Wow, where has the year gone, it seems like yesterday I was writing my monthly organisation for the start of the year. October is such a beautiful time of year where fruits are in abundance the leaves are falling and we all feel the need to start getting cozy. There is certainly plenty to start thinking about and organising for ready for October Half term, and beyond into Christmas. So this post is all about Autumn and how you can plan, organise and enjoy it. Starting with the nitty gritty tasks and then progressing onto the more enjoyable aspects of October planning.
Declutter and Cleaning –
Last month, I discussed how it was time to declutter and have an Autumn Spring Clean. Our house is pretty organised now and with only a cupboard or two left to tackle it really has helped us all be more organised. So it’s not too late to get going if you haven’t started a declutter. It can seem such a huge task but once you’ve started it really doesn’t take too long and after the initial ‘help me’ mid-declutter, you can get to grips in no time. If you’re part way through take the time to sit down and tick off what you’ve achieved and note down what is left. It can make all the difference in re-focusing yourself on the tasks to come. Here are my declutter pointers for the month
- Winter Coats, hats and scarves – Dig them out, freshen up and wash them. If it’s anything like my house make sure all gloves are in a pair and put them into easy to grab storage, as any day soon we will all get caught out by the first frosty start. Go through hand me down boxes – we found some outerwear that can now fit the younger siblings and so that will save me buying more new things, thus being kinder to our bank balance and also the environment.
- Get those winter boots and wellies ready to hand.
- Paperwork – In my decluttering mission, I now need to sort through the neglected drawer of letters. I’m saving this for a wet miserable day, as admin always takes longer than you think especially when the odd phone call is needed. You will be thankful that you’ve done this now as the next few months gets busier preparing for Christmas. Maybe even start to get organised ready for January’s tax returns. Knowing if you need to save some extra money for any payments can be really handy.
- Swap Summer duvets for Winter ones. All of a sudden the nights have become chiller, get those Summer ones washed and put away ready for next year and air your Winter one ready to put on the bed.
- With the last of the Summer sun get laundry out on the line. This next week my sofa furnishings and some curtains will get a freshen up and placed on the line before we have to start using the airer and the tumble dryer.
Gardening –
Gardening –Get that last lawn cut in, if you’re in a drier area than we are currently. I think we have had our last lawn cut but could be wrong, if we have warm October! Tidy up all those overgrown bushes and purchase some spring bulbs ready to plant this month. It’s always a welcome surprise to see those first daffodils and tulips to arrive after a long Winter. We like to get the garden all sorted before the green recycling stops over the winter months, saves us a trip to the local refuse centre/tip.
Meals
Here is our Monthly Meal Planning List for October.
Autumn Inspiration
- Autumn Bucket List Get planning your Autumn activities now. Here is my List to help give you some ideas.
- Halloween Ideas – We love filling our half term with Halloween activities, it really keeps the kids busy and they just love it. Here are some of what we hope to do this halloween.
- Autumn Picnics -We still enjoy picnics in Autumn, especially over half term, so here are our picnic ideas to keep you warm whilst out with the kids.
- Autumn Hygge – Get your house in the Autumn mood with some fall decor. I love the addition of candles, pumpkins, cute Autumn ornaments, seasonal flowers and fairy lights.
October Admin
- Get ahead and stock up on treats ready for trick or treat on Halloween night.
- There are plenty of free and cheap local events for pumpkin carving, National Trust days etc; look ahead as some activities just need booking ahead of time.
- Check Halloween costumes fit, as often I forget to do this and realise they’ve grown out of them. Try swapping outfits with friends and family to save buying new ones, good for the pocket and the environment!
Self Care- Hygge
With the darker evenings on the way, now is the time to light those candles, have a bath and pamper yourself. I also love Autumnal nail polish colours so will be making sure I have time to paint my nails more. I find it a good time to start stocking up and taking vitamins ready for those winter bugs. I also love to try get out for Autumn walks as they make you feel good and you can make the most of the last of the warmer sunshine and top up on some vitamin d.
Christmas Preparation
It’s now time to think about setting aside some time to get organised for the festive time, especially if you want to get foodie or crafty.
Sir up Sunday isn’t until 25th November but there is no reason why you can’t get ahead and make your Christmas cakes and puddings now in October to get it out of the way. I think I will attempt to make a Mary Berry pudding this year. If you want to be ultra organised you could look at making your own mincemeat ready for mince pies and even make and freeze the pies. I tend to cheat a little and use shop bought mincemeat. You could always plan in your diary a baking day.
Plan any homemade or handmade gifts you want to make or do this year and set aside some crafty time to do so in plenty of time as it gets so busy on the run up!
With your decluttering have a cull of Children’s toys and donate or sell so you can use any cash you make to go towards this year’s gifts.
Scour eBay and second hand sites for brand new or good condition toys. Now is the time to grab a bargain before they sell for more. We picked up a really reasonable priced dolls house that is in excellent condition at a fraction of the price.
Also check out the shops mid season sales, I came across the M&S mid season sale and found quite a lot of last year’s winters stock at bargain prices amongst the Summer ones. Also sites such as microscooter and bike shops sell off the odd bike/scooter at this time of year. We have regularly found scooter bargains at this time of year.
That is my Christmas tips for now, I will be back with more in November!
You can find Last months post here
Leave a Reply