Seasonal & Holidays

How to Easily Plan An Awesome Thanksgiving Dinner

Inside: Want to make a delicious Thanksgiving dinner? Find out my 6 steps on how to plan your Thanksgiving menu like a boss. Stress-free planning & cooking!

In the blink of an eye, you’ll be eating pie and storing leftover turkey….are you ready??

I’m not!

I’ve always loved Thanksgiving because it’s full of gratitude, family, and stuffing yourself until your buttons pop. But a lot of people don’t realize HOW MUCH goes into preparing for Thanksgiving!

Between headcounts, keeping track of 20 dishes, figuring out the menu, and decorating your table– it can be overwhelming.

So today I want to help you easily prepare for Thanksgiving starting with planning the Thanksgiving menu!

These 6 steps will help you easily prepare your Thanksgiving menu and keep the Thanksgiving “prep” as stress-free and organized as possible!

I know it seems like Thanksgiving is a waaayyyyssss away, but I believe the easiest way to tackle something is to start early and plan ahead.

I always start my Thanksgiving planning about a month before Thanksgiving so I can have enough time to contact family members, see who’s coming, and figure out who is actually hosting the dinner. Knowing these little details early will help you easily prep for the big Thanksgiving meal!

6 Steps to Easily Plan Your Thanksgiving Menu

Planning your Thanksgiving menu does not have to stressful or overwhelming! Let’s start with the 6 steps to easily plan your Thanksgiving menu!

1. Headcount

First things first, before I start to think about what I want to cook, I always think about WHO is coming to Thanksgiving dinner.

You want to get a headcount for who will be attending so you know how much to prepare.

It’s an easy step to overlook but finding out who is coming will help you analyze not only how much food you need but also who can help and bring a dish. That way, you are not the only one cooking for all of the family and friends who are coming to dinner.

Having a headcount and a list of people who are coming will help you accurately plan your Thanksgiving menu. Knowing who is coming to dinner also helps you with planning your Thanksgiving menu because you’ll know what dishes you have to make or cannot make due to dietary restrictions and dietary preferences.

In the Ultimate Thanksgiving Planner, I include a Thanksgiving Guest List that will help you plan and organize who is coming, not coming, and tentative. That way, you can plan who is coming all from one sheet!

2. Dish It Up

The next step is to make a list of dishes that you want to serve at Thanksgiving. This dish list will help you create your actual Thanksgiving menu.

Make a list of dishes that you want to make- either dishes that are traditional, new dishes you want to try, or even research new dishes to mix things up!

To help you make your list, I created the Thanksgiving Menu Dish List that is a part of the Ultimate Thanksgiving Planner! The Dish List is super easy to use and really convenient because it has an area for you to write down everything you want to make, put it in a list and then eventually check off if you are definitely making that dish.

3. Pick Up the Phone

Completing step one is important because it will help you accomplish Step 3, which is to contact the family members & friends who will be coming to see what dish they would like to bring.

It’s a tradition in my family for everyone to bring one item when we get together as a family. Whether it’s a case of water, a couple of bags of chips, a fruit salad, or some hamburger buns if we’re having a barbeque. So, my family is quite familiar with bringing a dish when we get together for a meal or to just visit together.

Even if your family is not accustomed to this type of tradition, I always find that Thanksgiving dinner is such a HUGE meal to cook all by yourself!

So, Step 3 is to take your guest list and contact each family or friend to see what they would like to bring from!

BONUS: Download my FREE Thanksgiving Prep Checklist to take the overwhelm out of Thanksgiving planning! Click HERE to download the free prep checklist!

Maybe they have a special dish they are known for that you can add to your menu list or maybe they just want to bring a pumpkin pie or take care of the drinks.

Because Thanksgiving dinner can get quite large (depending on how many people you have attending), it can also get expensive really quick. Having people bring different dishes will help you with the cost as well!

You can even assign different people different types of food! Such as, your aunt will be in charge of bringing side dishes and your mom is in charge of bringing desserts and you are in charge of the main turkey and stuffing. It becomes so much more family orientated when you include everyone!

To help you plan who is bring with dish or Thanksgiving menu item, I created a Thanksgiving Menu Dish Assignment sheet that is included in the Ultimate Thanksgiving Planner!

4. Finalize the Thanksgiving menu

After completing step 3, you know who is bringing what dish. Now it’s time to take your dish list and actually create your finalized Thanksgiving Menu.

Finalizing the menu will help you start to create your shopping list!

I find that when people don’t have their menu finalized its harder to make decisions and move forward with your Thanksgiving meal preparations. You can always go back make changes to your menu later if you need to, so don’t get too worried.

Just try to make a final Thanksgiving menu just so you know what exactly will be served for your meal.

I also created a Thanksgiving Final Menu sheet to help you write out your menu! If you want to get fancy and all Food Network, you can even print the final menu on a cardstock paper and have it on your Thanksgiving table to look Martha Stewart fancy.

5. Use a recipe item list for each dish to make a list of what ingredients you need

Now that you know who is coming to Thanksgiving dinner, who is making what dish, and what the final menu is, you now know what YOU are making. Once you know what dishes you are responsible for, it’ best if you start to take out those recipes and list out what ingredients you need.

