I love everything about October. The crisp mornings, stormy evening and plump pumpkins. And of course the candy. Can anyone resist those fun sized chocolate bars as an afternoon pick me up? I think not.
And yet, October is the ‘calm’ before the storm of the holiday season. A momentary break in the slide to year end, where you can step aside and get a few things done before running full speed into November and December. I find it’s a great time for a few organizing, cleaning, and planning projects that support activities that happen at the end of the year. Things like getting your fridge and pantry in order and purging cleaning supplies. All things that future you will be thankful that you tackled in October.
To help keep these tasks organized, I always suggest putting together a to-do list for the month. Knowing what needs to be done ahead of time helps you schedule your days so can check these items off without stress.
To help get you started, I’ve put together a list of tasks I suggest completing in October. Feel free to print my list and add any other personal tasks that need to be done!
Here’s a suggested list of things to do this October to keep your home maintained and organized:
Inventory fridge, freezer and pantry
October is the time to focus on food inventory and ready your fridge, freezer and pantry before the holiday season. This can be done by 1) creating an inventory of your fridge, freezer and pantry by writing down exactly what is in there and 2) creating a meal plan that uses up the excess items that are taking up space. You will be SO thankful for the extra space come November/December.
Buy Halloween candy
Whether you get trick or treaters or not, now is the time to treat yo’ self!
Start planning winter holidays
Now is the time to get a jump start on planning the who/what/when/where of the holiday season. Brainstorm all the events and activities that you would like to do and start penciling them in to your planner. Coordinate with family and friends to check availability and get those holiday parties and memory maker events on the calendar.
And while we are talking about it, now is the perfect time to start your holiday gift lists. I’m not saying you need to start shopping and buying for the holidays, but you can if you want to! Somethings things sell our early and having a plan and shopping early can take off some of the holiday stress later in November and December.
Clean & organize fridge, freezer and pantry
If your fridge hasn’t had a deep clean recently, consider this your sign to give it the attention it deserves. The best way to do this is to pull everything (and I mean everything) out. Toss anything past its expiration date and consider donating anything you don’t like or don’t eat anymore.
Food banks are often looking for extra donations in the fall and winter and a well timed pantry clean out can benefit your home as well as other families. After you have sorted through all of your food, be sure to give the fridge, freezer and pantry all a good wipe down before putting things back in an organized way.
Declutter bathroom
If you are looking for another spot in need of some fall organization, look no further than the bathroom! October is a perfect time to tackle this space and give it a fall facelift. Pull everything out and toss anything that is old or no longer used. Be sure to give drawers and shelves a good wipe down so you are starting with a clean slate.
Then, sort all remaining products by general category such as “teeth”, “hair” or “medicine”. Once you have everything grouped, you can start putting back the items by category. Drawer dividers, drawer units and plastic bins can all be used to help keep the categories divided and organized.
For more bathroom decluttering and organization inspiration, be sure to check out these posts:
How to Organize and Add Storage to a Shared Kids Bathroom
10 Small Space Solutions for Organizing the Bathroom
Organize cleaning supplies
With holiday parties, houseguests and impromptu visitors on the horizon, now is the perfect time to get a handle on your cleaning supplies… before you are deep in the cleaning season. This can be a quick 10 minute project that starts with a quick declutter (only keep the cleaning solutions you actually use) and ends with putting everything back in an orderly way, grouped either based on where you use an item or by how you use an item.
For more cleaning supply organization, be sure to check out these posts:
How To Organize Cleaning Supplies
Small Sink Cabinet Organization
Laundry Room Reveal Part 2: Organizing A Deep Laundry Cabinet!
Winterize outdoor spaces
Now is the time to do a few quick passes on your outdoor areas. Any forgotten plants that need to winter indoors? Any faucets that need insulation covers? Take care of any last minute winterizing projects before the cold weather sneaks up on you.
Start holiday gift list
Yes, October is the perfect time to start your gift lists. Having a list of people you need to buy gifts for and a few ideas will come in handy when you start seeing those good sales pop up in the middle of October. It will also help prevent over-buying or plan-less purchasing that you regret closer to Christmas! I suggest using the notes section on your phone as a place to keep these ideas written down.
Have a fall themed movie night
Take advantage of the cold, dark evenings and plan a cozy movie night at home. Pop some popcorn, grab some candy corn and turn on a movie. But which one? There are so many great fall and Halloween themed movies, but here’s a list of my favorites:
- Coco
- Frozen 2
- Practical Magic
- Interview With A Vampire
- Harry Potter
- Hocus Pocus
- Casper
- The Addams Family
- Nightmare Before Christmas
Looking for a way to track these to-do items? Download your own copy of the October List
Click here to download a printable copy of the October List and use the extra empty bullet points to write in any personal to do’s
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