With school now in session, we’re on the downhill slide to the busy holiday season. Now is the time to get yourself organized if you’ve let clutter get the best of you, if your holidays always turn to chaos or you just want to supercharge your existing organization skills.

Here are some organizing projects to consider now to make the most of the cool, crisp days of Fall when the weather is great before the rain and chill of winter set in which can dim your enthusiasm for organizing.

#1 Tame Your Entry Way Chaos

No matter which means of egress you and your family mainly use to access your home – front door, garage door or side door through a mud room, this is where a lot of clutter tends to accumulate.

This is where you and yours kick off your shoes, take off jackets and toss down backpacks, book bags, dog leashes and all the stuff we bring into our homes.

Depending on how much space you have and whether or not it’s viewable when you have company should determine how you organize. A slimmer space can benefit from a slim shelf with a handful (or more) of coat hooks for jackets and bags with a slender bin for shoes underneath.

If you’ve got a mudroom or more casual decor, a bench with bins underneath or a collection of lockers could work.

If you are limited on space or don’t want things left in the entryway? Teach family members the habit of heading straight to the coat closet with their things when they enter the home.

Ensure this closet is organized to accommodate the essential jackets, bags and other outerwear so that it is easy to put things away and easy to find what you need, when you need it.

Pro Tip: No matter what design you come up with, by making it easier to deposit your stuff in an orderly fashion on the way in and grab what you need on the way out, your life will get easier ASAP.

#2 Get Your Home Ship-Shape for Winter

Now is the time to take care of any lingering home repair and improvement projects before the weather turns colder and wetter and the days get shorter.

Pack up and cover your patio furniture, clean out your gutters if needed, caulk around drafty windows and doors, clean your deck and if it’s looking worn, consider adding a coat of stain or paint to protect it from the harsher days of winter.

Think of this as whole-house organization.

If you don’t have the time or budget now to take care of all the repairs your home needs, make a list of the projects so you can chip away at them when you have the resources.

A home maintenance workbook will help you organize and keep control over your home’s wear and care so you’ll always know what needs done, what’s been done and by what service providers.

Pro Tip: Keeping your home’s interior and exterior in tip-top shape will protect one of your largest investments, increase your enjoyment of your home and encourage you to stay organized.

#3 Start Planning Now for Thanksgiving

Sure it’s only October, but organizing early can take the hectic out of this harried holiday. Whether you have to make a road trip (or two) to visit family or everyone descends on your house for the big meal, you need to get out in front of it so you’re not left exhausted and unable to enjoy the big day.

And if you’ve got kids, there’s a few days to a week out of school to plan for – imagine if you were so organized you could pull off a stunning Thanksgiving, spend free days out of school with your kids and even take advantage of Black Friday sales, if that’s your thing.

Check out this great roster of make-ahead side dishes you can cook up to a month before the big meal. All you’ll have to do is pop your turkey in the oven and warm these up before serving. And to keep your recipes organized for easy access, try this awesome Recipe Nest.

Pro Tip: Feel free to ask guests to bring a dish to decrease your workload and assign those that didn’t cook to dish duty so you can put your feet up after the meal for a well-earned break.

#4 Start Planning for the December Holidays Now Too

Whatever holiday you celebrate in December – Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Yule or Dongzhi, most are a gift giving occasion. The shopping season really picks up starting the week of Thanksgiving and crowds at the store will only get more unmanageable.

This great organizing guide – Simply Organized Holiday – helps you plan and organize your holiday activities, meals and gift giving to make your life so much easier.

For a lower-stress holiday, start early and wrap up early (including the actual wrapping) and if you do have to shop once the busy season kicks in, consider online retailers. An Amazon Prime membership costs just $99 and comes with free two day shipping on most items.

This comes in really handy for last minute gift list additions so you don’t have to fight the crowds.

Pro Tip: Not only does starting your shopping early save you time, but it spreads the cost out over several months so you’re not spending lots of cash or running up credit cards at year end.

If you need some help kick starting your Fall organization effort, contact Simply Placed now to find out how our home and business organization experts can help you.