As the weather grows colder, we naturally spend more time indoors. Getting your home ready for months of heavy use by purging and organizing is a great way to make those cozy winter months a little more comfortable.
Check out these 10 simple ways you can prep for fall and winter:
- Get your cold weather gear ready. Find all the boots, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and coats. Check to make sure nothing needs to be repaired or washed before the snow flies. Now is a great time to label boxes or baskets and put them in your closet so that everyone knows where these items should go when not in use.
- Make room for new items. Go through your closet and donate the things you didn’t wear this spring or summer – because if it’s been more than a year, you’re probably not going to miss them. You’ll have more room for your bulkier cold-weather clothing and any new items added to your wardrobe. Visit Real Simple to learn the popular KonMari method of folding.
- Start thinking about the holidays. Yes, it’s only October, but the holiday season creeps up on us every year.
- If you think might be hosting guests, start clearing out junk from your spare room (always a hot spot for clutter!).
- If you have a large gift-giving list, clear out a space in a closet where you can store gifts as you purchase them, so they don’t pile up in your living spaces.
- Go through your holiday décor and pare down to save yourself a little storage space. Having it all organized and labeled makes it much easier to get your house prepped and decorated during the holiday rush.
- Update your emergency kit. Depending upon where you live, winter can bring harsh storms and power outages. Always make sure you have an up-to-date basic emergency kit that includes a flashlight and batteries, enough food and water to last several days, as well as copies of important documents and cash. Visit the Government of Canada’s Get Prepared website for a complete list of items to include in a basic emergency kit.
- Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Make sure that they work, and replace the batteries if need be.
- Do a toy inventory. If you have children, this is the perfect time to sort through toys in order to determine what is still loved and played with, and what can be passed on to friends or donated to charity. Doing this in the fall helps guarantee that your house isn’t going to be packed to the rafters after the holidays when new toys come into the house.
- Prep the exterior of your home. Clean out the gutters, caulk drafty windows, dig out the snow shovel and road salt, have your chimney inspected and order firewood.
- Purge your pantry and fridge. Toss items that are expired and reorganize while you’re at it. This is a great time to think about what you’ll need to buy to make large batches of soup and other freezer-friendly meals that you can tuck away for those chilly but busy evenings.
- Tackle one junk drawer a week. You’ve probably got one in the kitchen, but odds are there are also clutter-filled drawers in bedrooms, bathrooms, offices and spare rooms. Clean out one or two each week until you’re completely junk-drawer free. Tackling them this way will make the job less overwhelming, and you’re more likely to finish and enjoy the accomplishment.
- Discover hygge. This Danish lifestyle approach is designed to make the colder, darker months more enjoyable. Learn about this cozy way of being and how you can share some of the comfort you’ve cultivated with those around you.
After organizing and decluttering your home, you can relax into the coziest and most colorful season on the calendar.
417961A CAN/US 10/20