I know some people who don’t like to do their Thanksgiving shopping early, but you don’t want to get stuck with the remnants on the shelf.

You can also make your ingredient list early so you know what sales to keep an eye out for.

I obviously don’t buy perishable items too far from when I am cooking the meal but I always keep my eye on sales for my nonperishable items. Maybe the frozen crust is on sale 3 weeks before Thanksgiving and you can just store it in your freezer.

Or maybe the canned cranberry is on sale a month before Thanksgiving and you just stock your pantry with it.

Not only are you beating the holiday supermarket rush but you are also saving money!

6. Create an oven schedule for Thanksgiving Day

Step 6 is optional but really useful– creating an oven schedule for Thanksgiving Day!

Now that you know the dishes you are making, you want to make sure that you are planning your cooking well enough so all the dishes will be done by your mealtime.

I often find that my oven is OVERLY used on Thanksgiving Day, between the turkey, pies, casseroles, and so much more! And because I only have one oven, I found it SUPER helpful to create an oven schedule to help me stay on time and make sure the dishes are done on time.

It can be kind of tricky to make an oven schedule, so I created one for you! In the Thanksgiving Planner, you’ll find a detailed oven schedule to help you manage your oven times.

Tip: It’s always better to cook the dish that has to stay in the oven the longest first!

FREE Thanksgiving Prep Checklist!

Thanksgiving can get really stressful. There are a hundred things to do and a million things to keep track of.

To make menu planning as easy and stress-free as possible, you want to be sure to download the FREE Thanksgiving prep Checklist!

The Checklist is a FREE 3-page printable download that you can use to get ready for Thanksgiving. It includes an area to track what you want to get done each week leading up to Thanksgiving. So you can visually see what you need to get done and your progress!

Download the Prep Checklist Now!

I really wanted to help you make you plan your Thanksgiving menu in the easiest way possible so I created the Ultimate Thanksgiving Planner! The Thanksgiving Planner includes 14 printables to help you complete each one of these 6 steps, gives a place to organize your menu and help you plan your meal from start to finish!

Grab your Thanksgiving Planner for a SUPER SPECIAL OFFER here!

And there you have it!

I hope I was able to help you easily prepare your Thanksgiving menu and keep the Thanksgiving “prep” as stress-free and organized as possible!

Now you can sit back, relax, and think about how delicious your pie is going to be 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving Planning!!

Want to get your house ready for Thanksgiving guests without running around cleaning for hours on end?? Check out my post “How to Accomplish Fall Cleaning: Easily Get Your House Clean and Shiny for Guests”!

2 Key Ways to Prevent a Baby Cold

Baby Routines

There is nothing worse than when your baby is sick. I mean, my heart melts at the very sound of my baby’s first faint cough and nose sniffle. While I love the Fall and Winter seasons, I also dread them because I know it’s prime “sick time”. And I absolutely hate when my little one has a baby cold. But I have found some REALLY awesome tips to keep your baby healthy during this cold and flu season. Hopefully, after this post, you’ll be prepared to face this season with the tools you need to keep your baby cold free and healthy!

The not-so-secret, super important keys to preventing a baby cold and keeping your baby healthy this season is to reduce the spread of germs and to give your baby immune boosting foods! I know, it sounds really cliché but ever since I started really focusing on reducing the spread of germs and keeping my daughter away from germs, I found that when other babies were getting sick, my daughter wasn’t.

I don’t want to overcomplicate this, so I’ll leave it at this: there are 2 keys to preventing your little one from getting a baby cold: 1) sanitize, sanitize, sanitize and 2) make sure that your baby is healthy- meaning, eating healthy and immune boosting foods.

I also created FREE Cold & Flu Prevention Ultimate Cheatsheets to help to keep your baby and family sick-free! The cheatsheets include a sample toddler meal plan to help you incorporate healthy, immune boosting foods in your baby’s diet, a BUNCH of tips to keep your house germ free, and a checklist of everyday essentials needed for a healthy environment! Download the Free Cold & Flu Prevention Cheatsheets now!

Trust me it works!! I have experienced it first-hand too! I have always prided myself on being able to keep my daughter healthy and reduce the risk of her getting sick. Of course, there are times when you can’t totally prevent your baby from getting sick because getting sick is normal and a part of life. But I have tried certain tips and tricks since my daughter was first born and I am relieved to admit that she has only caught a baby cold twice and has never had the flu.

I’m looking forward to continuing to use these tips for this upcoming cold and flu season and would love to share my tips with you!

Tips to Prevent a Baby Cold and Keep Your Baby Healthy this Season

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As I mentioned before, the 2 key ways to preventing your little one from getting a baby cold are to sanitize and make sure your baby is eating healthy immune boosting foods. I have several tips to help you accomplish these keys so I wanted to easily list them below!

1. Sanitize:

I can’t stress enough how keeping things clean and sanitized can really help prevent sickness. I know some mothers who either think it’s too much work to clean things constantly, or that take sanitizing to another level and never let their baby touch anything. I don’t really believe in these 2 extremes and fall somewhere in the middle. I believe in keeping my baby’s environment as clean as possible, meaning I did everything I could to wipes down certain areas and clean toys that will be going in her mouth.

