Fall Cleaning

What’s better than fall decorating? It’s FALL CLEANING! Ok, maybe not really, am I the only one who likes cleaning?!  All jokes aside, now is a good time to think about fall cleaning. It feels like spring cleaning was such a long time ago, and although we clean regularly, sometimes a deep clean is a good thing before fall hits and then you’re into all the holidays before you know it.

A lot of you have told us that you’re tired of the miserable heat outside and just want fall decor in your home--bring on the cooler days! Even though I have a strict home policy of no fall decor til Sept 1, I still buy my yummy candles and decor before then--it gives me something to look forward to. 

While I take inventory of what I have for fall and consider what I’m going to need or change, I also go through my home and do the typical fall cleaning. I wonder if you do the same thing?

• Closets. Preparing fall/winter clothes. I only have room in my closet for hot or cold weather clothes, so I go through my spring/summer clothes to see what I didn’t wear, don’t like anymore, or that don’t fit--that darn dryer shrinks things, I just know it! I’ll also look at my shoes from that season. If I haven’t worn them, they’re GONE! I gather up all the things I don’t want and put them in a pile to donate. I love transitioning from one season to the next.

• Corral Seasonal Decor. Many of you have said you need to go home and take stock of what you have before you can buy more. I think that’s a fantastic idea! I go through my box of fall decor similarly as I do with my clothes, looking for what I don’t want and pondering if I want to change directions in my design. Keep in mind that seasonal decor doesn’t have to last forever--keep what you love and donate the things that aren’t your favorites. Sidenote: the average floral stem has a lifespan of three years.

• Cabinets. Oh my goodness, how do my cabinets become a disaster zone so quickly? I think the problem is that we have so many disposable containers in our cabinets (I blame my husband!) that they end up falling on each other, making a mess! Fun story, I told Rachel about all these containers, and she just cringed! Her solution: get rid of all those containers and invest in a set that matches and stacks together nicely. I think this is a WIN/WIN--I can get rid of all these and also go shopping!!

• Cleaning. Often our homes get worn out from all the summer activities and need a little TLC. Carpets, rugs, blinds, curtains, and high ceilings are all in need of some special care to get ready for more activities this fall!

• Containers.As you know, I’ve gotten a new puppy. I still find toys and stolen socks everywhere. (What is UP with all the stolen socks?!) I need to find some nice baskets from The Wreath Stand to organize toys. You might want to do the same thing for your kids or grandkids toys.

Of course, this is not a complete list of all the fall cleaning. I bet you have some other things you do. Let us know what your priorities are for fall cleaning. We’d love to hear from you! Coming soon in a blog, I’ll be sharing more of our fall decor. I can’t wait for you to see it all!

Until next time, happy cleaning!

Joy