Yes, Christmas is in 41 days and holiday decorations may be up already in my office, but it’s still not too late to prep your house for fall (and winter). I stalled on my fall organization big time this year, but last weekend I got myself in gear and rearranged a few things to get ready for colder weather gear invading my first floor. If you’re so inclined to go about it yourself, here are some things to think about as temps drop, along with some pics courtesy of Maaaahhhtha to give you an idea of what I’m babbling on about.
Boots/Shoes – with colder weather comes wetter shoes, and multiple pairs. Personally I have a separate pair of rain boots, winter boots, and a super old pair of Uggs that are perfect for walking KP – yes this sounds like excess but I assure you each pair has a distinctly different purpose…and they were not all purchased at the same time…they were investments over the past 6 years. I like to put out a boot tray and an extra mat next to our front door for dripping wet shoes. We have hardwood floors throughout our house so it also helps to keep the snow salt off their surfaces by leaving shoes at the door in fall and winter. I also like to put out a big wicker basket to corral shoes not currently in use, since we don’t have a closet.
Coats – chillier temps also mean more coats. And if you live on the east coast, we’ve had the wackiest weather over the past few years that you can’t put your lightweight coats away just yet. Last week I was literally in a wool oat with scarf and mittens. This week I’m sweating in a lightweight trench. Hmm. That seems to be a familiar look for me. Again, since our 1800’s rowhome is missing a closet (among other quirks), we use a series of hooks to keep track of all our coats. A coat rack could also be useful, and of course a coat closet would be downright outstanding. But coats should always be hung up to let them air/dry out.
Scarves – these wrap around our faces and can therefore get a little germy. I recommend hanging all scarves on hooks or a coat rack to let them air out, and if you’ve got an especially runny shnoz, dry out too.
Mittens/Gloves – another item that can get a little icky this time of year. These should also be kept somewhere to air out. Since a hook for mittens is most likely not practical in anyone’s home, I recommend a shallow mesh basket where you can toss these in and keep them together. Then you won’t suffer a mitten loss, or a putting-on-wet-gloves start to your morning. Because we all know that just sucks.
Umbrellas – interesting tidbit here – these should always be stored standing upright. I never knew why, but it turns out that storing them this way protects their ribs. (Isn’t it kind of cute to think that umbrellas have ribs? I don’t know why, it made me laugh). So throwing umbrellas into a basket like yours truly is probably NOT good for the ribs. Get an umbrella stand, or a tall basket to store them in upright. But don’t put them in there soaking wet – let them stand somewhere to dry off first before wrapping them up and tucking away.
And after all that talk about winter gear, it’s only fitting that I will actually be leaving it all behind this weekend as we head down to San Juan, Puerto Rico for JB’s wedding weekend extravaganza. This will be us:
Juuuuuust kidding. B may be a little gangsta at times (ladies from the DA’s office back me up here), but we won’t be rolling like this down in PR. At least not on this trip. (And another tip that this won’t be him – he doesn’t root for the Devils). Instead we will be trading boots and mittens for bathing suits and shorts for a tough 3 days of pool, beach, sleeping in, and celebrating. Can’t wait.
Puerto Rico, Ohhh!
keep it neat 