All the things you should do for fall but never remember to do. A complete fall checklist of the tasks you need to before winter hits. Like cleaning gutters and eating pie.
The first day that I wear flannel pajamas to bed marks the official start of fall for me. The next day the fluffy blanket for the sofa comes out, I stop shaving my legs and I start my annual thumbs exercises so in a couple of weeks I'm can quickly scroll past all the perfect-families-in-matching-plaid-picking-apples reels on Instagram.
The shadows are longer, the streets are quieter and I'm hankering for anything made with cheese and potatoes.
Since I just lit a pumpkin spice candle I'm going to assume it is indeed fall. YAY FALL!! Every season is my favourite season when I'm at the start of it. So hello fall ... you're my favourite.
I even like the home maintenance tasks associated with autumn like raking leaves and stacking firewood. I like them for exactly half an hour and then I want to set the leaves, the firewood and my hair on fire with a pumpkin spice candle.
Getting ready for winter can be both gross and exciting so I've comprised a list of all the things that you should do to get ready to fall. Both the fun and the not so fun.
Things To Do To Get Ready for Fall
- Clean the gutters.
- Wash the windows inside and out.
- Have the chimney cleaned.
- Lumber. Jack. Plaid.
- Order Firewood.
- Make a batch of chili.
- Replace or clean furnace filter.
- Haul out the blankets for the couch.
- Replace beer in fridge with whiskey in liquor cabinet.
- Pull out the big, fluffy duvet.
- Put outdoor cushions away while they're still dry. If they get wet when the temperatures drop they'll never dry out.
- Make a list of the indoor jobs you want to get done before spring. Like binge watching Doogie Howser. Again.
- Good bye ferns, hello mums.
- Surround every inch around your house with yard bags and watch as the leaves fall directly in them.
- Throw away your razors. It's hairy season.
- Cover up and clean your air conditioner. You don't need to cover the whole thing, just the top where leaves can blow in.
- Make and eat an entire homemade pumpkin pie yourself.
- Remove any pergola covers.
- Empty any ceramic or clay pots outside that are too large to bring indoors. If you don't they'll freeze and crack.
- Book an appointment to have your winter tires put on.
- The indoor months can get lonely and boring. Sign up for a fall class with friends or family.
- Plant your spring bulbs and dig up & divide your dahlias.
- Wanna be the hit of the street for Halloween? You'd better start figuring that shit out now. Here's inspiration.
- Throw away those 3 dead plants you bought in the spring and never planted.
- Can, can, can. Tomatoes, peaches, chili sauce, hot peppers, pickles.
T O M A T O E S
C H I L I S A U C E
- Ask an elderly or single neighbour if they need help with anything.
- Kids preventing you from getting stuff done? Send them out to play and tell them not to come home until they have at least one bruise.
- Clean out your fridge to make room for the winter cheeses.
- Haul out the flannel pajamas that have been in hiding for 4 months and now smell like drawer.
- Buy a puzzle so you're ready for winter. This particular one is good for October.
- Read all of the classic Charlie Brown football cartoons
- Pumpkin. Spice. Latte.
- Sweep
- Clean your condensate pump if you have one.
- Make baked apples.
- Dry any herbs you can scrounge from your garden before they croak.
Fall Checklist
Instructions
- Clean the gutters
- Wash the windows inside and out
- Have the chimney cleaned
- Lumber. Jack. Plaid.
- Order Firewood
- Make a batch of chili
- Replace or clean furnace filter
- Haul out the blankets for the couch
- Replace beer in fridge with whiskey in liquor cabinet
- Mouse proof your house
- Pull out the big fluffy duvet
- Put outdoor cushions away while they're still dry. If they get wet when the temperatures drop they'll never dry out.
- Make a list of the indoor jobs you want to get done before spring. Like binge watching Doogie Howser. Again.
- Good bye ferns, hello mums
- Surround every inch around your house with yard bags and watch as the leaves fall directly in them
- Throw away your razors. It's hairy season
- Cover up and clean your air conditioner. You don't need to cover the whole thing, just the top where leaves can blow in
- Make and eat an entire homemade pumpkin pie yourself
- Buy fall scented candles
- Empty any ceramic or clay pots outside that are too large to bring indoors. If you don't they'll freeze and crack
- Book an appointment to have your winter tires put on
- The indoor months can get lonely and boring. Sign up for a fall class with friends or family
- Plant your spring bulbs and dig up & divide your dahlias
- Wanna be the hit of the street for Halloween? You'd better start figuring that shit out now. Here's inspiration
- Throw away those 3 dead plants you bought in the spring and never planted
- Can, can, can. Tomatoes, peaches, chili sauce, hot peppers, pickles
- Ask an elderly or single neighbour if they need help with anything
- Kids preventing you from getting stuff done? Send them out to play and tell them not to come home until they have at least one bruise
- Clean out your fridge to make room for the winter cheeses
- Haul out the flannel pajamas that have been in hiding for 4 months and now smell like drawer
- Buy a puzzle so you're ready for winter. Don't want a puzzle laying out on a table for weeks or months? Try quick finishing, cute 100 piece puzzles
- Cozy up your front porch
- Read all the classic Charlie Brown football cartoons
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Sweep
- Clean your condensate pump if you have one.
- Make baked apples.
- Dry any herbs that you can scrounge from your garden.
Notes
Or don't. Whatever.
All tasks guaranteed to be enjoyable for at least 15 minutes.
Great ideas, Karen! Fall is almost upon us, and it's time to get ready for the busyness ahead of us. I'm also focusing on some serious fall deep cleaning and organization, even investing into things like carpet cleaning in Apex, NC. Looking forward to reading more of your posts. Thanks!
I especially enjoy sorting the different seeds from the dried seedheads to save for the following year. It's amazing how one seed can produce so many seeds to share or replant, It's one of my favorite Autumn chores that pays one back in the Spring.
Every SINGLE day I forget to harvest my sweet pea seeds. Every night I go to bed thinking, I'll definitely do that tomorrow. Hand over heart, I am GOING to pick those pods tomorrow. Good luck with your seed saving! ~ karen!