourself. Friendships are about collaborations not dominations.

Final detox step, get to the gym and get rid of the junk, before it ends up in your trunk!

Here are a few more tips to keep you focused:

• Walk away from bargains; stay out of the discount stores until you can handle the pressure of impulse buys.
• Find places that accept donations for the clothes that you don't want to sell. There are people would gladly accept donations, such as Goodwill.
• Make time to de-clutter weekly. There is no need for the pile of mail to cover the coffee table.
• Donate your magazines to your local gym.
• Recycle and reuse; instead of collecting those old bottles of wine, use them! Once clean you can use glass jars as drinking glasses and wine bottles as water jugs.
• Learn to separate your emotions from possessions. It is hard to let go of your skinny jeans from high school but let's face it, 10 years later are you really going to fit into them? And if not, who needs to be reminded of it, right?!