Fall usually brings comfortable days and cooler nights. To keep from turning up the heat in the evening, keep a basket, bin, or decorative trunk of blankets close to where you sit. Grabbing a blanket and snuggling into the couch or your favorite chair while you read a book or watch TV can be so comforting.
Fall is by far my favorite time of the year. The mornings are cool here in the Pacific Northwest, the afternoons are warm, and the sun just shines lovely upon your body. It is just a perfect time to live in this region. However, I find that the cooler mornings also bring cooler evenings. In order to keep warm, cozy, and comfortable, we have a trunk for all of our blankets that we use when we’re sitting watching TV or reading a book. We keep the trunk open at all times so that when the person who is using the blanket is done for the night, they can get up from the couch, walk over to the trunk, and literally just drop the blanket into the trunk.
Having the trunk open with the only request being to walk over and drop the blanket helps avoid the land of letting it lay that can happen when tasks feel like too many steps. I like things to be neat and tidy, but for me, nothing is more annoying than folding a blanket just to unfold the same blanket just a few hours later. I noticed when I created this walk-and-drop system that the house stays picked up and presentable for company. We don’t have to think or worry about someone dropping by.
I find that big baskets, large laundry hampers, and canvas dirty clothes bags that can stay open on their own work just as well. One tip, however, is to just be careful with wicker baskets because they can catch on the blankets and cause snags in the material. I have a tendency to look for the wicker baskets that are lined, or I will look for the plastic wicker-looking baskets, so that I do not have to worry about that issue.
The whole point of having a central place for the blankets to go is so the house stays cleaned up, making it as easy as possible. Another benefit to the walk-and-drop system is, frequently when I get up from the couch, I have a glass or small bowl that I am also taking to the kitchen. Being able to put my blanket away for the night, while having my other hand full to take the dishes to the kitchen keeps the house even cleaner.
If I had to stop, fold, put the blanket away, and then remember to come back and get the glass, I’d be less likely to do it because it takes several steps to make that happen. Versus I get up, drop the blanket, and take the cup or glass into the kitchen. I can do that just in one motion and it takes me less than a minute to do it all.
So if you find that you have blankets laying all over the house, try this organizing tip. Not only does the house stay cleaner, you can delay turning the heat up just a little bit longer, and still enjoy those comfortable evenings on the couch without having to worry about increasing your power bill.
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