Whether you’re getting ready for mild temperatures or a season full of snow, here’s how to prep so you’re ready to handle whatever fall and winter throws your way. Clearing out unworn bathing suits, shorts, and sundresses at the end of summer means you’ll have less clothing to store—and fewer extra accessories to deal with—once spring and summer roll around again. RELATED: 7 Steps to a Successful Closet Purge To add extra space for your fall and winter things, Kitt suggests taking advantage of vertical space, especially in apartments or smaller homes. “Get beautiful hooks that can hold bulkier coats,” she says. “Those won’t look like an eyesore hanging in the middle of your apartment.” Cascading hangers, clever folding methods, and spring-loaded drawer dividers can all help you fit more cold-weather clothing into a limited amount of space, she adds. RELATED: How to Organize Your Closet in 30 Minutes Flat If packing lunches tends to slow you down, consider setting up an assembly line of sorts so everything you need—lunch bags, ready-to-go snack packs, sandwich supplies, and so on—is grouped together, she adds. To get out the door faster, Joni and Kitt suggest creating a “launch space” in the entryway or mudroom where kids can grab backpacks, homework, sports gear, and whatever else they need for the day on their way out. “There’s so much that comes into my house around Hanukkah time,” says Joni. “I try to do a big edit on my kid’s toys before that happens, in order to make some space for them to have the new things.” Kitt says she makes an effort to clear out overused or broken holiday decorations as she puts them away, so there’s less to worry about once it’s time to take them out again. “It’s like I was prepping for this time last year, when I was putting that stuff away, by cleaning out all the stuff I knew wasn’t worth storing.” Trust us, “future you” will appreciate the effort.