I obviously cannot clean EVERYTHING, but I feel better when I know I took certain precautions to make my baby’s environment clean and sanitized. It’s only logical for me to wipe down a chair that I just saw someone sneeze on- I mean who wouldn’t! So just trust your mom instincts and find a balance of cleanliness that works for you.

Here are the tips that I use on a regular basis to help me keep my baby healthy!

When you are out and about:

Make sure your diaper bag is stocked with disinfectant (I always carry these Lysol Disinfecting On the Go Travel Wipes, and a Lysol Disinfectant Travel Spray)
Clean down the changing area in public bathrooms with disinfectant wipes or spray
Disinfect that changing pad after you use it and before you put it back in your diaper bag
Keep an eye out for people with a cold and make sure to steer clear of them
Wipe down all surfaces that your baby will be coming into continual contact with (such as tables, high chair, and shopping carts)
Carry hand sanitizer for people who want to touch or pick up your baby
Wash your hand whenever you get a chance and often
Consistently clean your baby’s hands and face with a wipe
Use your instincts!

For the Home:

Clean down your baby’s toys at least once a week (I disinfect Baby L’s toys twice a week the Seventh Generation Disinfectant Spray because is it all natural and contains no bleach.)
Change your baby’s sheets once a week
Have everyone who comes in contact with your baby wash their hands when they enter your house
Use Lysol Laundry Sanitizer once a week when you wash clothes
Clean doorknobs throughout the house on a regular basis, especially when company is over

2. Eat Healthy, Immune Boosting Foods:

Another way to prevent a baby cold is to keep your baby healthy! I have to admit before I was a parent I thought that those moms who feed their baby specific foods were crazy. But man was I wrong! I didn’t realize how important it was to eat properly not because of weight gain, but because you want your body to be functioning at its best. And if I want that for myself, then I sure as heck want it even 100 times more for my baby!

So needless to say, if you’re feeding your baby vitamin-rich foods and keeping their immune system nice and strong then when sickness comes around the chances are that your baby may not even get sick or he will only get sick for a short amount of time. So here are the different immune boosting foods that can keep your baby healthy this season!

Prebiotics:

Prebiotics boost the useful bacteria in your baby’s body that defends the immune system from harmful bacteria. Foods with prebiotics naturally boost your baby’s immune system! Here are some foods with prebiotics that you can add to your toddler’s everyday meals:

Bananas
Tomatoes
Asparagus

Iron:

Iron helps form hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. A lack of iron in babies can sometimes lead to an ineffective immune system. When your baby gets iron on a regular basis, you are helping them reduce immune infection! Here is some everyday food with iron:

Whole grains
Leafy, dark vegetables (spinach)
Dried Fruit

Vitamin C:

Everyone knows about Vitamin C! Vitamin C helps white blood cells fight infection. It also protects cells and can keep your baby healthy, longer. Help boost your baby’s immune system by feeding them Vitamin C on a regular basis! Some popular food with Vitamin C is:

Broccoli
Sweet Potatoes
Oranges
Citrus fruit
Kiwi
Grapefruit

Vitamin A:

Vitamin A helps the antibodies and the purpose of the immune cells. High functioning immune cells help your baby stay healthy! Here are some foods with Vitamin A:

Cheese
Eggs
Yogurt
Carrots

Free Cold & Flu Prevention Ultimate Cheatsheets

Don’t forget to download your copy of the FREE Cold & Flu Prevention Ultimate Cheatsheets to help you prepare for this sick season! The Cheatsheets will help you add healthy, immune boosting foods in your baby’s everyday meals, give you tips and tricks to keep your baby and family sick-free this season, and I even include an essentials checklist! The Cold & Flu Prevention Cheatsheets is a 3 page printable that can be used for all families! Keep your family healthy with these super awesome tips and tricks! Download the Free Ultimate Cheatsheets now!

IF your baby gets sick….

As much as we can try to avoid our children getting a baby cold, it’s ultimately inevitable! If your little one does come down with a baby cold, I wrote all about the awesome tips that can help your baby shorten the length of the cold and recover faster! Be sure to check out my post Tips For Caring for Your Sick Baby.

You can also click the image below to read the post!

And there you have it! Remember, there are 2 keys to preventing your little one from getting a baby cold: 1) sanitize, sanitize, sanitize and 2) make sure that your baby is physically healthy- and eating healthy and immune boosting foods.

No one likes when their little one is sick with a baby cold. I hate to see my daughter sick and helpless so I always vow to prevent sickness from her as much as I can. I know it sounds crazy to always be cleaning and disinfecting everything, but trust me- you will be thanking yourself when everyone around you is sick except for your baby!

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How a Marriage Challenge Can Change Your Relationship!

Marriage Life

Being married is absolutely amazing, but it also takes a lot of work to keep healthy. Every once and a while your marriage needs a jolt of electricity. This can be because your battery is completely dead or just because you want to add some energy! There are A LOT of ways you can add life to your marriage and one of the really awesome and fun ways to put some much-needed focus on your relationship is to do a marriage challenge!

