An Accomplished Woman: Fall Cleaning Part 2 and Menu Week Ending 9/28

Fall is one of the busiest times of year around my home. Spring is the absolute busiest. Fall is hectic due to the number of chores in the yard, garden, and home. This last weekend, my son pressure washed the house and cleaned all the windows. I spent the time washing the window screens and storm windows. We are not ready to put up storm windows but they are ready for winter.

Most of the flowers in my yard get planted in the fall. I use a lot of perennials and they need the winter to settle in. Earlier this summer, I decided how many more of each flower I would need and made a list. Now, I am ordering the flowers off that list.

My outside chore list for the fall:

1.    Aerate the yard

2.    Seed the grass

3.    Pressure wash house – check

4.   Wash screens – check

5.    Replant the pots with pansies and mums

6.   Plant perennials

7.    Pull garden and put to bed with pine straw

8.   Trim all the bushes

9.   Scrub all the other pots

10. Cut back all existing perennials

11. Clean up shed and prep for all the furniture

12. Put up furniture cushions

13. Cover all the tables

14. Remove the lights outside (check and clean the lightbulbs)

15. Close the pool

16. Clean the mower and remove blade

17. Drain gas in all the power equipment

18. Shut off the outside water sources

19. Put up hoses

This list takes two months or 8 weekends to complete, which takes me to right about Thanksgiving. In addition to this list, we are installing a new greenhouse.

I tackle two or three items every weekend. Some chores are big… cleaning the garden takes several weekends… so I pair the big chores with smaller chores. The very last thing I do is shut off the water sources.

Have you made your fall clean-up list?

Now we are not all work, we have fall festivals to attend, Halloween costumes to make, College football to see, tailgating and generally fun for the family.

This week’s menu is transitioning to the fall, favorite foods are brought back out.

Tuesday