Autumn Equinox 2017 in the Northern Hemisphere was on Friday, September 22nd at 4:02 PM (Eastern Standard Time).

The Autumn Equinox is an auspicious occasion that marks the first day of fall, a bittersweet time as we say good-bye to summer and step into high gear for the hectic fall season. It is celebrated around the world by many cultures that hold feasts, festivals, and holidays to mark the September Equinox.

Autumn is a favourite season for many, myself included, as we look forward to the crisp evening air and behold the spectacular beauty and kaleidoscope of rich hues of fall colours. The months of September and October have also become the most popular wedding months.

Even though it’s officially fall, here in Toronto the muggy weather has seen temperatures soar to record-breaking levels. Still, seasonal changes mean that we are leaving behind the halcyon days of summer and transitioning back into our regular busy school and work routines. Before you know it, the holidays are upon us in quick succession and we're bundling up for winter weather. Life gets even busier as our social calendar fills up and even more stuff is added to our ever-expanding to-do lists in the last quarter of 2017, both at work and at home.

get ORGANIZED and plan ahead for the holidays

Our inaugural list of "7 Rituals to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox and Prepare for Changing Seasons" serves not only as a checklist for preparing for fall and getting organized for holiday entertaining, but also as a reminder to enjoy the beautiful fall season (see point #1). Though the following list may seem overwhelming at first glance, you can do it in stages or phases, and then break it down into digestible chunks, time permitting. Or, you may have to defer some items to the spring.

CHECK OUT THE FALL COLOURS: Book a fall getaway tour, pack a picnic, plan a sightseeing excursion, book a winery tour, enjoy a quiet walk in the woods, take a road trip, or embark on a challenging hike or bike tour to take full advantage of the panoramic views of the fall foliage in Ontario. As a starting point, check out "The Top 10 getaways for fall colours in Ontario", according to blogTO.
JUMP START THE HOUSEHOLD PROJECTS: How are you doing with your fall home maintenance checklist? This time of year, we turn our attention to getting our homes ready for winter. Due to the cooler weather, fall is a great time to take care of home repairs, renovations, and organizational and redecorating projects. Roll up your sleeves and let's dive into the fall and winter home maintenance checklist.
Clean and repair gutters: Dirty, clogged gutters can potentially cause problems during the winter months, including flooded basements and damage to your foundation and landscape. Also, direct drainage away from your house.
Inspect your roof: Check your roof for signs of damage and prioritize those repairs now before the colder weather arrives.
Garden and landscaping: Prune your plants, trim back trees and bushes, fertilize your lawn. Plant your spring-blooming bulbs. Turn off outdoor water and sprinkler systems.
Seal up cracks and gaps around the outside of your home to reduce loss of heat, lowering your energy costs.
Close the pool and/or hot tub for the winter.
Weather stripping: Apply weatherstripping around the windows and doors to create an airtight seal.
Organize your garage and tools, winterize and stow your mower, drain and store hoses.
Clean exterior and interior windows.
Check your furnace: Consider scheduling an appointment with a heating and cooling professional for a check up and tune up. Change your furnace filters too!
Inspect your fireplace and get your wood stove in working order.
Maintain your AC unit: Change your filters (once every three months). Check and clean your AC coils and coil fins once per annum to keep them in optimum working condition. Clear debris and dirt around the outdoor condenser before winter hits. Place a cover around your AC unit to protect it from the elements.
Arrange for air duct cleaning.
Wipe down and store the summer furniture.
Prepare and store the outdoor BBQ grill for the winter.
Wash/wipe down exterior lighting.
CAR/VEHICLE DETAILING AND MAINTENANCE: All those summer road trips can take a toll on the appearance and cleanliness of your vehicle. Time to get your vehicle back into shape with a wash and interior/exterior cleaning as well as regular service maintenance and repairs. It's also time to think about winterizing your vehicle, including changing out to winter tires.
DRY CLEANING AND REPAIRS: Now that you’re back in full swing and getting ready to kick off a busy fall and winter social season, can the same be said for your clothes, shoes and accessories? Is everything clean, shiny, pressed, presentable, and in excellent working order and condition?
OPEN THE WINDOWS: Throw open the windows and air out your house, and allow more light into your home.
HOLIDAY PARTY AND EVENT PLANNING: From Thanksgiving through to New Year’s, tis the season for holiday entertaining. There will be an endless parade of social functions, parties, after work soirées, lavish holiday feasts and entertaining to do. Whether you will be attending or throwing a holiday party, get a head start on your party planning to make the holidays as stress-free as possible—everything from shopping, travel planning, festive decor ideas, menu ideas, scrumptious recipes, creating a great music playlist, wine and cocktails, gift buying and wrapping, preparing for guests, and the list goes on. MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR YOURSELF! There is an excess of everything at this time of year so practise moderation and keep it simple. There is no need to strive for perfection, that just adds more pressure and anxiety. Be yourself. The most important ritual at this time of year is to relax, have fun, and celebrate the festive season by spending time with family, friends, and loved ones. It's the gift of your time that really matters and what people will most appreciate and remember.

Strategize for the holiday season: Think and plan ahead, and prep in advance. Do you have a strategy heading into the holiday season? Set a realistic plan and budget for the holiday season—and stick to it! Manage your expectations, schedule yourself carefully, and manage your time and energy judiciously in order to avoid burnout. Be discerning about which social invites you will accept. No need to overcommit and spread yourself too thin. Pace yourself. There is nothing worse at this time of year than to be stressed out, sick and exhausted as you head down the home stretch of the holiday season. Work to your strengths, prepare your checklists, and delegate, offload, and outsource as you see fit. Ask for help. And build in some down time to relax and restore balance, in and around the holiday activities.
CLEAN AND DECLUTTER YOUR HOME AND SPACES: So much to say about this; I will definitely cover more cleaning and decluttering tips in future blog posts. Let's stick with the absolutely essential fall cleaning and decluttering tips, shall we? Check out my blog post "The Essential Fall Decluttering Tips" for a checklist of the to-do items as well as simple, easy tips for decluttering and organizing your stuff. The benefits of fall cleaning and the decluttering of your spaces will be well worth it!

Need Help?

As always, I’d be happy to assist you with the transition into fall/winter by deep diving into your to-do lists, helping you to enhance, organize, and simplify your home and life, and getting party-ready for the busy holiday season. Just give me a holler!

Stephanie Villano is the founder of Contessa Concierge & Personal Assistant Services and an award-winning creative professional, certified project manager, mission-driven entrepreneur, and lifestyle architect. She empowers and champions people in their quest to cultivate a more meaningful, balanced, productive, and purposeful life through services that enhance, organize, and simplify life.