31 Days of Autumn Nesting: Day 2 - First Impressions

As they say, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. I try to keep that in mind as I do my usual housework. Before I dive into a project like cleaning out a closet, I make sure the house is in reasonably tidy condition – beds made, dishes done, stuff put away. And as I begin my Autumn Nesting I’m reminding myself of that frequently. What would a visitor notice first? That’s why I have started with the front porch and our entry hall.

Yesterday I stirred up quite a dust storm sweeping the porch and walkway. Shiloh is the best dog on the planet except for that digging thing he likes to do. In fact, if you need some topsoil, you are welcome to come collect it from our front walk. I also put away a few things which had found their way to the porch but didn’t really belong.

Today I cleaned the glass storm door and put up the Halloween clings:

I’ll wait a bit before doing the rest of the Halloween decorating but I wanted something seasonal on the door and didn’t want to put up the fall clings, only to switch to these in a week or two, and then back to fall a couple of weeks after that.

I also put up the fall wreath:

I still need to wash the front window and put away the bag of potting soil on the shelves next to the door. But I need to repot a few plants first so I’m leaving it there for now. I would also like to think of something else to put the citronella oil in that would be more attractive. We have torches along the front of the porch and it’s handy to keep the oil nearby. If you have any suggestions, leave me a comment. Anyway, here’s a picture I took this afternoon:

With the porch in reasonably good shape I took on the entry hall next. I had already changed out the summery items on the entry table a few days ago but I added a bowl of autumn potpourri to the arrangement. I dusted and vacuumed, too.

Instead of making each area perfect as I go and taking the very real chance I won’t get through the whole house, I’m making an initial pass in which I do the most obvious things first. My goal is to have each room in reasonably good shape and then I’ll go back and start working on more detailed cleaning and various projects I have in mind. I can easily allow my perfectionism to take hold and spend a week in just one room but that’s not reasonable. I’m keeping a running list of things I notice that I’d like to take care of and items I need to purchase. This helps me stay on track and focus on the important stuff.

One of my little tricks is to pretend someone is coming over in a certain amount of time. I then set a timer and go through the house doing the most obvious stuff. Do you ever play little games with yourself while doing housework? Leave me a comment and share your best hints for getting housework done.

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Lesley Beeton says

October 3, 2012 at 9:39 am

What a great idea!

It doesn't feel quite like that yet in the UK, and we don't generally decorate for Halloween. But I do love this time of year, getting out and about in the countryside x.

Ashley says

October 3, 2012 at 7:10 pm

Your house is looking so cute! I love the colour of the flowers on the table.

Ha I also play cleaning games like that… pretend I'm going to have company, see how much I can get done in the span of 1 song that I like… whatever feels like it'll work that day. 🙂

I can't wait to to see what else you do for this wonderful season!

I am also doing the 31 Days, and as you asked to have a link, here it is! 😀

http://sincerelyteal.blogspot.com/2012/10/31-days-off-your-duff-day-1-intro.html

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