1st Day of Fall & a Fall Cleaning Checklist

 

Happy first day of Fall! Here is hot Houston where we are sweating more of the months of the year, we always look forward to *hopefully* cooler temperatures that fall brings. For me, it gives me an excitement of all the things that fall and the holidays bring. Plus, now that I am a parent I look forward to all the new things that I get to do with the kids as they grow.

Here is a fall cleaning checklist that you can do in order to prepare this season:

• Windows. Clean them inside and out. An easy way to clean the outside is by using this outdoor window cleaner and to clean the inside windows (according to our housekeeper) use glass cleaner and this duster to easily get them cleaned. 
• Vacuum & flip the mattresses. Odds are you probably don't clean and flip your mattress that often, so with the new season it is a great time to do that. Sprinkle some baking soda on the mattress and let sit for at least 30 minutes and then vacuum it off.
• Oven. Clean your oven in order to prep for all the cooking and baking you may do during this holiday season.
• Carpets & flooring. Get carpets and floors cleaned to get a jump start on deep cleaning and all the traffic you may have in your house during the holidays.
• Cabinet fronts. If you don't clean them regularly, now is a great time to do it because usually in the fall & winter the kitchen is more heavily used than on a normal basis.
• Fridge & freezer. Now is the perfect time to clean out your fridge and freezer to make sure you have room for all the baking & cooking you may doing this holiday season. We love using shelf liner to make cleaning fridges and freezers easier. We also like using bins like these to contain food & condiments.
• HVAC. Service your HVAC to make sure it is in top working order.
• Fans. If you change the direction of your fans in the fall, be sure to clean them off as well. This fan duster works great to reach high fans and has a pivoting duster head to really get in all parts of the fan.
• Fireplace & chimney. Make sure your fireplace and chimney are in great working order during this holiday season. 
• Kitchen appliances. If you know you will be using certain kitchen appliances this summer. Replace ones that need replacing and turn everything on to make sure they are all in working order.

What is on your fall cleaning list?

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Napo Houston Professional Organizers' #1 Tips & Tricks to Get Organized for Fall

I asked my NAPO Houston organizing colleagues to weigh in on what some of their #1 or top organizing tips for the fall were and here is what they had to say! What is your top fall organizing tip? 

Amy Vance of Eco Modern Concierge: " start thinking about the holidays now and get your family calendar under control"

Adonna Braly of Clutter Roundup: "Get your calendar out now and start writing in all the events you will be attending through the New Year. There’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, with all the parties and events in between. Pick and choose which events you can attend and those you can’t. Don’t fill up your calendar with so many obligations that you don’t have time to rest and rejuvenate. If bringing a food item get the ingredients together so it’s easy to make ahead of time. If bringing a hostess gift, find it now and keep in a gift area to grab as you’re going out the door. Keep it simple and you’ll enjoy the events you do attend so much more."

Ximena Lopez Owen of Zensible Organizing: "Before decorating for the Holidays, I open up all my holiday decor bins and give them a good purge. I trash any damaged items, and give away those that don't go with my current style and decor, or that just don't make me happy. I keep a "maybe" pile for those items I still like, but don't want to use this year. I review all my "keep" items and decide if I need to buy something new or what I have is what I need and love!"

Kerry Spencer of Vibrantly Organized: "Toys-We make it a habit to purge toys every month or two. It doesn’t have to be lots of toys all at once. Sometimes, it is only a few. But toys that never get out of the bottom of the bin definitely go out the door. With holidays year round, birthdays right after Christmas and lots of family nearby, we have to constantly get rid of toys. They can pile up quickly. If you can’t evaluate toys that often, try to declutter toys in September and then again in November to get ready for the holidays.

Delegate responsibility- My husband and children have sweet tooth habits. Candy is also collected year round. This isn’t really about the candy. It’s about delegating the responsibility to the person it’s important to. Candy is the sole responsibility of the sweet tooth parent and that parent makes the rules for receiving the candy. I know the rules, but storing, organizing and rule making have been delegated. I loathe the amount of candy we collect and it takes up so much space. Now it takes up space for the person it is important to and is no longer a headache for me. Mommy, can I have a piece of candy? Please ask Daddy."

Melody VonFeldt of Finding Joy in Enough: "Start discussing what part gifting will play in the holidays. If you’re wanting people to get you or your kids experiences instead of items, start having the conversation now instead of waiting until the week before the holiday (a lot of people have already finished shopping for you by then). It’s also good to start thinking about who you need to plan gifts for so you can start thinking about it and watching for the right thing instead of rushing around last minute."

