It's certainly felt like fall here in Washington, DC these last few days. So this week, I'll be doing a series of posts to help you prepare your house for the fall and for the holidays to come.

We're going to start by building a task list. This should be a very focused task list. If you want to keep a master list of things you want to do around the house, have at it — but this list should focus on the things you need to do to move your house from summer to winter and to do basic preparation for the holidays. Walk around your house inside and out and make a list. Carry a notebook and pen or use the voice memo function on your phone.

Things on this list might include the following:

• Have the chimney cleaned.
• Clean and store outdoor furniture.
• Rake leaves.
• Plant bulbs and cover outdoor plants.
• Mulch flower beds.
• Store summer equipment, such as gardening tools and lawn mowers.
• Get out winter equipment such as shovels, car brushes, ice melt, etc. Replace or restock as necessary.
• Put in storm windows.
• Have furnace serviced.
• Launder all bedding (including pillows) and switch to winter weight fabrics.
• Rotate mattresses.
• Wash windows.
• Clean car and stock it for winter (signal flares, small shovel, Ice melt, jumper cables, blanket, granola bars, etc.).
• Air out guest room and dining room.
• Organize attic so you can find decorations.
• Make space in a closet or other location to hide presents.
• Fill bird feeders.
• Give everything a good dusting before you're trapped with the dust all winter.

Your list may be very different. It could be shorter or longer. My list is just an example. You know what you need to do. So make YOUR list. And then start scheduling things. Some things (raking) require the leaves to have fallen, good weather, and extended daylight hours. You aren't likely to be able to do that on a weeknight, but you could rotate the mattress or check the trunk of your car. Get everyone who lives in the house involved. Teens can do laundry. Younger kids can fill bird feeders.

Do it a little bit at a time, but do get started!