It's common to clean your home top to bottom every spring, but after a long summer of travel and recreation, it may need a good fall cleaning as well. Use this checklist to clean your home in a way that helps you to prepare for the fall season.

• Wash all of the windows to remove the stuck-on summer bugs, dust and other summer debris.
• Give hardwood or tile floors a good sweeping and mopping. Even though most people sweep their floors and occasionally go over them with a handheld spray mop, this is a good time to give them a really thorough cleaning.
• Vacuum the carpets and shake out area rugs. If you have pets, sprinkle them with an odor eliminating powder before vacuuming.
• Clean inside of light fixtures. This includes lamp shades, kitchen light fixtures (which can easily be removed with a screw driver), and any outside sconces.
• Remove all of the contents from the kitchen cupboards and clean them. Do the same with the refrigerator.
• Do a run-down of all of the clothes in your drawers and closets. Place the clothes that you don't wear in a pile to donate to your local thrift store.
• Clean any patio or outdoor furniture. If you have a storage area, now is the time to pack the furniture away for the cold season.

Fall Cleaning Checklist [Real Simple]

If the idea of spending hours at the gym makes you dread exercise, you may be looking for a more enjoyable alternative. Instead of lengthy workouts, these quick micro exercises will help you to tone up and trim down without setting foot in a gym — in fact, you can do them even while you're doing other tasks!

• Crunchless crunches. Strengthen your abs while sitting at your desk or walking around the grocery store. Simply tighten your abdominal muscles by sucking in your stomach slightly. Hold this move for 3 to 5 seconds, and then release and repeat for as many reps as you like.
• Break for squats. While cleaning your house or even working in your cubicle, take periodic breaks for squats. Do 5 or 10 squats at a time until you complete a set of 100.
• Relax into a wall sit. While reading documents at work or watching your favorite TV show at home, do a wall sit instead of sitting in a chair. Use your core muscles to keep you steady, and even work in some tiny pulses in your legs to tone your glutes.
• Stop, drop and push up. When you're doing a somewhat active chore, such as walking the dog or doing the dishes, stop every few minutes to do a round of push-ups.

Mile Posts: 5 Easy Exercises You Can Do All Day [Women's Running]
Deskercise! 33 Smart Ways to Exercise at Work [Greatist]
5 Crazy Simple Ways to Fit in More Exercise [Women's Health]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Jonathan Rolande

If you do not like Chinese food, then you have not tried Yens Cafe. This Ashburn restaurant may not look like much from the outside, but on the inside is flavorful and gratifying cuisine.

Yen’s Cafe serves traditional Chinese dishes like General Tso’s chicken, Moo Shu Pork, and Orange Beef, just to name a few. In addition, they also serve a variety of soups including corn and ham egg drop soup, mixed seafood soup, and tomato and tofu soup. If you are looking to try something different, go for the stir fried shrimp with scrambled eggs or the crispy lemongrass fluke filet.

Lunch combinations are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and include the entree, salad, and a spring roll. Reservations are accepted and recommended for dinner, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Delivery is available within a six-mile radius.

Yens Cafe
43490 Yukon Dr. Ste 113
Ashburn, VA 20147
(703) 723-8811
yenscafe.com
www.yelp.com/biz/yens-cafe-ashburn-3

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr jeffreyw