It’s October in the Midwest, my favorite time of year.  One of the traits that makes it my favorite is its capricious nature.  Take, for example, the second week of October, when I started this blog article.

• Tuesday, October 9 – sunny and 85 degrees…
• Thursday, October 11 – the low temperature was around 40 degrees  overnight.
• Less than 48 hours, 45 degree differential.   Wow.

The onset of cold weather can trigger a number of events.  For example:

• That week, the cold weather triggered my van’s low tire pressure sensors, since cold air contracts.  A quick and free stop at the Toyota dealer on my way out of town on a road trip took care of that in no time!  Or…
• Friday evening that week, when it was 58 degrees inside my house and only getting colder overnight, it was time to turn on the heat.

From an organizational point of view, there are a number of tasks that come with colder weather!  Tackle a couple of these this week, and get a handle on your Autumn!

Transition your closet for colder weather.

• Review your summer items.  Donate or toss anything that is too tattered to wear again, or that no longer fits or appeals to you.
• Take special items to the cleaners, making sure to pick them up again in a week!
• Pack up, or move to the back of the closet, any clothes that you know you want to keep but that you won’t wear again until Spring.  And then finish bringing forward or unpacking your colder weather clothes!
• Practice the same review and rotate process with your shoes, too!

Check out that basket or pile of things by the door.

• In  my house, there’s a basket near the back door, and this week we swapped baseball caps and rain ponchos and to stocking caps, ear muffs and gloves. It’s time to put away the beach towels and summer sports gear, as well.
• Review the pile of shoes.  As much as I love wearing sandals (And I do. love. wearing. sandals, like these in the picture – my new faves!), it’s time to put the summer shoes away for the season.  Toss or donate shoes that are too small, too beat up, or without a mate.  Wash what you can, take in any items for repairs, and put away the summer stuff.  I store my off- season clothes and shoes together, on the top shelf of my closet.  Not so far that I can’t get them out again if I really need them, but certainly not in the way.

Transition Your Home, and Get Cozy:

• Get your furnace cleaned and checked out;
• Switch your fans to spin clockwise for winter;
• Empty your garden hoses and turn off the water to your outdoor spigots;
• Put the “cold weather bag”, as one client calls it, back in the car filled with an extra blanket or 2, Clif or granola bars, window scrapers, jumper cables, etc.;
• The first weekend in November, change your clocks, change your smoke detector batteries, and test your CO2 monitors, as well; and
• Get cozy.  Last week, I bought new pillows for our family room couch and added comfy throws to a couple of arm chairs, plus I checked my inventory my tea and cold weather beverages!

Look around and see what you can do to manage your seasonal changes this week!