Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Time to "Autumn-ize" Your Home - Pretty & Practical Printable Fall Checklists


“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
as I have seen in one autumnal face."
~ John Donne, The Autumnal 

It's time to "autumn-ize" your home... fall is full of so much potential fun! And I do admit to loving a good homemaking checklist! Our pioneering ancestors would spend their complete spring and summer to make sure their autumn and winter existences were provided for. We may not have to rely on everything we grow for survival, but it is prudent to make sure your family is stocked for the chillier seasons as we never know what the future brings. I would advise to especially take stock of the medicinal pantry this month (and always to be working on your food pantry) in order to be prepared like the Proverbs 31 woman. I  also encourage you to nurture your artistic side and enjoy the aromas and beauty the season offers to embellish your homes with projects that celebrate the five senses of fall. And now, without further adieu, here is our pretty and practical autumn checklist:


- Make autumn inspired room sprays and place throughout your home (here is our recipe).

- Assess your home apothecary/medicine cabinet (i.e. health supplements, salves, essential oils, tinctures, herbal honeys) and prepare or purchase what is lacking. Do inventory on medicinal herbs and restock what is necessary for the cold and flu season. (Our apothecary sticker labels can be found here.)

- Organize your culinary herbs and spices. Restock what is necessary.

- Take inventory of your spice mixes and prepare and/or restock what is necessary.

- Make your own pumpkin pie spice (here is a  recipe from The Pioneer Woman).

- Do a fall maintenance on your pantry. Go through all the contents, remove everything, put aside what is aged and add that to the "use up" quickly list, give away what you are no longer eating (I have some items that I bought that I really didn't take a liking to but I know others enjoy), throw away what is truly old (and not just expired as those dates are way too conservative), make a list of what you are low on, wipe down the shelves, restock your pantry, label what is necessary, place everything back in order.

- Prepare broths and stocks (freeze or pressure-can them).

- Prepare hearty health-giving soups such as the traditional homemade chicken soup (freeze or pressure-can them). These will be your emergency stash when the cold or flu hit or to deliver to someone who is ill.

- Make up meals featuring fall vegetables. Some ideas are butternut squash soup, pumpkin soup, roasted root vegetables, sweet potatoes fries, twice baked potatoes and seasonal soups and stews.

- Make an apple crazy cake.

- Bake apple and pumpkin treats.

- Harvest and preserve the remains of the summer garden.

- Prepare some homemade mixes to add to the pantry such as cornbread mix, oatmeal muffin mix, pie crust mix and jam bar mix.

- Make a big batch of granola. Prepare extra for autumn hostess gifts.

- Make mulling spice sugar scrub (for gifts and for home).

- Diffuse orange, cinnamon, and clove essential oils to clean the air and delight the senses.

- Do some frugal fall decorating by bringing out any earth-toned dishes, displaying seasonal fruits in autumn colored bowls or baskets and/or printing out our "Give Thanks" sign to style autumn inspired vignettes in your home.

- Dry flowers and leaves for frugal fall decorating.

- Make your own fall-inspired wreaths.

- Forage for pine cones, acorns, leaves and prepare autumn potpourri for display (switch out the dried citrus for dried apples to make it more autumn inspired).

- Burn autumn scented candles.

- Prepare simmering potpourri (add nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, apples slices/cores/peels, or citrus slices with water and simmer for a soothing fall scent).

- Change out linens. Replace lightweight bedding with heavier blankets (and in fall colors if available), change out shower curtains to reflect the fall season (if available) and use kitchen linens to reflect autumn colors (use earth-toned tablecloths and napkins if you have them).

- Pull out your fall clothing (sweaters, scarves, corduroy, etc.) and move to the front of the closet for easy access. Make sure you have a nice selection of warm underclothes such as tights and leggings and overclothes such as a heavy jacket and cardigans (shop the thrift stores if you are lacking -- I find so many warm and cozy clothes there!).

- Read fall inspired books and watch fall inspired movies (some of my favorites are shared in the links below). Although the pictured book isn't autumn inspired, it certainly has a beautiful autumn cover so this counts! 🤎 (A caveat... I pictured the book above because of its lovely fall colors, but I have not read it yet as it is my latest thrift store acquisition so I am not necessarily recommending it yet...)

And finally, here are some autumn inspired gift tags to print for any of these fall inspired projects (pictured below)!

With this in mind, how can you ever be bored at home? There is so much to do when you are a season loving homemaker!

Here is a link to our PRINTABLE FALL HOMEMAKING CHECKLIST for those of you who love lists! 

You can also find the PRINTABLE Martha Stewart Fall Home Maintenance Checklist HERE which shares a very practical side of the autumn chore list! 

Happy homemaking! 🤎


25 comments:

  1. I just received Mrs. Dunwoody upon your recommendation. Have only read the preface, and forward pages so now on chapter 1, but is sounding delightful. I just love autumn~ can almost smell that potpourri.