So, what is a marriage challenge? A marriage challenge is a little course or set of actions that you do with your spouse to strengthen your relationship. A marriage challenge can be anything that the two of you agree to do together to focus on your relationship.

Why do couples need a marriage challenge?

A marriage challenge can be really great for your relationship because not only does it draw you and your spouse closer but it also can really help the areas of your marriage that you feel are weakening. Doing a marriage challenge does not mean that you are weak or that you “need help”. It doesn’t signify that your relationship is failing or that you are not good enough. It’s so important to focus on your marriage and give your spouse the attention they need so your marriage can be healthy any and continue to grow. The great things about being married are that as you grow you are also growing in your relationship with your spouse. You want to make sure that the foundation of your marriage is strong enough to withstand the calamities and disasters that can tear your marriage apart. Marriage challenge can help you pinpoint those spots that may be faulty and add strength to the areas that you need it the most.

Do I need a marriage challenge?

Marriage challenges are REALLY helpful for all marriages and for all stages of marriage. But sometimes when your life becomes mundane your marriage can become complacent and dull. A marriage challenge can help you add life to your marriage, put focus on the areas that you need help in, and give you and your spouse an opportunity to grow and learn new things together. Here are some really great reasons to do a marriage challenge with your spouse- if you want to:

Make more time to be together
Focus on your marriage
Put the focus back on your marriage after having children
Keep your marriage alive after having a baby
Improve your everyday communication
Emphasize the reasons you first got married
Practice forgiveness and grace
Focus on your long-term growth together
Solidify your goals as a couple and as a family
Keep your relationship healthy and long lasting
If it’s hard for you and your spouse to have a tough conversation without getting into an argument
If you need some time to get to know each other again

Marriage Revival Challenge

I absolutely love marriage challenges and I actually created my own marriage challenge that has helped my marriage, along with a lot of other marriages! Not only did I create a really great marriage challenge and challenge program, but I also wanted to offer it for free! The challenge I created is called the Marriage Revival Challenge, focusing on adding life to your marriage.

Why and How I created this Challenge?

My husband and I created this challenge without even knowing it after my daughter was born. We were both super burnt out and just couldn’t get back in the rhythm of being husband and wife after becoming a mom and dad. So, for each day of the week, we would dedicate the day for a particular theme. Then we would make sure that we were doing actions in relation to the theme of the day. For example, if we were focusing on communication, then we would say Tuesday is communication day so we would make sure we sat down for a half hour before bedtime and talked about what was on our mind. (Which is something we would rarely do since having a newborn!)

So out of those weeks, I decided to actually create a 5 Day Marriage Challenge!

What will you get out the marriage revival challenge?

It’s so important to remember that no challenge will “miraculously” fix your marriage. I created this Marriage Challenge not to give you all of the “answers” but to give you the tools you need to enhance and improve your marriage. Someone can tell you how to better your marriage a million times but unless you actually DO it, is up to you. I created this challenge to help you and your spouse get on the same page and work together to better your marriage, whether that means enhancing your relationship that already is amazing, or changing your mediocre relationship to something that is amazing. Here are some of the things that your relationship will get out of the Marriage Revival Challenge:

Put focus back on your marriage after becoming a parent
Relight the fire of affection
Improve your everyday communication
Redefine what closeness is
Develop and work toward attainable goals together
Start the rebirth of your marriage after the birth of your child
Give your marriage a jolt of electricity and something to look forward to each day of the week
Put much-needed focus back on your marriage
So much more!

Remember, only you can determine what you will get out of this challenge. If you choose to take this challenge seriously, you are giving yourself the opportunity to have the relationship you always dreamed of!

No matter what stage of marriage you are in- whether you have been married for 6 months, 5 years, or 15 years, the Marriage Revival Challenge can help rebuild your marriage or simply enhance it!

Not really convinced? That’s okay! Learn more about the Free Marriage Revival Challenge by clicking here!

Disclaimer: All opinions in this challenge are my own and results are based on my personal experiences. I am not a medical or clinical professional. Please see a professional for specific results. View the Mastering Mom Life Disclaimer, Disclosure, and Privacy Policy for more information.

How to Easily Accomplish Home Fall Cleaning

Seasonal & Holidays

There’s nothing better than a sparkling clean kitchen, a spit spot bathroom, and walking around the house with your socks on and they don’t turn black.

I can’t tell you how great I feel after doing a good deep clean!

Now that it’s Fall, I always do a Fall Cleaning that consists of deep cleaning my house to get ready for the holiday season.

Want to know the easy steps that I do to get my house fresh, clean, and prepared for the holiday season?? Great! I’d love to share my home cleaning list with you to help you easily and efficiently clean.

Don’t have time to read this now? That’s ok! Read it later by saving it to your favorite Pinterest board! Click here to save it for later!

The KEY to accomplishing the Fall home cleaning quickly and efficiently is to find great tips for cleaning and to clean your home one room at a time!

