Making the Most of Summer: Getting Organized Ahead of Schedule

In between the summertime gardening, outdoor concerts, and trips out of town – consider getting ducks in a row for when cooler winds blow. Fall and winter may be the last things on your mind right now, but I’ve learned from experience that preparing ahead for their arrival can make life a lot easier. Here are three ways you can use summertime to get ahead of the eight ball:

#1 Home Check-In …

Ever since a friend’s furnace went kaput in the middle of a dinner party on one of the coldest nights of the year, my husband and I have our furnace checked in the summer…well before it’s called back into duty. Summer is actually a great time to go through a weatherproofing checklist for your whole house:

• Weather stripping needed?
• Gutters looking good?
• Secure roof shingles?

It’s such great peace-of-mind to know your living quarters are ready to stand up to the cold before it actually sets in.

#2 Prep Outerwear…

Last fall, when temperatures suddenly dropped and I needed my warm coats in a hurry, I realized I hadn’t paid them any attention since the last time I’d worn them. One coat was missing a button and a favorite jacket had a broken zipper. It was at that moment I vowed to start getting outerwear ready for the next season months in advance. While it’s still summer:

• Take coats and jackets to the cleaners or get them washed and ready to go.
• Replace buttons and zippers.
• Wash or dry-clean hats, scarves and gloves.

Taking care of outerwear early, you’ll be confident that everything is good-to-go when the temperatures drop.

#3 Purge Fall/ Winter Clothes

Thrift and resale shops are already thinking fall/winter during the summer months, so it’s a great time to review your wardrobe and determine what can hit the “outbox.” You may realize maroon just isn’t your color anymore so that blazer has to go, or the cashmere sweater is gorgeous but makes you feel like you’re having one long hot flash every time you wear it. Outta here. Then, of course, there are those items you keep packing away and bringing out year after year thinking you’ll wear them but you never do. According to the lifestyle website The Spruce:

• If you live in a four-season locale, it’s time to let a clothing item go if you haven’t worn it for a year.
• In two-season regions, you should consider donating unworn items after six months.

Wherever you reside, use these summer months to get real about what clothing you love and what you don’t love for fall/winter and send it packing if it doesn’t make the grade.

It’s amazing how easy and actually enjoyable the above chores can be when you have time on your side. Give yourself the gift of thinking ahead this summer. It’s a great feeling to be able to say, “That’s done!”