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Monthly Organizing Checklist
October 2021
by Maria Gracia
Our NEW October Organizing Checklist provides an organizing TO DO for
every day of the month…
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__ Oct 1
Decorate for Halloween. Stow away any out-of-season
items you still have on display. Add pumpkins to your porch.
Grab your fall pillow covers and comfy quilts out of storage
to bring the wonderful season of autumn inside. Display your
Halloween décor indoors and out.
__ Oct 2
Get rid of anything with freezer burn. If you have food in
your freezer with freezer burn, it’s not worth saving. It’s not
going to taste good and is just taking up unnecessary space.
__ Oct 3
Let there be light. Add some lighting (a lamp, a nightlight,
etc.) to a dark room or closet.
__ Oct 4
Enjoy golf. Play a round of golf, watch a match on TV, or
learn about the history or rules of golf. If you own golf clubs,
be sure you give some time and attention to cleaning your
equipment and decluttering your golf bag.
__ Oct 5
Clean out the cat’s litter box. If you have a cat, clean out
his or her litter box. I don’t mean a quick clean-up. Dump out
the old litter and then do a thorough “bring it outside and
scrub it” session.
__ Oct 6
Make a fun book and movie Halloween basket. Gather
some scary books and/or suspenseful movies in a basket.
Now they’re easily accessible and more visible. You and
your family will be reminded and encouraged to enjoy them
this Halloween season.
__ Oct 7
Clean out your eating utensil drawer. Remove everything
so you can clean out the drawer. Then reorganize your items
back in. Get a new utensil organizer if you need one.
__ Oct 8
Stock up on non-perishable groceries. Many
supermarkets are seeing shortages again. So many shelves,
in my area, were looking bare the last time I went shopping.
Buy some extras of items you can’t live without. If your
stores run out, you’ll be well-stocked for a while.
__ Oct 9
Sweep your walkway and driveway. This is one of the
easiest ways to keep the outside of your home looking
presentable…and prevent the dirt from being tracked inside.
Plus, raking doubles as some light exercise and a chance to
breathe some fresh air.
__ Oct 10
Inventory winter coats, boots, and gloves. Yes, the cold
weather season is upon many of us. Determine what you
have and what you need to replace. If you have young kids,
be sure to remember to check those snow pants…do they
still fit your children?
__ Oct 11
Donate old Halloween costumes. If you have old
costumes hanging around that you or your kids are never
going to wear, donate them. This will give those folks
shopping in thrift stores some fun dress-up options for the
upcoming holiday.
__ Oct 12
Weed out old cleaning products. Every one of us has
purchased a cleaning product, at one time or another, that
we didn’t really love. If that item is still under your kitchen
sink, in your garage, etc., say goodbye to it this month. (If
you have concerns about how to safely dispose of it, call
your local sanitation department.)
__ Oct 13
Plant tulips. If you want to see tulips in your garden when
spring arrives, the best time to plant them is fall. Pick up
some bulbs and get them in the ground 6 to 8 weeks before
a hard, ground-freezing frost is expected.
__ Oct 14
Pass on some kindness. Whether it’s a baked good, a few
new seasonal magazines/books, or a plant, surprise a
neighbor with something fun.
__ Oct 15
Pick up on an old hobby. If you have tools and materials
for quilting, sewing, scrapbooking or whatever it may be,
unearth your stuff and enjoy some leisurely time enjoying it.
If you’re no longer interested in that hobby, or can no longer
do it, donate what you have so someone else can make use
of them.
__ Oct 16
Dictionary Day. Today is the birthday of Noah Webster,
considered by many to be the father of the American
dictionary. Learn 5 new words today. Keep them
incorporated in your daily vocabulary for the remainder of
the month so they become ingrained in your memory.
__ Oct 17
Start writing your holiday newsletter. If you write a
holiday newsletter, begin it this month. Make a quick outline
to get started.
__ Oct 18
Assess your sleepwear. Get rid of anything ripped, torn, or
thread-bare. Add sleepwear, that you may need, to your
shopping list.
__ Oct 19
Start thinking about your Christmas cards. If you send
holiday cards in the mail, begin making a list of your TO
DOs. Do you need to begin making cards? Do you need to
get a family photo taken to include in those greetings? Do
you need to update your card recipient list?
__ Oct 20
Declutter and restock your baking ingredients. Go
through all of your baking ingredients. Declutter anything
expired or that you won’t use. Restock anything you’re out
of, or running out of.
__ Oct 21
Bake something. This time of year calls for an aromatic pie
baking in the oven, whether it’s one you make from scratch
or a frozen one you pick up at the store.
__ Oct 22
Stock up on postage stamps. It’s no fun having to search
through drawers when you need a stamp. Always have a
sheet or two on hand.
__ Oct 23
Make a Difference Day. Make a positive difference in
someone’s life, big or small. Random acts of kindness are
always in style.
__ Oct 24
Clean out under your bed. Get rid of any unnecessary
clutter that you’re hiding under there.
__ Oct 25
Do you still have old VHS movies and cassette audio
tapes? Many folks still have old media stowed away in a
box in the basement or attic. Locate these. Do you really still
need them? If your wedding, or something important is on
that old media, get it converted to a current media format.
Otherwise, say goodbye to these items.
__ Oct 26
Donate old hair dryers, curling irons, hair straighteners,
and other hair-related electronics. If you’re not using these,
someone else can. Donate to your local charity or thrift
store.
__ Oct 27
Match food storage containers and lids. If you can’t find a
match, get rid of those stray ones. I have a set of Pyrex that
I use for most food storage. Consider this option, as
opposed to dozens of their more flimsy plastic counterparts.
__ Oct 28
Clean windows in one room. Use a squeegee and window
cleaning solution to clean all windows in one room, inside
and out. Do this on an overcast day for best results.
__ Oct 29
Delete old email. Most people have a ton of old email they
no longer use. Get rid of as many old messages as you can
today. Set a 30-minute email decluttering session. Ready,
set, go.
__ Oct 30
Rake leaves. It may be high time for you to get outside to do
some raking or leaf blowing. If you can’t do it yourself, pay a
neighborhood kid looking to earn some spending money.
__ Oct 31
Halloween. Inspect your home for cobwebs and get rid of
them. Then enjoy some spooky-fun-relaxing time watching a
thriller on TV.
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