Laura Gunn of Strategic Hourglass Solutions: "I start reviewing my coupons so I can get good deals on items I need for holiday baking. I make sure my spices are fresh. And make sure I have room in freezer to accommodate items I can make ahead of time!" 

Ann Zanon of A2Z Organizing Solutions: "Make flight plans for the holidays so you don't pay too much for last minute flights!" 

Donna Matthews of Slay the Chaos: "Make your list and check it twice! Decide now who and what you’ll spend on each person. Write it down and commit to staying within your budget."

Meredith Brister of Sorted & Styled: "Start gift planning now. Make a spreadsheet with columns: Person, Gift, Purchased, Wrapped, Sent. Use check marks to keep track once things have been purchased, wrapped, and sent. MAKE SURE you include upcoming birthdays. There's nothing worse for late November/December babies than to overlook their birthday."

Ellen Delap of Professional-organizer.com: "Ask your family the most meaningful holiday events. Be sure to calendar these and make it happen. Go through your gift closet and designate gifts specifically you already have. Spend extra time on self care. Holidays are busy and we get worn out. Gather a team to help you!"

Tammy Atchison of The Busy Corner: "As you decorate for the holidays, take this time to clear out old and unused decor from years past." 👻🍁🌲

Liz Tucker of Serenity Organizing Solutions: "Get your holiday letter and/or card photos together early! There’s always more than enough to do between Thanksgiving and New Years without that as an added stressor!"

Mary Jo Contello of Organized by MJ: "Really mine is simple - plan. Get your list together for gifts and start shopping now. If your a baker start planning when you can bake. Possibly freeze items to allow for more time. Get your holiday card list together, schedule photos and get out early. Get all events on the calendar."

Exact Mats a NAPO Houston Business Partner: " When Thanksgiving comes around, you probably want a beautiful table. Well, ExactMats are an excellent way to up your Thanksgiving table-setting game while protecting the surface beneath! They even work as table runners. 

And Christmas, for those of you who use, or have customers who use live trees, you know the clean up can be quite the ordeal. Especially if you have a cat 😻. So, we’ve created something special - a circular (or any shape you need) floor protector to go right under your tree!

When Christmas is over and you’re ready to clean up, simply lift the mat, fold it in half like a taco, and dump the remnants of Christmas trees past into your trashcan. Easy!" 

Melony Davis of All About Space Organizing: "Plan menus for meals and parties taking place in your home, and don’t forget guests with special dietary needs. Don’t forget to plan for the accessories too! 

If you’re attending several events, think about what you’re going to wear. Make sure everything fits and that it’s clean and ready to go. This includes shoes and jewelry as well. If buying gifts for adults, it’s okay to ask for gift ideas. It’s always better to give a gift that’s needed, than wasting money on something that’s not."

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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Made in the USA: Anthropologie Pumpkin Clove Candle

I know candles are not the most eco friendly things to use, but after what I feel like was 5 million people recommending this Anthropologie Capri Blue Pumpkin Clove candle, I gave in and bought it because I had a discount with Anthro. I have to say it does really put off a great scent and is perfect for fall. I turned it over and saw it was made in the USA! Have you tried this candle? What are your thoughts?

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Fall 2019 Bucket List

It is finally starting to feel more like fall here in Houston today (still hot though) and I noticed I hadn't put up my fall bucket list yet. Being a professional organizer and concierge, the holidays become insane for us, so I have to be diligent about carving out some time to do the things I love. Here are some things that are on my bucket list this year. What is on your fall bucket list?

• Do more speaking engagements.
• Finish our sunroom. Remember this was my bucket list 2 years ago (eek!) Hopefully this year is my year. 
• Have every bit of my holiday presents planned for by Nov. 25th.
• Try new recipes using seasonal ingredients.
• Go to a Halloween party. I haven't been in years.
• Decorate more for Thanksgiving. This is my husband's favorite holiday. 
• Carve a pumpkin. We haven't done this in years.
• Attend a fall festival. I haven't been to one in years. 
• Order business holiday cards early. 

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Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash

Happy First Day of Fall : 5 Ways to Get Organized This Fall

Happy first day of Fall! Here in Houston it won't feel like fall for awhile, but as a professional organizer and concierge, we are in full fall mode over here with clients. Below are 5 ways you can get organized for fall.

Do a seasonal clothing switch. Time to put summer away and get out all of your cozy clothes.

Prep for the holidays. Get ready for the holidays by planning out your calendar for the coming months, make to do lists, and set goals you want to achieve.

Purge and donate toys. With the holidays around the corner now is the perfect time to purge those toys and donate them.

Create a routine. Get your routine under control in order to prep for hustle and bustle of the fall season. Make sure all activities are on your calendar, your kids activities, personal & work commitments, etc.

