October is here!

It's the perfect time for a fall organizing update of our homes and systems, now that the kids are finally back to school and we have a bit more time to get things done.

There are 7 simple things you can do now to smooth out the busy days ahead that are well worth the time and effort during this brief lull in activities.

It's also a great time to catch up on home cleaning and maintenance tasks put off during the summer months, as well as begin getting our homes ready for winter.

A bit of work lies ahead in October - to be sure!

Thankfully, however, October is not without a sweet spot for a bit of fun... Halloween is on the horizon!

For little ones, Halloween can be a scary time. If you have teenagers at home (as I do), Halloween takes on a whole different level of scary.

And if you've got both little and big ghouls in residence... who says never the twain shall meet? (Other than Rudyard Kipling, of course.)

There are things we can do to help bridge the age gap and make Halloween a family affair everyone enjoys, regardless of age.

October is a time of catching up and gearing up - and and a time to begin preparing our home's systems and surfaces for the busy days ahead.

Here's how to get started.

In This Issue:

7 Fall Organizing Tips

Since we can't get any more of it, we need to deftly manage what we have. We have busy schedules that, without a plan, can wreak havoc on our days.

With family members going in so many different directions, a master schedule is essential.

Right now, before the mad dash of the holiday season is underway and we're busy with seasonal stuff, is a great time to consider getting it all together at home.

These 7 fall organizing tips can help.

Start with a master family schedule and conclude with a renewed cleaning routine.

October Home Maintenance Checklist

The problem is, we often don't get to them, or else we add them all to our spring cleaning list. Which becomes so massive, we don't get to that, either.

A better way: create a housecleaning schedule for the year along with a home maintenance checklist.

Take all the tasks and spread them out over 12 months. That way, nothing is forgotten, and the workload is much more manageable.

Here is my house cleaning checklist for October.

6 Tips for a Family Halloween Party

Even if you do, there are ways to make October 31 a family affair for younger kids.

The night actually lends itself to kids parties, as parents are chaperones for their trick-or-treaters.

So make it festive with party decorations such as balloons in orange and black or paper streamers.

Since candy is the word of the night, most parents prefer to start All Hallow's Eve with a hearty dinner that keeps little goblins from gobbling every piece of candy they receive on the spot.

Here's how to make the festivities of October 31 a family friendly affair.

5 Tips for a Winter Ready Home

The time you spend checking your home's systems and surfaces from top to bottom could save you thousands of dollars in expensive home repair bills in the near future.

These 5 steps to getting your home ready for winter will help you protect your home and the investment it represents, and get the season started off on a solid foundation.

It's thanks to you that Clean-Organized-Family-Home.com remains a vibrant, help-and-be helped community.

That's all for this month. Stay tuned and talk to you soon,

Tara

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