Feeling weary? 6 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Fall Without the Overwhelm

Sometimes it can feel a lot easier to not prepare your home for fall and just move forward as is. Yet, I’ve found that often leads to more overwhelm as you encounter everything you would have liked to get done later on in the season. While you could apply these tips at any time, don’t let the overwhelm keep you from moving forward. Adjusting your rhythm as you prepare your home for fall truly can be simple. Are you ready to jump in?

1. Lean into the ambiance of fall for a quick win.

This is probably one of the easiest ways to prepare your home for fall. Besides pumpkin everything, what comes to mind when you think of fall? The first thing that comes to my mind is the word “cozy.” The ambiance of fall is all about creating a feeling of coziness as the cooler weather approaches.

A great way to create this feeling of coziness is with the use of fire.

Something as simple as a candle lit on the stove can bring out the warmth that we associate with cozy. 

Fall scents also help bring out the ambiance of fall.

It could be from that candle that you lit on the stove. It could also come from woodsy essential oil scents that you add to your essential oil diffuser. You could also have a simmer pot going during the day to bring out some fall scents – simmering cinnamon sticks smell heavenly!

Finally, what could be cozier than snuggling in a fluffy throw blanket on the couch?

I like to keep a basket of blankets behind the couch so that they are easy to grab. My kids love grabbing  a blanket to wrap up in during the cool fall mornings. 

I don’t know about you, but when I first hear the word declutter I imagine this endless project that takes weeks longer than I intended it to. If you’re a busy homeschooling mom like me, you know that we don’t have time for that – especially at the start of the school year. 

Instead, choose 2 or 3 key spaces that you want to focus on in this season, and choose one week to break from school to focus on them.

If 2 or 3 spaces feels too overwhelming, just choose one key space to tackle. These spaces could be spaces that have really been bothering you lately or it could be a space that you have been procrastinating about for way too long.

For each space you are going to make a list of 3 – 5 key things that you want to focus on in each area.

Be specific. Don’t just write “declutter the bookshelves.” Instead write “sort the books into throw away, keep, and give away piles.” 

Be very intentional with what 3-5 things you choose to declutter and how you declutter them.

What is going to bring about the most long-term peace in this area? What’s something that’s immediately overwhelming to look at or think about? Ask yourself these types of searching questions to guide the list that you’re creating.

As you work on decluttering, you will be tempted to tackle things in that space that aren’t on your list. Resist the temptation!

The reason you have a limited list is so that it doesn’t become a project that lasts for weeks and is still effective in decluttering the space. Don’t hijack the system because you thought of something else, that will only create more overwhelm.

If you find that there is something that you didn’t think about that is really bothering you, put it on an addendum list.

Once your initial list is complete and you have extra time, then go ahead and get it done. If you don’t have time to work on it, then pick another day or week in your planner to intentionally work on just that task. 

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3. Get festive with some simple fall decor.

Fall decor doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Look outside. There is so much available to use without going to the store and getting a cheap, plastic substitute. 

Fall leaves and pinecones are great to use for natural wreaths and garlands!

If that feels too complicated, cut a couple small branches off of your tree with turning leaves and arrange in a vase for your table. 

Acorns, gourds, and seasonal flowers make beautiful centerpieces!

Last year I bought a Fairy Tale Pumpkin from a local farm market. It sat beautifully on our table for a few weeks before I turned it into pumpkin puree. 

You can also put pumpkins at your front door to welcome your guests.

Pumpkin picking is already such a fun fall activity to do as a family, and then you can get as creative or not creative as you’d like with them. One of the most common things to do is carve Jack O’Lanterns, but they can also be painted or even left plain. Place on your doorstep, and you’ve got instant fall decor!

4. Prepare your home for fall by taking advantage of the beautiful, cool weather and clean up the outdoors.

As summer comes to a close, plants are dying, bug residue is everywhere, and the remnants of summer seem to be strewn throughout the yard. The fall is a great time to get this stuff cleaned up.

Take a look around your yard at your plants.

Trim back anything that is dead and needs trimming. Throw away any spent flowerpots that served their purpose over the summer. Pick up any dead sticks from summer thunderstorms, and do a final mow before storing your lawnmower away. Bonus: Complete any maintenance on your lawnmower before putting it away!

If your house is anything like mine, cobwebs are thick around the light by the front door.

I pretty much give up trying to clean around it during the summer because the spiders love to catch flies in its light every single night. As the bugs start to dwindle, the fall is a great time to get those cobwebs and bugs cleaned up around the outside of your home!

Finally, it’s time to put those summer toys away.

You’ll probably leave things like bikes and scooters available year round, but no one is going to want to do any water play when it’s cold. Now is a great time to wind up the hose, put away any water toys, and wash out the water table. You could even go through your swim bag and put everything away that’s in it.

5. Adjust your morning and/or evening routine to reflect the nuance of fall.

Your morning and evening rhythm is probably already great the way it is – especially if you’ve implemented what I’ve taught in The Intentional Day Blueprint (Go get it if you haven’t!). However, there are some lovely tweaks you can make as you ease into fall.

I know… it feels like cheating since I’ve already mentioned using fire to create the ambiance of fall. But it is such a soothing way to start or end your day that it had to be mentioned again!

Open your windows in the morning to let in the fresh (but not too cold) air.

The fall breezes are so refreshing – even if there are days where you have to wear a hoodie on the cooler days. Plus it improves the air quality of your home before you’re shut in for the winter.

Wind down for the day with some warm herbal tea or hot apple cider.

In the cool fall evenings, there’s nothing more comforting than a warm drink to sip on. 

6. Adjusting your daily schedule is a great way to prepare your home for fall!

Now that you’ve been homeschooling for a few weeks, you can determine if your homeschool routine is working for you.

While I wouldn’t recommend a complete overhaul, a few tweaks and adjustments can go a long way to improving your day.

With fall comes sports and extracurriculars.

Do you need to adjust meal times or even the types of meals you’re cooking to account for those? I like to make quicker meals for our busier evenings. Things like spaghetti, black beans and rice, or crockpot meals make your busy evenings a little less overwhelming. You can serve dinner a little earlier than normal, or having a hearty snack and a late dinner ensures that everyone is nourished before going out.

One thing that we don’t think often enough about making time for is rest.

As the busyness of fall is in full swing, you need to be intentional about scheduling in some rest time. This could be earlier bedtimes and making sure everyone is getting adequate sleep at night. It could be a designated quiet time or down time where physical activity decreases. Think about your schedule and the needs of your family, then schedule in some rest time that makes sense for you. See what this could look like with this free sample schedule and template.

It doesn’t have to be complicated to prepare your home for fall!

With just a few tweaks and special touches you can intentionally adjust your rhythms to flow with the seasons. Even if you don’t apply every single tip in this post, you can prepare your home for fall with less stress and overwhelm. 

If you’re not even sure what an intentional day could look like as a stay at home mom, The Mom’s Guide to an Organized Day can help!

Looking for more? Are you tired of trying everyone else’s schedules, routines, and rhythms and want something that is actually designed with your own family’s unique dynamics in mind? Then you’re ready for The Intentional Day Blueprint!