Special Tips for the Change of Season is a quick list of items to check off in preparation from summer to fall/winter. Use these tips and add the extra seasonal checklist to customize and optimize your chores. Don’t be caught off guard with an emergency that could have been prevented. Likewise, be prepared for the emergency that DOES happen.
Special Seasonal Deals following the List of Special Tips
The List
Exchange Air Filters
Clean or replace air filters based on the type of furnace in your home – The standard recommendation is to change them every two months. Ideally, once a month would be a great habit but the time flies so quickly, its easier to manage every other month, or even quarterly.
Replace Batteries in Smoke Alarms
Did you know smoke alarms themselves expire? I did not know this until I had a fire one day. Fortunately, I spotted the fire (contained) and was able to remain on the phone with 911 until the fire department arrived. Of the four smoke alarms in my home, only one went off AFTER the fire trucks had arrived!
Pantry Staples
Prepare your pantry to cover your family meals when weather doesn’t permit traveling to the store. Have the staples on hand, your dried and canned favorites. Plus, fill your freezer with groceries you know you will use throughout the cold months.
Schedule Home Maintenance
For those of you who spent the summer gathering logs and chopping cords of firewood for winter, don’t forget your chimney sweep inspection. While you are at it, survey your gutters for any clogs or problems and door and window seals.
Interior Updates
Fall is the ideal change of season for doing those home projects where its chill enough outside you want to stay in but not so cold you can’t open windows or doors in the house for a nice flowing breeze. In other words, this is a great time of year to PAINT YOUR WALLS. Freshen it up, update the color, add a wallpaper. These are inexpensive ways to give your home a fresh new look you will enjoy all winter long. Mattresses, bedding. Furniture…dining table and chairs for the holidays?
Yard Preparation
Two things that seem to always catch us off guard, or did until I finally learned my lesson, are getting on the schedule for the sprinkler blow-outs/backflow inspection and the pest control. There is nothing worse than laying in bed and watching a spider crawl across the ceiling when you know you can’t reach it. And BRING THE HOUSE DOWN to ever use a broom and have that piercing eyed, two-fanged, hungry-looking-at-me-spider fall on my bed! It’s either going to eat me alive or it will be the dreaded spider I statistically swallow this year!
Winter Equipment
Check condition of any winter equipment – Do you need a tune-up on your snow blower? Is your inventory of rock salt or kitty litter full for icy spots?
Change of Season: Hot Days of Summer to Cool Nights of Fall
The change of season typically refers to the gradual but inevitable changes that occur in our weather patterns and climate. However, along with the weather, so does everything else. Our wardrobe, our activities, and our food choices. As the list continues.
The Fast Calendar
My last post was just before Mother’s Day. I fully intended to update before Father’s Day. Then time slipped by and it was Fourth of July. Now, I feel the pressure to share this with you before Labor Day weekend. Partially because my kids go back to school mid-August this year, a little earlier than usual. So, here it is the end of July and I am freaking out about school supplies and school clothes.
Deal Tracking
If you are like me, I have a list five pages long for the Summer Black Friday Sales. Unfortunately, other summer expenses have come up (trips to the local pool, an extra snow cone or four depending on how many extra children happened to climb in my minivan). So, I missed those deals. Now, I am on the hunt for the next best Summer-to-Fall/Back-to-School Savings! I haven’t seen the store ads up yet. Which is exactly why it is important I share with you what is available ONLINE HERE.
Clothes! More Clothes! And Even More Clothes!
I admit it, I despise shopping for clothes. It has never been my “jam”. My best friend is the same. We prefer domestic shopping – you know, kitchen gadgets, home décor, garden plants and ornaments. But this is the time of year when I MUST shop for clothes. Therefore, this is the exception to my hatred of wardrobe shopping.
Shopping for the Family
First off, priority shopping demands I outfit my two kids for school. I start with pants that don’t sag and lack holes. Then, shirts not stained or torn that contain nothing offensive or suggestive imagery or text. Next, socks without toe air-slots and white bottoms and fresh, clean underwear. Because you never know when you will be in an accident and you want to have clean shorts! Wink! Wink!
Shopping for Myself
Secondly, once that shopping has been done, I shop for myself AND for the upcoming holidays! Summer clearance sales are ideal! Most of the time, I have accurately guessed my children’s growth and have bought ahead for the next summer. (Just like I buy their winter coats at deep discounts in February-April…winter clearance and tax return season).
Cold Weather Wear and OuterWear
Finally, you will need long sleeves and sweaters and hooded jackets before you know it! Get a jump on it now and you will be relieved you did.
JOIN ME FOR THIS CHANGE OF SEASON WARDROBE SHOPPING!
DON’T FORGET TO SHOP AHEAD OF TIME FOR HALLOWEEN COSTUMES TOO!
From Summer Play to Fall Activities
The change of seasons is greatly impacted with our activity choices. Summer camping on bright starry nights fade out to only the die-hard campers not afraid of a drop of night temps. Usually, those are the hunters who are hoping for fill their game tags. Ultimately, filling their freezers and providing healthy meals to their families.
Outdoor Swimming pools lock up for the season with kids in school because it’s not feasible to open to the smaller off-season crowds. Instead, the parks are the key location for optimist football, soccer, baseball and such. Not just the parks for community activities but collegiate and professional football start. People act in a frenzy to wear their team’s colors, acquire tickets to a game, and even tailgate.
Change of Season Calls for Career Change
This is real! There have been surveys and studies to identify fluctuations in employment and when people choose to change jobs; including a change of career. The first of the year – January and February – are obvious top months for this. People are ready for big changes from the dreary winter weather and have their New Years Resolutions on High Motivation.
But the next time of year is Autumn. September and October are in a sense, safe career changing months. See, by then, you have had an opportunity to build vacation time AND use some, or all, of it for family trips over the summer.
Are you asking, “How does that make it safe to quit my job?”
This is when all the stores and warehouses start their holiday hiring. It’s a great world for temporary positions. It gets you out of where you are unhappy. Plus, temporary employment provides a source of income (regardless of reduced income, its still an income flow) and gives you a chance to try something different. Additionally, you can change your schedule a bit and set time aside to look for what you really desire to do.
Or take a leap of faith and build your own business from home. Without losing your life savings or investments, learn a new trade with opportunities to create multiple streams of residual income! Let me show you how!
Spring Gardens Nourish Us to Fall Harvest, Comfort Foods and Tailgating
Food
Fondly, I am recalling the freshest spring greens when the peas first popped up and my lettuces and spinach started filling my bowls. I am ever so grateful for the bounty of a wonderful garden. Although, as much as I enjoy the greens, I have been craving a good, old-fashioned chicken-n-dumplin’ soup. Trust me, I am NOT a chef. However, I do enjoy cooking. If it works, we all love it and I hope I remember how I did it. When it doesn’t work, we share it with the dogs! In this case, Homemade Chicken Noodle Dumpling Soup was a creation that worked. Recently, it has been on my mind. Try it out yourself and see what you think.
Tailgating
Equally, I am craving all the fun and wonders of tailgating. Over the years, we sit down with the schedule of Boise State games (BSU College Football – Go Broncos!) and design a meal schedule to go along with the games. There is a theme for each game. We prepare for a crowd and set it up buffet style. It has been a blast for years. Almost earning itself status of tradition. I intend to add these themes as I can to share them with all of you. Our favorites to date are the Breakfast Bar, Baked Potato Bar and Chili Feed.
REFER TO MY MONEY SAVING TIPS SERIES