I have my own version of Fall Cleaning that helps me get ready for the holiday season, having guests over, and cleaning the areas of my house that I know I will be using for the holiday season.

Be sure to read my article “What is Fall Cleaning?” to learn all of the awesome benefits of Fal Cleaning. Fall Cleaning your home will make your holidays stress free because you prep your home for the holidays early enough that when the holidays come you have more time to spend with family and friends!

Not only do I tell you how to easily clean your home to prepare for the holidays, but I also include my Fall Cleaning Master Checklist so you can track how much you have done and make sure you checked everything off that you needed to get done!

Let’s get your home ready for the holidays by going through each room of your house with the best tip and tricks to easily complete your home cleaning!

How to Accomplish the Fall Home Cleaning

Let’s go through each room of the house and get right to the awesome tips and tricks of cleaning!

Kitchen

One of the most important rooms in my house during the holidays is my kitchen.

Why? Because I’m ALWAYS baking, cooking, and preparing meals constantly!

Since I use my kitchen so much during the holidays, I always make sure it’s nice and clean before the holiday season begins. That’s why one of the first things I do for Fall Cleaning is to start in my kitchen. Here’s a list of things I do in my kitchen for Fall home cleaning:

Get out my holiday baking and dishware:

This where I rotate my pots/pans and baking dishes and get out all of my utensils for holiday cooking and baking. There a ton of things I use for the holidays that I don’t even touch during the year so I usually store those pans and dishes in the back of my cabinet. During the Fall home cleaning is when I get everything out!

Deep clean the oven and stove top:

Ovens can get pretty dirty! I use this time to deep clean my oven and my stove top. I take all of the parts off of the stove and the rack out of the oven and clean them with baking soda and Dawn soap. Then I put my oven on “self-clean” and let it work its magic for the next 4 hours. Don’t forget to clean between the cracks of your stove and counter and the broiler drawer!

Go through my pantry cabinet to get rid of old or expired food:

I’m super guilty of hoarding food in my cabinet that it passed its expiration date. Sometimes I’m just so busy that I forget to go through it! I use my Fall home cleaning to go through all of my kitchen cabinets and even rearrange my plates/cups. I also throw out any cups or plates that are chipped or broken.

Go through my refrigerator and throw out old and expired food/ deep clean the refrigerator:

Just like my cabinets, I also go through my refrigerator to get rid of any expired sauces, jars, or juices. I also use this time to take everything out of the refrigerator and wipe down all of the drawers, shelves and door shelves. You’d be surprised how dirty your refrigerator can get!

Deep clean the freezer

Just like the refrigerator, I deep clean my freezer and toss anything that is old or freezer burned. There are things that I have in there that I completely forget about!

Make sure all of my mixing bowls and utensils are accessible

Just like when I take out my baking dishes, I also make sure that my mixing bowls and utensils are accessible. I always use a bunch of different measuring cups that I hardly use during the year except for the holiday season. So I find them, clean them, and organize my utensil drawers.

Clean my kitchen aid/mixer

I’m pretty good at cleaning my kitchen aid/mixer on a regular basis but I use this Fall cleaning to take some of the parts off and do a deep clean before I start using it for all of my baking.

Clean the exhaust fan over the stove

I DO NOT like cleaning the exhaust fan and grease screen over my stove. I don’t know if I’m the only one but I’m not a fan of caked-on grease! I usually have my husband take down the little grease screen and then I soak it in Dawn soap and baking soda for a couple of hours. It comes out super clean and shiny!

Clean underneath the kitchen sink

I also find time to clean underneath my kitchen sink and go through any cleaning products that I don’t use anymore or that are empty. I also store my kitchen towels under my kitchen sink so I have them accessible when I need to dry my hands or have to clean up a spill quickly.

Dust everything on my kitchen counter

I also use this time to take everything off of my kitchen counter and disinfect my counters and dust everything. Like coffee makers, knife blocks, dish racks, etc.

Dust the cabinet doors and clean the cabinet knobs

When I go through my kitchen cabinets I also clean down the actual cabinet doors and knobs. I can’t believe how much “gook” can get accumulated on the cabinets and knobs. It takes 5 seconds to wipes down the doors and knobs!

Clean the trash can and disinfect all garbage cans

I usually clean my trash can weekly but when I Fall Clean I disinfect the whole can and add some air freshener to the bottom of the can.

Make sure I have enough kitchen items in stock (garbage bags, napkins, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, etc.)

During the holiday seasons, I go through A LOT of trash bags, disinfectant wipes, soap, and napkins! So I make sure to buy these items in bulk before the season starts so I not only have the items on hand but I also save money by buying the items in a large quantity!

Bathroom

Another area that I really focus on in Fall Cleaning is the bathroom. Since I always have a lot of family and friends over for the holidays my bathroom gets A LOT of visits.

I like to have my bathroom deep cleaned before the busy holiday season begins so I can focus on other things that need to get done.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t clean my bathroom just once but I do my super deep clean once before the holidays and then once after. This way, I know my bathroom is clean if I have unexpected guests arrive. Here’s a list of things I do in my bathroom for my Fall home cleaning:

Deep clean my toilet bowl and the base of the toilet

I like to clean my toilet on a regular basis but I use my Fall home cleaning to remove everything from my bathroom floor and sweep and mop around my toilet base. It’s also important to clean the inside rim of your toilet and even take off the toilet seat to clean the hinges. You can even use this time to replace your toilet seat altogether!

