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.
Julie
Smells like drawer.
I thought I was the only one who ever noticed that about the seasonal clothes change over.
KimS
Me too! Number 33 Haul out the flannel pajamas that have been in hiding for 4 months and now smell like drawer. Cracked me up!
Jenny
This reminds me that I need to switch out my summery yellow wreath on the front door for my burlap and fall foliage wreath!
Jenifer
Also, put away hammock...only used twice this summer and start regimen of antidepressants to get through the winter.
Karen
No kidding! I have my SAD light charged up and ready to go! ~ karen
Christie Cokely
Those are all so brutally true and I love them all! Happy Fall!
danni
Throw away razor made me laugh. My husband would beg me in the winter months to either keep my legs shaved or let it grow out and leave it alone! In my younger days I had very aggressive stubble!
leisa
Excellent List!
Fonda
Keep the bird feeders filled, even the hummingbird feeder until you finally noticed they've moved further south, then retire it until spring.
Jacquie Gariano
Here in CA. we keep the feeders full all winter for the ones who come for the less cold winters. Suit too.
susan
Give the lawn one final cut and put gas stabilizer in both lawnmowers. The rains are finally coming and it's still hot so the grass will need to be cut right up until Christmas. (It's been so hot and sunny here in PEI all summer I think I only had to cut it 3 times!) Run out of gas, get more, give the lawn one final cut and put gas stabilizer in both mowers. Repeat.
The chili is made and in the freezer but the leaves don't seem to fall off the trees into my gutters until it's cold enough to make it truly miserable trying to scoop them out.
Sandra Lea
I'm off to a good start, I've already completed # 26.
Carrie
Karen, I am shocked! A house isn't a home unless it contains beer and whiskey! I mean who doesn't like a whiskey chaser?? Lol 🍺🍺
Ya know, I think I'll throw caution to the wind and toss my razors,though i may be divorced or sleeping alone. (Another reason for the whiskey😳)
Also great minds think alike. Yesterday I was thinking about making slow cooker pumpkin chili. Definite sign of fall! Not a fan of the season, hate the idea of saying goodbye to my pool but I live in NY so......
Let us know how the yodeling goes! I think you'll be great!👍👍
Have a great weekend😀
Karen
Yodelehheeho! (see? I'm getting good already.) ~ karen!
Marna
Cool! I did about 10 of the things you listed! Even though in Texas it is still close to or in the 90s. At least I am not in the south where clean up is still taking place, poor Florida and islands are getting it now.
Karen
Yikes! I've been thinking about my Texas readers and how many of them have been affected. And I'm constantly thinking about the Floridians. At least it seems like they're getting a way better heads up to get OUT. :( ~ karen!
Cathleen clark
In FL I think we are all affected. We are staying at my husband's office 30 ft above sea level. Pitching a tent inside for the grands. Our home is on the water. I am not motivated to clean today. I have hurricane headache. Yuck.
I hope everyone stays safe!
Karen
Good luck Cathleen. Know that everyone in Canada is thinking of everyone in Florida. ~ karen!
MrsChrisSA
Sorry to you all......................here it is spring and I am over the moon happy she has arrived.
I am so not a winter person - leaving home in the dark, coming home in the dark...all makes my mood dark for the winter months!!
On the other hand, chores include lots of spring cleaning and refreshing!!!
Karen
I think we in the Northern Hemisphere should get a do over. This spring and summer SUCKED. ~ karen!
Kmarie
It did kind of jip us didn’t it? I feel I had a few days between winter/cold seasons. Boooo. Ok so if I broke up with Telus and had to change my email addy - do I just re subscribe on here or do I have to unsubscribe first? Also with the drawer bit- I put a fresh bounce in my seasonal and switch it out once a month... usually I end up washing them anyway as I feel itchy in old clothes and smells bother me but it’s nice to open a drawer and smell toxic bounce 😉
chloe crofton
...a lot of your suggestions I need to do, here are a few more I plan to do
repair poultry pen so you don't have to bend wire when your hands are too cold and gloves only make the job harder
prepare or try to plan for impending branches that may fall from autumn storms by trimming those near any roof- shed, house, coop etc
look at the garden hose every time you walk past it sprawled all over the yard and remind yourself to pack it up soon before it freezes- there will be a first time!
make lots of plans to eat healthy this season with full meal plans, recipes and commendable ingredients in your pantry, then reward yourself with a twix or a snickers or even a kit kat for making all the lists:)
fix car while you can, before the icy driveway will make it a circus performance to go under it I will not personally be doing this but will be watching and helping and its always worse for me as standing still being actively helpful while doing nothing gets you cold fast,
look at the snow shovels and fix the broken ones, understand that snow will come and there is nothing you can do but cry or stay in bed, you don't need to shovel if you asleep right?
throw a ball in the air in slow motion then catch it while it is still warm enough outside and you can pretend it is still spring or mid summer
try and get excited for the caffeine boost required at several intervals in the day especially in the fall winter days, even though you gave up creamer last week and you meant it
gaze at the one of many calenders you have laying around in sheer disbelief another summer is waning and soon it will Christmas and the New Year
attempt to get into a fall and winter mindset of being focused and an active and motivated indoor person- by doing absolutely nothing of significance all day then feeling immense guilt and rushing to get chores and errands done when it is already dark and everywhere is shut
lastly
keep checking email for the next art of doing stuff post to give extra positive pep ups through the next forever months!
Karen
hahahah. All good plans. ~ karen!
Tina
This is my first fall without a secondary, large freezer. I'm surviving on only the freezer attached to my fridge. It's the biggest one I've ever seen but still not enough. But it was rainy and cold tonight so I made steak and barley soup with garlic bread. Yum!
Phylicia Mann
Yes I will be starting with chili and lava cake...then washing the windows and ....wait what???? I have no fireplace in my house?????first time in ten years and I JUST noticed...😩
Ok....well I guess that strikes a few things off my list.
TucsonPatty
I'm just binge watching anything to stay out of the stinking heat! The kids are back in school, but it is still summer here! Yeesh. I'm just glad I'm not having to do a majot remodeling job in the tropical heat and moldy humidity of Houston or Florida! I have first world problems and I know it. Cheers to chili!
Valerie
Add to list:
* re:# 9 - acquire coarse steel wool for this project or expanding insulating foam
* take up mats at outside doorways so they aren't solidified and frozen in place
* watch for snow tire sales/replace worn wind shield wipers front and back
* make blackberry jam as they are coming into season
* if you live rurally and have lots of apple trees that attract bears take your pitching wedge out and drive the apples away from your house into the wild blue yonder
* plant lots of bulbs/collect poppy seeds and rebroadcast these in a month for next year bloom
donna f
Good additions. Golfing apples sounds fun.
Andrea
okra, you forgot okra: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/hot-pickled-okra
Kate
Made your Pumpkin Spice Latte mixture yesterday, I'm all ready for Fall!
Monica
Haha, I like that in the list of 30 items this is the only one that actually needs to get done. :)
Robert
"or single neighbour if they need help with anything."??? Karen! 😏