August marks the end of summer for many of us as the kids go back to school. As we start to think about the fall routine it’s a good idea to get inspired and excited for the coming season. It’s always nice to enter a new season with eagerness rather than dread. Try these three simple tips to help get you in the right mindset for fall while preparing your space for more organized living and freeing up space for abundance. Do these three things and ease into fall with grace this year.

DECLUTTER + PURGE

 Decluttering can be done in a weekend or in small batches, an hour here and an hour there. Start with the kitchen and move from room to room clearing out old stuff you don’t use. Get rid of expired food, half-used jars of sauces and condiments that are taking up space in the refrigerator and pantry. If you haven’t used it in the past 4 months, get rid of it. Same goes for clothes and accessories in the closet. When you purge old stuff that is cluttering up your space you are making space for the new and fresh. We are all guilty of holding on to old baggage. Don’t hold on any longer. When you clear your space, you clear your mind. Move into fall with a clear path in front of you. You’ll be eager to entertain guests when you don’t have to hide the clutter in closets and drawers because company is on the way. Declutter now and allow yourself the space to relax and enjoy the coming season.

ORGANIZE

Create a COMMAND CENTER! A Command Center is a great way to organize your life and family communication. You can create space for a family calendar, reminders, bills, notes, chore charts and to-do lists for the kids, and family members. You can keep it super simple with just a whiteboard and calendar or get totally elaborate with storage such as cubby holes, baskets, or shelving for storage with each family members name, not to mention a coat rack and shoe storage… With storage for each family member, you can eliminate random clutter throughout the house. Each person has a specific space for important papers, books, backpacks, jackets, shoes, etc. The best location for a family command center is in the high traffic areas of the house such as the entryway or kitchen. Check out this article we published awhile back for more tips on how to create a family command center. 

PAINT

Paint can do wonders! A fresh coat of paint can totally transform an old piece of furnature, a room, or even accessories such as frames and vases. Consider a bold color accent wall such as terracotta in the kitchen or zen green in the bathroom. If you’re short on cash and want to give your kitchen or bathroom an update, freshen up the old wooden cabinets with a fresh coat of paint. Color makes a huge difference so be sure to plan out your color scheme. Color is powerful and evokes emotion. First decide what emotion you’d like to feel when you walk in a particular room and then use color to create the vibe you are going for. Using a vision board before you take the pludge with paint is a great place to start. Create a pinterest board or clip photos from magazines to get color ideas.  Once your vision is clear it’s time to execute.  Enjoy the process and have fun! 

Let us know in the comments below if you plan on taking action on some of these tips. We’d love to hear how it goes. Even better, post a before and after photo of your space. Cheers to fall!