Prep for fall house maintenance. Go room by room and purge items, clean gutters, change filters, etc.

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Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Fall 2018 Bucket List

What is on your fall bucket list this year? Here is mine:

• Yoga outdoors.
• Go to a Texans game.
• Eat more dinners outside.
• Go camping. Forever on my fall bucket list.
• Try new essential oil diffuser blends. Grapefruit and Gold always has good blends. 
• Try my hand at making a pie.
• Random acts of kindness. Not just in the fall, but always. 
• Weekend getaway. 
• Prep for the holidays. 
• Teach an organizing class. 

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First Day of Fall: Time to Purge & Organize

Today is the first day of fall. What plans do you have for fall? It is the perfect time to do a refresh in the house. I often get calls to come back and help purge & organize in preparation for the holidays. Here are some common things to organize and purge in the fall:

• Closets
• Kitchens
• Offices
• Children's rooms
• Holiday decor

When you purge items, consider giving the items to organizations in your community. 

If you are in Houston and are in need of a professional organizer to help with your fall organizing, feel free to email us at info@ecomodernconcierge.com.

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9 Tips to Getting Organized This Fall

Since fall is approaching many people are hiring professional organizers to help them get organized for the fall and upcoming holidays. I usually get an influx of client requests because the looming holidays is stressing them out. Here are 9 things you can do to help you get organized this fall.

Purge. Get rid of holiday items you do not need. You can do this at the end of each holiday season too. Purge any summer and winter clothing you no longer wear. Also, purge any kitchen items you know you don't need.

Organize and switch up closet. If you are the type that puts their seasonal clothing away or puts it in a different area of your closet, now is the time to make the shift. Switch your clothing.

Schedule. I don't know about you, but for me and many of my clients the fall is basically non-stop from October 1st - December 31st. Make sure your schedule is intact so you have everything written down on a calendar or electronically. This helps so you don't overbook yourself. Use different pen colors to prioritize and keep it fun.

Plan. The key is to plan ahead. Make sure to meal plan, plan your projects you have coming up, plan for the holidays, etc. Planning will help you be more productive and save so much time.

Clean. I know you have heard of spring cleaning and in the fall you should do the same thing. Get that house nice and clean for the holidays.

Make lists. Make lists of everything you need to do and want to do. This can include household chores to fun things to do.

Organize and clean the garage. Fall is the perfect time to tackle that garage. Depending on where you live, it usually isn't as hot as the summer and the crisp air helps you feel motivated.

Prep the outdoors. If you have summer furniture or activities outside, clean them up and store them.
Split your firewood and prepare to use in the fireplace or a fire pit.

Organize your entryway. As you walk into your house make sure there is a place for coats, boots, bags, keys, etc. This will especially help you be organized and ready to walk out the door on time.

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My Fall 2017 Bucket List

I love the fall time and from the time October hits it is non-stop go, go, go until the end of the year for us. This year is particularly busy with music festivals, weddings, bachelorette party, etc. etc. Here are some things on my fall bucket list. By creating a list I hope that it helps me stay more organized and plan my down time wisely. 

Toast pumpkin seeds. Every year we get real pumpkins and last year we toasted pumpkin seeds with cinnamon and they turned out SO good. I really want to remember to do that again this year.

Host an outdoor movie night. We used to do this a lot more, but it has been almost a year since we did an outdoor movie night, so I hope to do another one.

Go to a new dog park. Our sweet dog, Rothko, LOVES going to the park and for walks, so I want to take him somewhere new.

Run more. I hate running in the summer, which I did more this past summer than normal, but I really like running in the fall / winter because there is something refreshing about running in the cool air. Plus, I need to do more cardio.

Weekend getaway. We have a few weekend getaways planned and are going to some new places, which I am really excited about.

Open the windows. I don't know why I don't do this more in the fall, but this year I really need to remember to open the windows throughout the house more, turn off the a/c and let cool air in.

Finish our sunroom. So this has been a goal for a couple of years and something we started last year, but this year WE WILL finish that dang sunroom.

Host a dinner party. We LOVE hosting and having people over, so I really want to host a fun dinner party this year sometime in the fall for friends and neighbors.

Go on more bike rides. We love going on bike rides and I really want to bike Buffalo Bayou since it has been renovated. I did once in May, but fall is a great time to check out new bike trails.

Finish holiday shopping early. This may be wishful thinking, but I really want to have most of my shopping done by December 1st.

Organize the garage. This is totally my husbands domaine because I have organized the garage I don't know how many times, so I have finally pretty much given up, but hopefully it is something we or he can tackle this fall.

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