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    1. Yes, autumn and spring are my favorite seasons but autumn may be my ultimate favorite because I like cozy! As far as the book goes, I hope you enjoy it! 🤎

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  2. We have been "autumn-izing" our home the last few days. I just have the pantry to finish. I always leave your blog so inspired! 🧡

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    1. Thank you for sprinkling some kindness here today! The pantry is my favorite part! Enjoy! 🤎

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  3. Thank you for the cake recipe. x

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  4. Autumn is my favorite season and I love your list! I decided this year not to pull out my pumpkins from the attic with all I have to do before baby gets here...but I don't know if i can help myself. I may just have to do a little! I've already looked through my "fall oils" for the diffuser and succumbed to the temptation to purchase a fall candle (spiced peach cobbler :). I've also pulled out my fall magazines that I saved from when I used to have subscriptions. I find I discover something new in my old magazines each time I revisit them.
    The weather is chilly here, earlier than usual for Texas, and I plan to thoroughly enjoy it. Thank you for such a wonderful list and all of the delightful recipes and how-to's you have provided.
    Autumn blessings to you, JES! 🧡🍁🍂

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing here today Kelsey! Bringing out old fall magazines for inspiration is a great idea also! Enjoy your nesting! 🤎

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  5. I also just got my book Mrs. Dunwoody. Have read the first chapter and really enjoyed it. It has encouraged me in multiple ways in my homemaking. Thank you for making me aware of this treasure.

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    1. So glad you are enjoying it!!! Thanks for sharing that 🤎

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  6. I used to follow this blog years ago and lost its name somewhere along the way. I'm so glad to find it again — and that you're still posting!

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to share that! I actually stopped posting for a few years as I needed to focus on something and just recently began again! :)

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  7. I just loved all your cozy and delightful ideas for Fall tasks around the home! Like you, when you love being home, there is always something wonderful to be doing, to cozy and spruce up the home. I collected rose hips today and made rose hip syrup. Tomorrow I plan to collect some raspberry leaves and dry them for a nice winter tea. I've also collected elderberries, and made elderberry syrup. I plan to go around my home and deep clean, wash windows and organize closets. Always so many things to stay busy with :) Always feel encouraged and inspired visiting your blog... so thankful you are able to blog again! Many blessings to you :)

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    1. Such lovely lists Marilyn! Thank you for sharing so kindly today! :)

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  8. These are lovely ideas!🧡
    A few of them are on my "to do" list, such as: organize my herbs and spices, prepare chicken broth using the bag full of bones in the freezer which have been collected over the summer months, freeze the crabapples from our tree to use in baked goods, and change out our shower curtain (done today! :-).
    I love making soups and stews during the chilly days of Autumn and Winter as well as baking yummy bread and treats.
    Thank you for all you share!
    ~ Lynnea

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    1. Oh...crabapples! That would make a nice thick jam and jelly too!!! So full of pectin! Thanks for sharing Lynnea! 🤎

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  9. Such a lovely autumn checklist, and I have been doing a few of those things you have mentioned. My husband has just ordered me a diffuser and I'm looking forward to using that to freshen our living spaces. Just washing with some thieves essential oil helps to bring about a lovely fall scented space as well.
    Praying you have a lovely day keeping your home!

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    1. Hi Jennifer,
      thanks for sharing! The thieves oil not only adds an autumn aroma but the immune boosting properties are an added bonus! Have fun with your diffuser!! 🤎

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  10. These are all truly lovely ideas. I agree that there is never a need to be bored as a homemaker...the problem is finding time to do everything I'd like to do! I am right in the thick of homeschooling (one in highschool, one in middle school and one in elementary) and although I love it dearly, some days I really look forward to the time in my life when homeschooling will be over and I'll be able to dedicate full days to my role as a homemaker. (Not that I can't do *anything* now - this weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada and I'll be making a homemade apple and pumpkin pie - made with apples and pumpkins we grew ourselves!)

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    1. Very true! Time is always the issue! But I will say one thing... I often thought as you do about having more time as a homemaker... but now that I finished homeschooling, I am surprised at how much I MISS IT!!! Enjoy each season in your life.. they each have their blessings and hardships but nothing lasts forever...

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  11. Girl! You make me want to get up and go get busy right now! And I will.
    Be blessed,
    Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

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    1. You're funny! I'm glad it motivated you! That is the idea! I'm trying to motivate myself too!! 🤎🤎🤎

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  12. I love the apothecary labels in the first picture!<3
    Are they available on your site? I have a lot of your labels around my food supply :-)

    DavetteB in AK

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    1. Thank you! 🤎 They are handy and are actually the vinyl waterproof sticker labels on sale on my Etsy shop. The link is shared under the picture... I do have apothecary herb printable on my site for free - they are a bit different and are found here --

      http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/2014/10/apothecary-herb-labels-free-printable.html

      I hope this helps!

      🤎JES

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