You Get A Free Hour On November 1st. Here’s How To Use It.
Five One Hour Projects That Make The Dark Evenings Easier
On Sunday, November 1, the clocks fall back and everyone gets an extra hour. Most of us will sleep in, which is a perfectly good use of it. But if you’re the type who says “I’d do it if I just had the time,” this is the rare day when the time shows up on its own.
There’s another reason the timing works. Once the clocks change, it’s dark before 5 p.m., you’re home more, and coats, boots, bags, and chargers are all back in rotation. The spots that quietly held up all summer start to strain. A one-hour reset now keeps the busy season from feeling like a pile-up.
Why One Hour Is Enough
A project with a hard stop works better than a vague plan to “get to it this weekend.” When you know it ends at the hour, you’re less likely to empty an entire closet onto the bed and quit halfway. Pick one spot, not five. A small, finished project beats a big, abandoned one every time.
Pick Your Hour
• The entryway: Pull out everything that isn’t current-season: sandals, beach bags, sun hats. Give each person one hook and one spot for shoes, and put hats and gloves in a basket by the door so they’re easy to locate on a cold morning.
• The coat closet: Pull out every coat and ask the same question of each: did anyone wear this last winter? Donate the ones that don’t fit or never get worn. Coats are one of the easiest donations, because someone needs them this month. Then group what’s left by person.
• The junk drawer: Empty it onto the counter. Toss the dead batteries, dried-out pens, and takeout menus, then sort the rest into a small tray. Make sure the flashlight, fresh batteries, and a lighter or matches live here, since dark evenings (and the occasional storm) are on the way.
• The charger basket: Gather every charger and cable in the house and test them. Toss the orphans, label the keepers, and give them one home. More evenings indoors means more devices, and this is the drawer people dig through most.
• The dusk walk-through: Wait until the sun goes down, then walk the house. Where is it too dim: the stairs, the entry, the kitchen counter? Swap a bulb, add a plug-in light, and put a nightlight where you’d otherwise stumble. It’s a few small fixes that make the whole season easier.
How to Make the Hour Count
Set a timer and stop when it goes off. Put a donation bag and a trash bag next to you before you start, so nothing gets set aside “for later.” And don’t open a second project. If you finish early, enjoy the rest of your hour. You earned it.
One more thing that helps: decide where the donations are going before you start. Put the bag by the car or the front door, and drop it off within the week. A donation bag that sits in the hall for a month turns into clutter itself, and it’s the most common way a good hour gets undone. If something needs repair or a decision from someone else, give it a note with a date and a spot in a single basket, so it doesn’t wander back into the room.
If You’d Rather Sleep-In
Totally fair. Do it Sunday evening instead, when it’s already getting dark. Or split the hour into three 20-minute sessions across the week. The extra hour is just a nudge. What matters is that the project gets a start time and a finish line. The goal isn’t a perfect home. It’s one less thing that annoys you every time you walk in the door or reach into a drawer, and one project you can cross off before the holidays get busy.
The people with the calmest homes in winter usually aren’t the ones who do the most. They’re the ones who pick a small project and finish it. Want a hand using your extra hour well? DDH can help you reset the entryway, edit the coat closet, or tackle whatever’s been waiting for “someday.” Contact us today to grab a spot in our winter calendar.
Making the Most of the Time You Have Is What We Do
Breaking a big organizing job into small steps that fit real life is at the heart of every DDH project. It’s also exactly what we train every franchisee to do as DDH grows into new markets. As a DDH franchisee, you step into a proven playbook, hiring systems, and brand support from day one, so you can help families in your own community make the most of the time they have. Learn more about franchise opportunities with DDH. Click on the link below.
