Time To Break Out The Fall Decor... and DECLUTTER!

October has arrived, and while typically my home would already be dazzled in foliage decor and reeking of pumpkin-scented-everything... I'm currently giving one of my living rooms a makeover, that of which has totally sucked most of my free time up, so things were scooted last month and my Fall Decor party got the short end of the stick.

With that being said- Happy October, lovers, it's never too late to begin decorating! As I mentioned last week, Fall is a huge time of change for me, and this year is with no exception. Breaking out my Fall storage bins and throwing orange-&-brown-everything all over my house brings deep feelings of calm and nostalgia, it is an almost sacred time as I make my house feel more like a home with warm, welcoming decorations and quality family time. The Earthy tones of Fall are warm, inviting tones, and I think it's such a fitting characteristic of the season to spend time at home with my family.

One thing I like to do before adorning my home in seasonal decor is to clean and declutter the whole thing... to rid of the unnecessary and give it a fresh revamp for the upcoming season. Like a tree releases what it no longer needs, it's time to let go of the old and start fresh.

I always begin by removing all my bright, sunny, pretty decor that I keep up throughout the warmer seasons and putting it into storage.

Removing all the current decor, making room for Fall

After getting my house naked, I go through places that don't get much love nor attention and I declutter them completely... this year I purged my linen closet (this was actually my first time doing this space since buying this house 2 years ago!), master bedroom closet, master bathroom cabinets, and my kitchen baking & seasoning cabinet. I get in these moods where I want to keep NOTHING and can clear out an area in a jiffy, stripping it down to the necessities (and OMG does it feel good). 

I don't know why, but I cannot stand to have stuff, I just... I'm not a clutter person. Less is more. If you struggle with clutter and would like to work on it, I highly recommend reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo.

After I purged my junk and reorganized everything more efficiently, I did a top-to-bottom cleaning sesh... I'm talking scrubbing baseboards, walls, cabinets, bathrooms, fireplaces, heck I even cleaned the garage! Not only do I like to dip into the holiday season with a fresh house feel, but I also know cold season is right around the corner and thus I want to be on top of things while I can.

Keeping your house clean and organized, for me, is the difference between feeling calm and cozy... and feeling stressed, uncomfortable, and inadequate. My first apartment was a complete disaster, I despised cleaning and systems and structure; I neglected a lot of things back then! I spent my 20s teaching myself how to cook, take care of my health, and be a good mom; I've spent my 30s learning how to clean, organize, and make my house into a home. Becoming a good housekeeper was life changing, and it impacts your family's experience, too! If I can do it-- anyone can.

Although most have heard of Spring Cleaning, I think it's nice to have two times of year dedicated to really going through your junk and thoroughly scrubbing the place down. This week I've been busy with my Fall cleaning routine, followed by putting out all my Fall decor... and I will give you a tour of some of my favorite Fall decorated spots in my home this weekend, including my front porch tour!

I hope everyone is enjoying these lovely little crisp Fall mornings, the sunsets are arriving faster and the air is getting chilly here in Seattle... I love every moment of it!