Grab your very own free printable checklist of homemaking tasks to do in October – and stay on track with everything this month. There’s lots of inspiration and ideas to add to your planner for October, including facts about October, and ideas for what to give people whose Birthday falls in this month.
This is part of the HOW TO GET ORGANISED ALL YEAR series of articles – with a detailed TO DO list (and free printable!) for EVERY month of the year waiting for you. CLICK HERE to get them all.
October is the time of year when…
October – things are getting chilly now!
We are now firmly back into routine with school and work etc… – and the holidays are a distant memory.
I love this time of year as we are now truly in Autumn, and are half way between Summer & Christmas.
It gets exciting, and having things to look forward to helps get through the colder, darker days!
We have Halloween, and (for lots of us) a week (or two) of school half term holidays – which both make this month a little different!
So, without further ado, let’s get on and talk about some of the ideas and help on things to do in October, to make the most of the month and make it count.
Things to do in October Around the House
Regular monthly tasks
There are some things that, as a homemaker, you need to do each and every month. Without them, you will start to fall behind pretty quickly.
I wrote a post about these 3 main tasks to do each month HERE if you want to read the full article, but the quick list is here: –
#1 – Check your diary
- Add in any special dates (there are some written further down this post if you need any help on the main dates to remember).
- Add in dates specific to your life (birthdays, events, appointments etc….).
- Get some dates in the diary for your social life – and book babysitters well in advance
- Have a general view of what’s coming up, so nothing is a surprise
#2 – Sort all cards and gifts
- Make sure all presents and cards for September are on track to get to the recipient at the right time (post or hand delivered)
- Check that you have got all the presents and cards ready for October
- Buy all presents and cards for November
#3 – Check your bank statement
- Are all outgoings correct?
- Are all incomings correct?
- Are you on track with your budget?
Homemaking tasks to be done in October
#4 – Finalise plans for the October half term school holidays
Half Term for the schools is usually at the end of October, and so you will be thinking about sorting out childcare, trips, holidays etc…
Now is the time to finalise your plans, and make sure everything is sorted – and then – of course – ENJOY!
(You may also have Bonfire Night events to book tickets for – so worth doing that now as well.)
#5 – Get Halloween sorted out!
Halloween – a great excuse to dress up! – maybe you could have a party this year – a great excuse for a get together.
Also – worth adding a reminder to your diary to get your supply of treats ready for Halloween – you are bound to get some little witches and wizards knocking!
#6 – Ensure your car is ready for the colder months
Prep your car in case the worst happens, and for the colder weather – so you’re prepared.
Have a blanket and some water and food in your boot in case of a breakdown, and check tyres etc… – have you got de-icer etc…?
#7 – Set up your Christmas Planner
Yes, Yes, I know what you may well be saying when you see this on the list – BUT IT’S ONLY OCTOBER!
Well – I agree – to an extent – but I MUCH prefer to be ahead of the game a little when it comes to sorting out such a big part of the year as Christmas.
I use this month to set my Christmas Planner up – so I know that I’m ready to go.
#8 – Start booking things for Christmas
Every year, invites and events for Christmas start coming in around October.
People get booked up quickly – trying to fit family, friends, work, school etc… into a short time period – so it makes perfect sense to start looking at what you want to do and when you want to do it.
Book things in now, and you’ll be able to relax a little more….
#9 – Top up your gift giving supplies
You may not want to think about actually starting Christmas shopping as yet, but one thing that’s easy to get ahead with is your gift supplies.
Think about stocking up now on wrapping paper, tags, tape, stamps, brown parcel paper and tape, etc… – and you’ll find the whole process of wrapping and posting your Christmas Gifts much easier when you get started.
Deep dive October Homemaking Tasks
#10 – Tackle your style
The weather has turned now, and we are heading towards Winter – so now is the perfect time to take a look at projects inside the house.
I like to use this month to look at my clothes and get that sorted.
Some ideas, depending on where you are with sorting your clothes out, are as follows: –
- Start looking at what your style is – take a look through Pinterest and create a board with looks and items that you are drawn to. You will start to see patterns in what you’re picking – and this will become your unique style.
- Curate your wardrobe and clothes to match what your style is – this will make you much happier in what you wear each day, and make decluttering some items a lot easier!
- Create outfits from your clothes – so you can get dressed more quickly each day as you know what you have and what goes with what. Having more of a capsule wardrobe that can mix and match is ideal.
#11 – Christmas prep – this is TRULY crucial to start in October – please trust me on this!
This is SO important that I’ve mentioned it throughout the tasks this month – but PLEASE do some planning for Christmas!
You’ll honestly thank yourself when December comes around…
Why not use half term to your advantage if you have children as this can be a great time to start getting things ready in the house – or even starting to buy presents (my mum would always try and buy everything by the end of half term so that the more hectic weeks ahead didn’t have added stress. This is something I’ve tried to do in my adult life as well – I can fully recommend it).
Another great idea for this month is to have a good declutter of your home.
When Christmas comes round it will bring with it lots of new things and lots of its own clutter – and so having a sort out before hand can really help to create space for the new things Santa may bring us, or just get some clarity and space back.
Free printable for October
If you’d like all these TO DO’s in one easy to use checklist, then you’re in exactly the right place!
The gorgeous TO DO list has everything I’ve talked about in this post written down for you to print off and tick as you finish each task:
Want a copy?
Your very own copy of this gorgeous (and helpful!) printable is waiting for you in the Free Printables Library. To get FREE access to the entire library simply click the button below – hope you enjoy!
Important Dates for October
Here are the specific dates to remember this month – but don’t forget to add your own important dates to your diary (including Birthdays, Events, Appointments etc….).
- Halloween – 31st October
- Clocks Go Back (Date Changes Each Year)
October Facts
- OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE – Opal
- OCTOBER FLOWER(S) – Marigold
- OCTOBER ZODIAC SIGNS – LIBRA Sept 24th to Oct 23rd and SCORPIO October 23rd to November 21st
Gift Ideas for October Birthdays
I LOVE buying gifts for people because it’s a chance to show them that you care for them and they are someone who means a lot to you.
There are lots of gift guides and gift giving inspiration for different people on the site already, so take a look HERE, but if you want something specific to the month then why not use the September Facts in the section above, and take inspiration from them?
I’ve put a couple of ideas below to get you started, and I really hope they inspire you:
#1 – OPAL BRACELET This is pretty and unusual for a gift – she’ll love it!
#2 – LIBRA MUG – Simple but gorgeous – and would make a great gift – especially for a work colleague!!!!
And that’s all the things to do in October related to your home life that will keep you nicely on track all month.
There’s a chance to get well ahead of things with starting your Christmas prep now (don’t forget your Planner!), and sorting out your plans for Halloween and Half Term.
If you can think of other things to add, or you’d like to share how you get on this month, then I’d LOVE to hear from you.
