Fall Maintenance and Winter Preparation

I have a permanent to-do scheduled for every October 1st. I pull out my Fall and Winter Notebook. There are several fall maintenance chores that should be done each year to get prepared for winter. Summer needs to be physically put away. Several of our busiest holidays will come in the blink of an eye. The house, the yard, and our bodies all need protection from the cold (and flu) season ahead. My Fall and Winter Planner walks our family through it all.

Consider scheduling some of the following tasks onto your calendar or making your own Planner. Don’t try to do them all in one day, but don’t drag them out, either. For most of us there are only a couple of weeks left before the first frost date.

The Chores:

I break all of the chores into affected areas. For me it was the easiest way to initially figure out what needed to be done. You can scramble your list in any way that makes sense to you. Our list is going through some adjustments as we continue to get use to a new house, but most things apply wherever we are.

The Family:

Here I just mean actual people. I start with the four of us, then friends and extended family, then community.

• Clothes. I start swapping seasonable wardrobe. I add all of it to the wash to freshen it up. As things come out of the dryer, I start putting winter things into closets and drawers and shorts and the like aside to be stored. I make a list of clothing/items each person needs.
• Doctor appointments. I call not only to check on flu shots and the like, but I schedule annual physicals. I have learned to get them done just after each person’s birthday to make it harder to forget. For the others in the house that comes early in the new year. Since I am on the phone with The Doc anyway… (Take a minute to remember the pets, too.)
• Christmas jump start. I begin addressing envelopes for Christmas cards. I actually prefer newsletters or making my own cards if I can, but the point is to decide now and do a few a night so I don’t get writer’s cramp in my hand. Cards should be a moment to connect, not a chore. If we are doing professional pictures to send in the cards, I schedule the appointment with the studio. I start a list for Christmas Gifts. I have a list of everyone we typically give to, then I ask the hubby and kids if there is anyone they intend to give to this year. I once got caught trying to find a few kids’ gifts late, late the night before the last day of school before Christmas break. Whether you choose to make the attempt or to explain to your child it is too late to shop, you lose. It is much easier to just ask about it now.
• Community. I start looking at places we can volunteer and lend a hand over the season. If we make inquiries now, we can choose the things we find most worthwhile. When the phone calls start coming in asking us to help, I do not want to commit to something only to realize we could have been spending our time doing a greater good. I also determine how much time we have available to help and stick to it. It is really hard to say no this time of year. Say it anyway or you will wear yourself out.

Outside:

• Vegetation. I debug and bring in plants that I want to keep inside over the winter. We weed the beds one last time, plant bulbs and mulch for the winter.
• Decor. I change the wreath on the door and do a little porch decorating for fall. I schedule on the calendar when to change it up for the rest of the upcoming holidays. We clean off all outdoor furniture and store away any cushions or decorations from summer.
• Leaves. When the leaves have mostly fallen, we clean the leaves out of the gutters and add them to the compost pile. Then we mulch the rest into the yard with the mower.
• Structures. We check for holes and damage to the exterior or the house from top to bottom – roof, walls, foundation. The same for outbuildings and dog houses. Make sure water will drain away from the structures. Ice can turn little cracks into big cracks in a single season.
• Surfaces. Any problems with porches, stairs, and the driveway need to be repaired before ice causes more damage. I make sure to add salt to the shopping list and check the snow shovels.
• Automobiles. (Am I the only one who always thinks of the movie Sixteen Candles with that word?) One afternoon is set aside to thoroughly clean the cars inside and out. Hubby insists on changing the oil and checking the fluids himself, but you may prefer scheduling an appointment to have it done. Each car is equipped with winter needs including an ice scrapper and blankets.
• Tools. When all of the outdoor chores are done, we check all of the tools. Remove dirt and rust, then oil them to protect them until spring. A quick spritz with some WD-40 or similar lubricant is all it takes. Don’t over do it or you will have oil spots to clean up or worse, make a slick spot for someone to get hurt.
• Outdoor Water. You need to cover the faucets unless they are frost free fixtures. We drain hoses and put them away. Drain the filters on any fountains, pools, or the like and research how to properly winterize your individual system. And don’t forget your birdbath. Clean it out and if you add a heater, go ahead and make sure it works.

Inside:

• Systems Check. We inspect the HVAC, the plumbing, and the gas lines. We check that everything is in place for our back-up heat. Time to call the chimney sweep if we used the fireplace the year before.
• Drafts. We check all of the possible places for air leaks. That includes windows, doors, outlets, attic access, and even around the light fixtures. Look for any holes man made or critter caused.
• Emergency. All of the alarms are checked, cleaned and batteries replaced. (Now is a good time to go over a fire plan with your family. Check the links below.) We check fire extinguishers. We make sure we have candles, flashlights, and extra blankets in case the power goes out. I make sure we have a stash of bottled water and food stuffs.
• Decor. During the winter months when we are spending so much time indoors, I tend to pay more attention to trying to make the house cozy. Now is the time I break out the items that will be around all winter. And of course with all of the holidays over the next few months, I take a peek into the decorations I have on hand and decide what I want to keep, what I want to donate, then I make a list of things I would like to add. The list keeps me from blowing my budget on decorations.

Projects and Events:

When I started the Fall and Winter Notebook, I initially included all of the gatherings and events over the upcoming months. I am fairly fanatical about all of the holidays, so I have since made separate planners for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. But I cheat a little. I still keep the jump start activities in the Fall and Winter notebook, then I also have some Thanksgiving and Christmas added to earlier planners so I make sure to spread everything out. It takes one month for me to prepare for Halloween, two months for Thanksgiving, and three months for Christmas. This plan keeps me from feeling rushed, helps spread out the expenses, and enables me to fully enjoy each of the holidays.

Anyway, if you are making a planner, go ahead and add a section for each gathering or event. Include decorations, crafts, recipes, traditions, any gift ideas (I keep a list of everyone’s favorite color and special interests), and most importantly, a place to write a follow up. The follow up will remind you in later years what works, what does not and will give you a place to make notes on little changes you want to make for next year. It is the key to evolving the holiday chaos to smooth sailing.

More Resources Out on the Net:

Fall Cleaning Chore Checklist from Organized Home

Routine Maintenance from Repair-Home

10 Essential Fall Tasks from Demesne

Save Time, Effort, And Money With A Monthly Home and Auto Maintenance Checklist from The Simple Dollar

Fire Safety Links: Two checklists here and here that are very helpful. Plus One, Two, Three more links that are very helpful in prevention, planning for occurrences, and working with your kids.

photo credit: Fires of Fall by mAt0s