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.
"Haul out the flannel pajamas that have been in hiding for 4 months and now smell like drawer."
My questions, since you seem to have a solution for almost any problem, how do you get the drawer/shelf odor out of cloths, sheets or any other clothes or items that have been sitting toooo long in a drawer or shelf with out having to rewash the item, which is just such a pain and wasteful and annoying and frustrating as they were all sparkling clean and smelling nice when they were put in the drawer or on the shelf!!
I don't use them, but I've almost bought them many times, lol. Drawer liners. I actually don't mind old drawer smell but only when it pertains to my flannel pajamas! ~ karen
Dryer sheets in the drawers work wonders
What has happened to your wonderful neighbor that would come and chop your wood. I think of him every year.
I'm heartbroken to report that this summer David died unexpectedly at the age of 94 in the home that he built. ~ karen
Your list brings back fond memories 🤭. I miss those days sooo much, in my mind i can still enjoy them, not sooo with my body anymore despite how much CBD i use 🥴. CBD does work better than anything i have used prior i admit . Spring and Fall have always been my happiest times of year , Planting and harvesting 😂 … can you tell i am from farm stock 🤣.
Farm stock breaks down quicker than city stock. ~ karen
Not quite ready for this here in central western New Brunswick. We are still under a heat advisory with a temp with humidex rated at 39°.. I spent yesterday making grape jam from grapes not quite ready. It is a mite tart despite doubling the sugar. No pectin required. Why pick them early? Two wordsmith raccoons, squirrels. They still get all the ripest and highest ones.
It was the same here yesterday! But overnight the heat wave broke. ~ karen!
40. Turn off and drain all outside faucets.
I’m right there with you on #19.
And other than washing 2-3 times, is there another way to get the “drawer smell” out of clothes, towels, or sheets?
I don't mind the drawer smell! But if I were you I'd try scented drawer liners! I just looked them up and these ones are highly rated from thousands of reviews. ~ karen!
OOPS. I think you're in Canada - this is the Canadian link. ~ karen!
Nope. In the US. That pic is from a vacation in Newfoundland.
My favourite: empty all the hoses, coil them and put them away before they become cold and even more intractable than usual.
Yes! ~ karen
I was right with you on number 5
Until you said Plaid.
They had a whole npr piece on fashion here in Vermont today. Plaid and thrift stores. I’m going to go off and think about lumber jacks without plaid now.
I agree. However, as a proud Canadian who chops wood I AM TAKING THE PLAID BACK. First the hipsters stole it, then the "we're just all casually sitting on the bed in our matching pajama" Instagram families. ~ karen!
Lumberjacks without plaid?
Does that mean they're naked?? 😮😉
Perfect timing - it reminded me that I never did any of the things on the Summer list. There's a high probability that the Fall list is destined for the same fate. The GREAT thing about procrastination is that you always have something to do tomorrow and the rest of today is free.
Just buy a scented candle, make a batch of chili and call it a day. ~ karen!
I love this list! It makes me a little less depressed that summer is ending. BUT, you left out football games and tailgating!!!!
Eavestroughs not gutters. You’re Canadian for heaven’s sake. 😉
Definitely, Jan! Here in the maritimes Eavestroughing runs ‘round the roof and gutters run along the street, being those things out of which my Mum would occasionally tell my Dad to get his mind.
I've already replaced the gin and tonic with whiskey even though winter is still a long way away out here in Lotusland. And I would be the elderly neighbour wanting assistance. So far no takers on that. Need some new flannel pjs and a few more warm sweaters, nice cuddly ones. Have fun; that list is daunting.
Before freezing weather especially if you have copper pipes turn off your outside faucet from the inside then open it up leave it like that until spring.
This prevents freezing of the line which will leak inside your house till you discover it.
That's true! I don't know how I forgot to add that to the list. ~ karen!
We are getting too old to clean the gutters.Your winter project is to perfect homemade gutter guards.Thank you.
Christine
P.S.The mice have entered already.
Nooooooo! ~ karen
Karen you need to start making wine because you obviously don't have enough to keep you busy. Just simple 1 gallon batches of country wine to help use up all the extra garden produce.
Sure, sure.😂 ~ karen!
Just make moonshine! ;D
If I didn't live 621 miles away I would come help you haul in your firewood from the street. I am considering hiring a couple of kids to help me get mine moved in.
I did that one year when I just did NOT have time. I got about half of it moved and then I hired a kid to do the rest and he was great! ~ karen!
I shall light my Frigid Hockey Bag scented candle, prepare a nice batch of chili, make some more breakfast sausage and begin dreading THAT day. The upcoming day when I will be forced to yield to Chicago's seasonal reality, yank my three window A/C units and re-seal the windows with the plastic sheets I moved to install the units several months ago. I'm missing Summer already.
I have forgotten 38. It sucks. Adding 38B. Drain and flip your rain barrel. If you forget it will also freeze and crack. Ask me how I know. . .
Best list, EXCEPT the raking. Leave the leaves in place. Google it. The creatures will thank us all.
I don't need to Google it. You're right! It's good to leave leaves under bushes and around plants in garden beds for worm food and insect hiding spots. But if you have nuisance pests like vine borer or lady beetles it's best to clear the leaves so you don't have an overwintering habitat for them. Also if you have a garden with diseased leaves on roses, or vegetables you have to rake them and remove them. And of course from the sidewalk where they would get to be 1' deep if I didn't rake them, lol. ~ karen!
o' Lawdy. It's 80 degrees here. We are having a cold snap. I'll have to save this list for November, maybe early December for that two weeks it is cold, we can wear sweaters and maybe a mosquito will die from the chill.
We've had a relatively cool summer here in Southern California (rarely got over 80 F). But now the hot weather begins!
There's now way I could find the energy to do all those things on your list. I'm glad our version of Fall only last 3 days or so.
When we were in San Jose for Christmas over 20 years ago, we left on the day just before rain was supposed to hit and sandbags were being stacked. We were told that Calif has only 2 seasons: wet & dry. 🙂