We have flipped our calendar to another month. Can you believe it’s November already?  It seems like just yesterday that we were counting down the days to summer.  We all know about Spring Cleaning, but fall is a great time to clean things up and get organized before the weather turns cold.  I certainly am no Martha Stewart, but I’m trying to be more organized.  It’s easy to fall into the habit of running around with the kids and having a barely get by attitude.  I’ve decided that I want to be more intentional about all aspects of my life and if you are living an intentional life you know that a good fall routine is part of that process.  Today, I’m sharing 5 things to include on your fall to-do list which will truly help us to be more intentional when we are Juggling Real Food and Real Life.

5 Things to Include in Your Fall To-Do List

1.  Give the refrigerator a good cleaning out.  You might be surprised at what you have pushed to the back of the refrigerator and since we are cooking more, it’s important to clean the refrigerator out on a regular basis.  See my spring clean your refrigerator post for more tips.

2.  Tidy the pantry.  Quickly remove everything from the pantry and wipe down the shelves.  Vacuum any crumbs if needed.  Before placing items back into the panty, inspect the item.  Does this item still fit in with your “real food lifestyle”?  If not, you can toss it or donate it to your favorite organization.  The second thing you want to do is to make sure the item is not expired.  If it is, simply toss it.

3.  Test and Clean Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors.  Replace the batteries and test to make sure the detectors are still working.  Give them a good dusting to make sure they continue to work properly.  If your detectors are more than 10 years old, you may want to consider replacing them.

4.  Flip your mattress.  Flip or rotate your mattress depending on what type of mattress you have.  Sprinkle with baking soda and vacuum the mattress to freshen it up.  If you use a different bedspread or quilt for the colder months, now is the time to switch it out.

5.  Clean a little deeper.  During the fun summer months and fall football season, I don’t have as much time to deep clean.  I like to use fall as a time to clean a little deeper.  It’s important to remember to dust window treatments, windowsills, baseboards, light fixtures, and ceiling fans.  Keep in mind that kitchens accumulate grease over  time.  Make sure to use a good degreaser when deep cleaning your kitchen.  There are lots of degreasing products on the market.  Simple white vinegar is a quick and effective degreaser if you are looking to avoid harsh chemicals.

There you go……….5 tips that will help you Juggle Real Food and Real Life more effectively.  I firmly believe that spending time with my children is more important than a clean house.  However, it is important to have a home where everyone is comfortable.  A few minutes here and there and you can have a home that you are proud to live in.  “Go ahead………invite your friends over.  The house is clean and organized and ready for company.”

What do you include on your fall to-do list?  How much time do you devote to keeping your house organized?  Do you find it difficult to keep things up with your busy family schedule?  Leave me a comment below and let’s get the conversation going for everyone.

Since I always want you to be thinking about eating real food…………..If you are looking for help in making the transition to eating more real food, you should check out the Real Food Experience posts. You can get started at the beginning or jump around the challenges. You can find a complete round-up of the program here. Each week’s challenge is full of terrific advice to help you transition from fast and processed food to a real food diet. Changes that will help you to live a healthy lifestyle and have the energy to keep up with your busy schedule. I would also love for you to join me on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram on a regular basis. Leave me a comment and let me know you are there. I love to visit with my readers.