A Quick Look At Organization: Fall Edition

It’s that time of year again. It’s the time where my husband walks in the door and crinkles his nose in response to my Pumpkin Spice blend wafting from my diffuser. It’s the time where pumpkins and orange leaves blanket my entire house. It’s the time where all my romantic notions of drinking chai tea by the fireplace while wrapped up in my favorite blankey with a good book are vibrantly interrupted by my oldest bursting out of his room, when he’s supposed to be sleeping, exclaiming for the second time that we “forgot to sing songs” when I know very well that songs were sung the first time he was tucked in. Ah yes, it’s the time of year for multi-clausal sentences.

So maybe I have a bit of a quixotic complex about Autumn. There’s just something special about it, don’t you think? If it were up to me, I would start decorating as soon as our County Fair packed up its tents in August. My husband, on the other hand, doesn’t quite feel the romance I do for Fall. Upon his request, I try to restrain myself. Although my throw pillows and pumpkins are calling to me from the garage, they must learn to wait, just like me, until the Autumnal Equinox.

I have learned that there are still things that I can do to prepare myself for the best season of the year. And this year, I’ve had to wait even longer because our house is still not put back together. Even though my house is not yet enveloped in autumnal oranges and yellows, I’ve found it is helpful to do some cleaning and organizing so that Autumn is even easier to enjoy (even amid screaming 18-month-olds and mischievous 3-year-olds).

Fall Sprucing

Admittedly, this year I am VERY behind. After 3 months of having no kitchen, my house being in complete chaos, and still trying to enjoy summer, it’s been difficult to harbor a desire to do any cleaning or organizing. But we will have a kitchen again very soon! And while I don’t have much control over the situation right now, I still have control over many other parts of the house. That’s where this post comes in!

A Word About “Declutter”-ing

Time to be honest: I detest this word. I spent years standing passionately against it. Not only did I feel it was a colossal waste of time, but for this sentimental hoarder it was also extremely difficult. But I’ve found that it’s easier to let some things go rather than having disorderly stashes in shadowed corners of the room. If I absolutely can’t part with something, it goes in a somewhat-tidy organizational system (which we also have to revamp after the kitchen restoration).

Decluttering truly is an important part of organizing. The less you have to organize, the easier it is. Because I struggle with decluttering and therefore feel that I have very little authority to be giving advice on the subject, I’ve provided some links for those who are like me here, here, and here .

TIP: One thing that does work for me when I need a deep haul clean is to put everything that needs to be picked up into a laundry basket (or two…). I’ve found it’s much easier to concentrate on organizing when I have clear spaces to do it in. Then everything in the laundry basket(s) gets sorted to its proper home. I’m not saying it’s the best way, or even a good way, but it works for me.

Organization Game Plan

Now that you have “decluttered”, it’s time to start organizing. The best way to do this is to create your game plan beforehand. Do you have a designated space for toys and books? Papers and documents? Blankets? Belts and other accessories? Do you know which spaces in your house you’d like to organize and have them listed out by order of priority?

Now’s the time to figure all of that out. Find or make space for all the categories on your list. Once you have everything sorted, you may need to purchase some affordable organization bins, baskets, containers, folders, etc. Get your game plan, and let’s get going!

Here’s a tip: don’t purchase the organization containers until you know exactly how many and what kind you need; otherwise they’re just more clutter. And remember, it’s possible you won’t be able to get to everything on your game plan right away. My own list is about a mile long, so it’s important to prioritize. Here are some areas near the top of my list that I like to tackle in preparation for the change of seasons (in no particular order).

1. Clean Out the Closet

I usually try to do a good closet update with the change of the seasons. I used to store all my out-of-season clothing away, so Fall and Spring served as the transition of my closet. In our current house, my closet can accommodate all of my clothing, especially since I’ve been able to let some of it go.

Now it takes a conscious effort to remember to go through my clothes. Anything I didn’t wear during the previous season, or that doesn’t fit anymore, I try to donate. I’m not perfect at this. It really does take a disciplined mindset to be able to go through the closet. But our monthly budget has a “Clothing” category for a reason. If my favorite blouse is too small or stretched out or worn out, it’s okay to let it go because I may find another one somewhere that I like better. Think of all those fall sweaters just waiting to make a home in your closet!

TIP: I love the idea of a “capsule wardrobe”, especially if space is limited. Check out these posts to learn more about it!

2. Clean Out the Pantry

By the time I get to this one, it’s usually long overdue. I’ve found two unopened bags of powdered sugar in the back of my pantry before. Not to mention a couple boxes of half-used pasta…why do they come in 12oz boxes when so many recipes call for 8oz?!

I digress. The pantry is an important part of the home, whether it’s in a traditional pantry, a closet in another room, or spread out amongst different cabinets. Knowing what’s in the pantry paves the way, not only for an orderly kitchen, but also a functional meal plan. And when it comes time for Fall Baking, both are crucial. You won’t have to search for things, and you’ll probably even have more room for those special seasonal ingredients. So, before we can get to the mouth-watering scent of fresh pumpkin pie, we need to make sure our kitchen and our pantry are ready.

Here are some links to some great kitchen organization systems.

3. Tackling the Files

Another thing on my list for Fall Organization is to get rid of the paper clutter. It feels so simple in theory, but paper clutter is hard for me to keep up with. We do have filing systems in place, but the actual filing is where we get stopped up. That’s when it’s time to collect every single piece of paper in the house and give it a home. I like to make three piles: trash, shred, and file. And then follow through.

It really does make a difference when there aren’t stacks of paper on the shelves, the kitchen island, the dining room table, the coffee table…you get the picture. As motivation, I try to remember all the room I’m making for my miniature haybales and scarecrows!

Still need a filing system? This is the one that we base ours off of, with some alterations for our different needs.

TIP: Shredding is so tedious. My shred box is almost never empty. But my mom taught me a good trick to keep the stack less intimidating. If you can, instead of shredding the entire paper, just tear off and shred the sensitive information. Then you can trash or recycle the rest of the paper. Of course, this isn’t possible with all documents, but you may be surprised at how it decreases the load!

4. Toys & Art Supplies

They’re everywhere. You finish picking up the building bricks and suddenly there are crayons all over the floor. You put away the stickers and construction paper only to find that paintbrushes have mysteriously materialized all over the kitchen island. Someone once told me that trying to keep a house clean with kids (especially toddlers) around is like trying to brush your teeth while eating Oreos. Seems to me like that’s a perfect comparison.

A temporary solution might be putting all of the toys—minus some building blocks, toy trucks, and books—in storage. Kids are just as happy with a few toys, and fewer toys are easier to keep up with. The more long-term solution would probably be to a) give away some toys, and b) create a toy rotation.

We have a toy rotation like this one, and it’s time to go through it again after my oldest son’s last birthday (not to mention the chaotic kitchen situation).

Takeaway

The great thing about Autumn is that it lasts until December (technically). That’s three months to chip away at that list! Remember, while you can do a weekend overhaul, it doesn’t have to be taken on all at once. You can do a little here and a little there, taking a few minutes each day. For me, I can’t wait to put my house back together so we can enjoy our Fall Decorations…well, and maybe do a little dusting first. Good luck, and Happy Fall!

God bless you and yours,
Morgan

A Quick Look At Organization: Fall Edition