It's time to talk about everyone's least favorite topic: Fall Cleaning.

I know, you're thinking, doesn't she mean spring cleaning? I'm good for another 6 months!

Well, first of all, it doesn't really make sense to clean well only once a year. Second, you'll be decorating and entertaining for the holidays. It's easier to do that in a clean house. Finally, you're going to be stuck in your house all winter. It might as well be clean.

So, let's start by doing a serious cleaning of the kitchen:

• Clean the oven. Avoid the caked on stuff setting off the smoke detectors just as Aunt Marge settles in on Thanksgiving.
• Give the inside of the microwave a good clean too. It shouldn't look like a crime scene. CSI isn't coming to study the splatter evidence. (If they are, this might not be the blog for you.)
• Clean the cupboards. Use up what you can. Get rid of anything expired (like spices old enough to vote). Anything left, donate to a food bank.
• Want a real scare for Halloween? Figure out what that mystery package in the back of the freezer is. And while you're at it, use what you can, discard anything freezer burned. Basically, make yourself some space.
• REALY clean the fridge — as in take the shelves out and wash them. Send the back of the fridge science projects to the great laboratory in the sky.
• While your doing all of this, make separate areas for the things you'll need to entertain — be they utensil or the little snacks that you'll want to set out for guests (nuts, olives, tapenade, crackers, etc.).

As always, the key is to plan ahead and set things up so that you can enjoy more of your day.