Dust the cabinets and clean the cabinet knobs

I don’t have many cabinets in my bathroom but with the few that I do have, I like to clean the doors and knobs. I have one mirror cabinet above my bathroom sink that I clean with glass cleaner to make nice and shiny.

Replace the shower curtain liner

I’m a little compulsive about how clean I like my bathtub/shower so I like to replace my shower curtain liner about once or twice a month. I use my Fall home cleaning time to replace the shower curtain and shower curtain liner. If you don’t have a shower curtain because you have a shower door, then be sure to clean the hinges where the door slides.

Deep clean the bathroom tub and the faucet

I like to deep clean my tub once a month, especially because my daughter is old enough now to take baths without the baby bathtub. I like to use a bathroom scrub for my tub and then I rub a lemon on my tub faucet and sink faucet to make it nice and clean and shiny.

Go through my towels in the linen closet and replace old and “holey” towels

My linen closet isn’t in my bathroom but I usually clean the linen closet when I clean the bathroom because it’s “bathroom” related. I go through all of my towels and get rid of the ones that have holes or are bleached/damaged. A really cool way to recycle your old towels is to cut them up and use as wash clothes or wash rags around the house!

Deep clean the sink and bathroom vanity

Like I mentioned before, I like to take all of the items off of the bathroom sink and deep clean the corners of the vanity area. I also like to replace toothbrushes too.

Go through the medicine cabinet and throw away any old items

I have my medicine cabinet high in my bathroom because it’s the only safe place that my toddler cannot reach! I regularly go through my medicine cabinet to throw out any expired items, make a list of things to restock on (like band-aids, antibiotic cream, or Tylenol).

Restock bathroom items (such as cotton balls, Qtips, toilet paper, tissues, etc.)

When I go through my bathroom medicine cabinet I also like to make a list of things that I know I am going to need for the holiday season. I always get a lot of guests and overnight visitors (mainly family and friends)!

So I like to make sure I have enough cotton balls, q-tips, tissues, face wipes, shampoo, soap, toothpaste etc. I also like to have extra guest towels and brand new toothbrushes in case I have some family members who decided to unexpectantly stay over.

Throw away any old bathroom items (old razors, empty lotions bottler, etc.)

I also like to go through any old items or empty bottles and declutter. If there is a shampoo that hardly gets used and there’s only an ounce left, I’ll get rid out it. Or if I have to replace the razor or the soap, now is the time that I’d do that as well.

Living Room

I love focusing on my living room every season because I usually rearrange my living room and change my living room décor for each season.

Since I’m home all day with my daughter, I like to change things up a bit so I don’t go stir crazy at home! During the holidays I also like to rearrange my living room so I can use the space wisely, making the most space for extra family and friends to visit and fit comfortably.

Sometimes I put away extra toys or will move something to my bedroom to make more space in my living room for my eventual Christmas tree too! Use Fall home cleaning to get ready for the holidays early enough that you don’t have to worry about it when the holidays creep up on you.

Here’s the list of everything I do in my living room for my fall home cleaning:

Deep clean my couch
Move all the furniture out of its place to vacuum, sweep, and mop behind furniture and chairs
Dust and clean all furniture (side tables, lamps, entertainment systems, shelves, etc.)
Dust all picture frames and clean out all drawers
Remove old toys (if your children have toys/ toy storage in the living room)
Dust and clean windowsills
Change curtains
Dust window blinds and window shades

Bedrooms

I like to deep clean my bedroom and the kids’ rooms during my Fall Home Cleaning because it helps me have things ready in case I have family or friends that want to stay overnight for the holidays. Having my rooms all ready and cleaned eliminated one more thing I have to do when I am busy.

I don’t have any guest rooms so when my family stays over my house we usually use air mattresses on the floor in our living room and bedrooms so I like to have all the bedrooms in my house neat and tidy! Here’s what I do in all of the bedrooms in my house for Fall home cleaning:

Go through all of the closets and clear out the clutter
Switch clothes over from Summer clothes to Fall/Winter clothes
Deep clean the floors and remove all furniture to sweep, vacuum, or mop in all corners and behind all furniture
Clean under all beds to remove clutter and garbage
Clean down all furniture
Change light bulbs
Change curtains
Clean window sills
Clean window shades and window blinds
Clean or replace all filters (air condition filers, heat filters, fan filters, etc.)

Garage/Attic:

I live in New York City so I didn’t always have an attic and I still don’t have a garage but during Fall Cleaning I like to go through and clean these areas too.

I have some attic space that we use for storage that I like to store my seasonal decorations. So, during Fall home cleaning, I like to go through those areas and make sure that it’s clear and accessible so I can easily get to my Fall/Thanksgiving decorations and Christmas decorations.

