It’s Time to Reset Your Fall Routine

You’ve probably noticed that the days are getting shorter and the temperatures (a bit) cooler. The kids have returned to school and the merchandise on the store shelves has a sepia-toned, spooky or pumpkin-spice bent. And even if the first leaf hasn’t changed color, it’s fall.

As your rhythms adjust to the available daylight, you may feel a desire to change other parts of your routine. It’s “a temporal landmark—a moment in time that separates one’s past self from one’s present self, making it easier to adopt new habits,” says Calendar.com.

While summer is more freewheeling, school and work schedules rule the fall. Cooler weather makes it easy to get a good night’s sleep, cook comfort meals and exercise. And just like the trees shed their leaves, you can shed the habits that no longer work for you.

Begin with reflection. Ask yourself what summertime habits might undermining your energy and productivity. Perhaps you need to cut down on screen time, make a list of to-dos ahead of the holidays or get to work on a household project before the first snow.

Align your habits with the flow of the season. The early sunset might inspire an earlier bedtime — and there’s nothing quite like a good night’s sleep. Nights out with friends might morph into quiet nights around a firepit. Burgers on the grill might turn into hearth-warming butternut squash casseroles.

One way to meet the fall season is to #declutter. Items such as coolers, outdoor games, pool toys, sporting goods and tents won’t get much use in the months ahead, so #organize the keepers for #storage and #donate the things you don’t want to ClothingDonations.org.

The same goes for clothing. Designers debut the new fall fashions as the weather changes to drive sales, abandoning summer clothing to the clearance bin. You can do the same as you pull out your cool-weather clothing — decide what to keep, store, wear, donate and trash.

The changes you make to meet the season don’t have to be massive to have a positive effect. Even a tiny bit of #decluttering or a few extra hours of sleep can improve your outlook on life. Make a few small, attainable goals and stick to them for the season. Have a happy fall!

Fall Fashion for the Fastidious Declutterer

September is when the haute couture #fashion houses release their new designs for the year. And while few people can afford to shop the actual runway looks of Paris, New York and Milan themselves, the annual tradition helps set the trends and drives demand for new #clothing at every price point.

This year, the hottest #fall #fashions for women include the relaxed suit, the track pant, the draped top and the corduroy vest, according to Vogue. Men will be wearing knit hoodies, cardigans, rollneck sweaters and long trenchcoats, GQ says.

If you follow the #styles, you may have a lot of #clothes from past seasons in your #closets and drawers. Some may fit perfectly and look great season after season, while other garments may be a bit snug, outdated or just plain unflattering.

With the weather starting to turn cooler and new fall styles hitting the stores, it’s a great time to take stock of your #wardrobe. Do so before you start any fall clothes #shopping, so everything will have a place in your #closet and your personal style.

Start by purging your #closets and #drawers. Take everything out and try things on. Sort your clothes into “love it,” “hate it” and “maybe” piles, says fashion blogger Jo-Lynne Shane. The love-its can eventually go back in the closet, and the hate-its — at least the lightly used ones — can go directly into a #donation pile.

Clothes that just don’t get worn can go in the donation pile, too; there’s no benefit to save #garments for someday. “Once you ruthlessly purge your closet and get rid of all the stuff you don’t wear and don’t love, you can start to rebuild your wardrobe into one you will love to wear,” Shane says.

Once you’re done, you might be surprised at all of the #space you once dedicated to unflattering, ill-fitting and otherwise useless clothing. Contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup and say goodbye to those garments for good.

Afterward, reward yourself with one or two new pieces if you feel like it. You’ll have a streamlined, stylish wardrobe in no time and help the nation’s #veterans, to boot!

Labor Day Offers a New Beginning

While you could book a last-minute trip to celebrate Labor Day, the beginning of September represents new beginnings, Her Agenda says. It’s (nearly) a new season, and the day off presents an opportunity to #purge some of the old #stuff you no longer use. Take a day to go through your house and figure out what you don’t need. “This three-day weekend is the perfect time to throw on Netflix or a podcast and start digging through the closet and building a ‘donate’ pile.” Once you have that pile, contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup — and enjoy the rest of the weekend unburdened. #LaborDay

Go Ahead and Wear White After Labor Day

Fashionistas may tell you that you shouldn’t wear white after Labor Day. But the rule emerged around the same time as the nation’s labor movement in the 19th century, The Pioneer Woman says. Wearing white was associated with keeping cool, but workers tended to wear darker clothing to hide the dirt and stains a hard day’ labor would produce. Wealthy people continued to wear white on rural holidays in the off-season, but gradually adopted the custom of wearing white during #summer only. Regardless, the rule no longer needs to be followed; while winter temperatures might demand heavier fabrics, wear whatever colors you like. #LaborDay

Clear Your Closets for Colder Weather

With the temperatures falling and the days getting shorter, you’ve probably started getting out a few cold-weather garments that you haven’t seen for several months. It’s a great time to #clean out your #closet and decide what you will and won’t be wearing this fall and winter.

Start by taking everything out of the closet, Cleaning Is Caring suggests. Wipe the walls, doors and baseboards, and dust the ceiling, shelves and light fixtures. Empty and clean any bins, too; finally, vacuum or mop the floor.

Now the #decluttering and #organizing can begin! Separate all of your #clothing into piles designated #keep, #donate or #trash. Be honest with yourself — if you haven’t been that size for years or the garment is just too shabby to wear again, get rid of it. It’s only taking up space.

You’ll have to say goodbye to summer, The Spruce says, washing or dry cleaning the warm-weather wear you decide to keep before storing it in a location other than your main closet. Vacuum-seal bags and plastic storage bins are ideal for this.

Now that you’ve thinned the herd, you can put the things you do plan to wear back in your closet in a more #organized fashion. Houzz suggests folding most casual knits and putting them on shelves, while hanging dresses, pants, button-down shirts and outerwear. Smaller items such as socks and jewelry can go in drawers, bins and organizers.

If you notice an item or two that you would like to add to your #fall #wardrobe, feel free to buy it! But take that heap of also-rans that didn’t make it back into your closet or storage, bag it up and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup.

You’ll be able to find the things you want to wear faster when you need them, reducing #stress, and keep your #closet consistently more #clean and #organized. Bonus? #Donating to ClothingDonations.org helps #veterans. So you’ll look good and feel good, too!