ORGANIZE - FALL CHORES

BY Nicole Cooke, Organized by Design

Some people love the fall and the break from the heat, while others (like me) miss the longer days of sunlight. No matter what side of that coin you are on, autumn always means there is work to be done! School starts, yards need attention and there are those few weeks when we have extra laundry (yes, we need to wear sweaters and t-shirts in the same day!). Here are a few tips to help make your fall chores a little more manageable so you can enjoy the beauty of the season.

CLEAN OUT THE GARDENS Sometimes this chore gets lost in the shuffle, especially if you have lots of leaves to deal with. Take few hours on a sunny Saturday and pull out dead plants & trim back bushes. Sort and plant your spring bulbs. Trust me, you will be grateful you did when spring comes and your gardens are ready for planting!

SEASONAL CLOTHING SWAP Fall is a great time to purge your spring & summer clothes. Does it fit? Did you wear it last season? Do you even like it anymore? Would you buy it today? Pull unwanted clothing out of cupboards and closets and donate. If there is room to store clothing high up in the closet or under the bed, do this rather than packing them in totes and dragging them to the basement. Turn hangers backward when you bring out winter clothing. When you wear an item, turn the hanger forward. This shows you what you wear and what you don’t!

SCHOOL CHAOS We had 3 girls, so I know about chaos caused by permission forms, agenda books & disappearing library books. Designate 1 drawer on the main floor as a “school drawer”. Have children empty books & paper from backpacks into the drawer daily. In the evening, go through the notes, sign agendas and marvel at artwork. In the morning everything can to go back into their backpacks.

LUNCH PREP When bringing groceries in, wash and cut fruit & veggies & store in bins in the fridge. Designate a fridge shelf for lunches. Open boxes of granola bars and other snacks, put them in bins in the cupboard. Allow kids to pack their own lunches from the choices provided. They are also more likely to eat what they pack themselves!

Happy Organizing!

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