Fall Home Cleaning Master Checklist

Now that we talked about all of the areas of your house that you can clean during your Fall home cleaning, I created a master checklist for you to print out and use to make your home cleaning stress free and easy!

The master checklist has everything in this post plus more so you can easily remember what you need to clean and get ready before the busy holiday season. Trust me, it’ll make your Fall Cleaning seem like a breeze!

The Home Cleaning Master Checklist will help you track everything that you need to get done plus is a place for you to check off everything that you have already done. Don’t let Fall cleaning stress you out or overwhelm you. Let me help! Download my FREE Fall Home Cleaning Master Checklist now!

Well, that’s it for Fall home cleaning! I’m a stay at home mom with a toddler so I know how crazy your house can be on a regular basis. It’s so hard to keep your home tidy but by doing a Fall home cleaning you can get all of your deep holiday cleaning out of the way!

Believe me, my house is not tidy and orderly all the time. My daughter makes sure that there’s constantly toys all over the place and she loves to take all of the living room pillows and make forts all over my house.

I don’t mind this kind of mess because I know it’s the kind of mess that my daughter makes on a daily basis. But I do love to know that even though my house may be messy with toys, it’s clean, uncluttered, and disinfected.

So, I hope I was able to help you accomplish the dreaded seasonal home cleaning! Don’t forget to download my Fall Home Cleaning Checklist to make your seasonal cleaning easy and stress-free!

Remember, don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do all of your cleanings at once. Space out your cleaning and try to do one room a week, trust me- it’ll help you keep your sanity!

Check out my post “What is Fall Cleaning? 10 Reasons Why I Fall Clean!”

Here’s Why You Need to Fall Clean: 10 Awesome Reasons!

Seasonal & Holidays

Inside: Learn why you should do a Fall Cleaning to declutter, reorganize and get your house ready for the holidays! (Plus get a FREE cleaning goals worksheet!)

We all know about Spring Cleaning…. but have hopped on the Fall Cleaning train??

Total honesty– I’m not sure if Fall Cleaning an actual “thing”, but over the past few years I’ve been hearing some buzz about it which has me stoked excited because I’ve been Fall Cleaning for the past 6 years!

I noticed that even though Spring Cleaning is great, it’s not really during the season that I need it to be.

What I really need is to get cleaned and organized before the holidays and winter sets in. So say hello to Fall Cleaning and goodbye to holiday stress!

What is Fall Cleaning?

Fall Cleaning is a way to declutter, reorganize, and deep clean your house before the winter months set in!

Let’s face it, with Winter comes a blanket of slumber.

I almost never want to do anything around this time of year because I’m always so busy with the holidays. and when the holidays are done, all I want to do is recuperate!

My goal for Fall Cleaning is to get ready for holiday visits, clear the clutter that comes along with storing Christmas gifts, and deep clean certain areas of my house that I know are going to be heavily utilized (like the kitchen for family meals and the bathroom for frequent visits)!

Fall Cleaning gives me the ability to focus on my house before all of the craziness of the holidays begin!

I wanted to share with you in-depth the reasons why I Fall Clean (and why you should do a Fall Cleaning too!)

Let’s dive into Fall Cleaning!

10 Reasons Why I do a Fall Cleaning

The main goal of Fall Cleaning is to get ready for the Holidays!

1. Make my house clean and inviting so my family feels at home and welcome

One of the main reasons I do a Fall Cleaning is to prepare my house for holiday guests and visitors.

Whether I’m hosting a family dinner, a cookie party, a church gathering, or if the in-laws are staying with me for a couple of nights- I always want to make sure my house is guest-ready!

Doing one major sweep of my house is so helpful because it reduces the need to have to get your house ready before each time someone comes over (which usually is a lot around this time of year!).

During this time, I assess each room in the house and see what needs to be changed, what needs to be cleaned, check to see if there are any furniture damages and that everything is still in working order.

Then I use my trusty Cleaning Goals Worksheet to record everything that I need to do around the house according to each room.

If you’re anything like me and are a stay at home mom with a toddler on the loose, then odds are there are going to be a couple of things that need replacing.

But you don’t want to switch up your whole house solely because you have guests over and ruin your children’s play areas.

You simply want to address the things in your house that have needed some attention for quite a while now but that you just haven’t got around to doing. That is why I love Fall Cleaning!

2. Deep clean my kitchen to prepare for Thanksgiving and holiday baking

I don’t know about you but my kitchen sure gets utilized during the holiday season! There are baking dishes and travel containers that aren’t used at any other time of the year except holiday season.

I use Fall Cleaning to not only go through my kitchen cabinets but also take out any kitchen dishes that I use only around this time of year. Maybe there’s a cookie decorating box that you store all year long but only take out for Christmas cookies. Or maybe there’s a crockpot that you hardly use but only use to make delicious hot cocoa.

I also use this time to deep clean my stove, my oven, the cabinet under my kitchen sink, and the refrigerator.

3. Clean/reorganize my bathroom to prepare for holiday guests

Another room in my house that is going to get A LOT of use during the holiday season is the bathroom.

I use Fall Cleaning to:

clean the tub,
maybe re-grout if I have to,
clean out the medicine cabinet,
stock up on bathroom toiletries that I know my guests will use

I make a list of everything I need to buy to get ready for the season, such as an extra shower gel if I know I’m going to have a lot of overnight guests. Or stock up on toilet paper and get a new toilet brush.

I also take this time to redecorate my bathroom for the season.

I love to change the bathroom décor based on the seasons! I change the shower curtain, towel color schemes, and hand soap.

In the Summer I have a cute Finding Nemo shower curtain that looks like the ocean, use blue and yellow hand towels, and a lemon scent. But in the Fall, I put up my striped shower curtain and change all of my hand towels and floor mats to burgundy and burnt yellow.

BONUS: Grab your Free Fall Cleaning Checklist to help you so you can plan, track, and accomplish all of the things that you want to get done around the house! CLICK HERE TO GET IT FREE!

4. Declutter so I can store gifts that I am giving

To prevent the much dreaded “holiday overwhelm”, I like to start making my Christmas list in October.

This gives me enough time to think about the perfect gift for each person and also helps me keep an eye open for sales. I used to do all of my Christmas shopping in December but one year I started wayyy in advanced and it really helped me reduce the “Christmas shopping overwhelm”.

So now, every time I see something that would make a great gift, I buy it and store it away so when Christmas gets closer I can wrap it and put it under the tree. In order to do this, I have to clean out some closets and extra storage places so I can hide gifts!

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5. Make way for new gifts that I will receive

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I receive really amazing Christmas gifts and then realize that I have nowhere to put it or store it!

Last year when I did my Fall Cleaning, I made a mental note to declutter things that I haven’t used that year and either store it or donate it so I can make room for anything new that I will be receiving.

If your anything like me, after the holidays I have a huge bag or box of new items that I received from Christmas that I don’t know where to put! So, during the cleaning time, I declutter to make room for the awesome and thoughtful gifts that my family and friends will give me.

6. Get cleaning out of the way so I can enjoy the holidays with my family

Another reason I love Fall Cleaning is that it gets all of the cleanings out of the way so I can spend more time with my family and doing things that need to get done. If I deep clean my bathroom, rearrange some items in the room and declutter the kitchen then that’s 3 fewer things that I have to do when the holidays draw closer. The holidays come SO fast and you’ll be happy that you got cleaning out of the way!

7. Get ready guest rooms and rooms in the house that people will be sleeping when they visit

I live in New York City so let’s just say that my apartment isn’t the largest home. But around the holidays my family and friends don’t care about how small my house is…all they just want to all be together and have fun.

Because I don’t have any guest rooms, my family usually camps out in the living room or we’ll put air mattress out everywhere. So during Fall Cleaning, I make sure that I have my air mattress accessible, all the sheets in the linen closet are accessible and fresh/clean, and that I have my extra pillows ready.

At my mom’s house, she actually does have a guest room so during Fall Cleaning I help get the room ready by either changing the curtains or switching out the comforters.

8. Get fall/winter decorations ready when it’s time to decorate the house

Fall Cleaning also consists of getting switching out my Spring/Summer decorations for Fall/Winter ones.

I love to change the candle scents, the living room curtains, the table decorations, and the overall “ambiance” of my house. I don’t get all Christmassy in October, but I do bring my Christmas decorations to the front of my closet so I can have them easily accessible. That way, when it’s actually time to decorate my house I’ll be all ready!

9. Switch Summer clothes to winter clothes

One of the most important things I do during Fall Cleaning is actually clean out my closets and my daughter’s closet.

Once the weather starts changing, it’s time to put away the bathing suits and sundresses and get out some leggings and boots. (Unless you live somewhere in a tropical climate and it’s hot all year round!).

I also use this time to go through my closet and donate anything that either doesn’t fit me anymore or that I haven’t worn in a year. I also do the same for my husband’s closet and daughter’s.

10. Figure out where my Christmas tree is going!

Last but not least, I use Fall Cleaning to figure out how I am going to rearrange my living room to fit my Christmas tree!

When I’m decluttering and rearranging some things in the house I make a mental note to find the perfect spot for the tree this year! Every year my family goes to pick fresh trees so that way I know how tall or wide the tree can be.

Free Fall Cleaning Goals Worksheet

Don’t forget to download the free Fall Cleaning Goals Worksheet!

The worksheet helps you:

create the perfect cleaning to-do list & cleaning calendar
track your goals
keep track of what you want to get done in each room of the house

I’ve used this worksheet for 2 years now and it has helped me SO much! It’s also really great to have a place where everything is written down so your spouse and family can see it too and can help you with your Fall Cleaning.

Trust me, you’ll love the Fall Cleaning Goals Worksheet!

And that’s it! My 10 reasons to Fall Clean!

Remember, when I do my Fall Cleaning it’s usually is done throughout a 4-week span. That’s why I start in the Fall, usually the beginning of October, so I can make sure to give myself enough time to get everything done!

Don’t stress yourself out with everything that has to be done or everything that you want to get done. Maybe your Fall Cleaning looks like something that can be done in one Saturday.

It’s up to you!

Are you ready to hop aboard the Fall Cleaning train?? See you there!

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