HGP Week 4: September 22-28, 2013

[HouseElf]

By Cynthia Ewer, Author of Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Organized

Week Four of the Holiday Grand Plan sees us move into the master bedroom to deep-clean and cut clutter, creating a serene and peaceful refuge for the busy days ahead.

As the season changes, we rout out the closet and organize clothing.

Our holiday prep tasks center on home-made gifts, and we'll begin budgeting "to-buy" items week-by-week.

Ready? Let's get organized with the Holiday Grand Plan!

Cleaning/Organizing Area:

Master Bedroom and Closets
Master Bedroom checklist

Holiday Prep:

• Make one batch of Holiday Goodies.
• Make one extra meal for freezer again labeled HOLIDAY MEAL.
• Buy two canned food items from menus (get 2 of each item, one to use and one to donate to food drive).
• Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes
• Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
• Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts.
• Make list of any table and bathroom linens that need replacing before the holidays, and pick up a few each week.

 

[HouseElf]

My HOLIDAY MEAL for the freezer was a double up from tonights dinner, A Shepherds Pie with lamb - put a casserole in the freezer.

Picked a basket of green tomatoes from the garden for Green Tomato Mincemeat to make this week for the holidays.

This week tomato sauce was on sale, so I grabbed 28 jars of it and restocked the pantry shelf! Put a few in the basket for the food drive.

My bedroom is a mess - mostly because my husband is drywalling it! Makes for an 'interesting' sleeping enviroment!

 

[Winged One]

This week, I need to remind myself to not put too much on the "have to do" list, but try to get through things on the "good to do" list as much as possible when I get a few spare minutes. But the master bedroom will be the main focus (I need to work here badly!).

[/] Wash inside of window (window frame is done)
[] Brush walls, ceiling
[x] Dust wooden furniture
[x] Empty bags from overnight away
[x] Clear clothes off chair
[/] Clear off dressing table
[] Hoover wardrobe shelves
[] Sort sock drawer
[] Sort makeup drawer
[] Sort haircare drawer
[x] Sort locker drawers
[] Finish sorting meds drawer (and rest of meds in bag)
[x] Clear books from top of locker
[x] Do seasonal clothes switch
[] Hoover to skirtings
[] Change duvet to winter weight
[] Send summer duvet to dry cleaners
[] Clean both mirrors
[] Clean air vent
[x] Empty bin
[x] Sweep cobwebs from velux windows in playroom

[x] Get rid of 1 bag clutter
[] Make 1 freezer meal
[x] Buy 1 gift
[x] Check wrapping supplies
[] Package up "Bride's Box" for DB and new SIL
[x] Get DF's retirement gift framed
[x] Update master gift list and budget spreadsheet
[] work on crafts
[] Send school report to Lucena
[x] Pay house insurance

So lots to do but I hope to make good progress this week with DH away and the au pair getting out more.

 

[dreamto]

Working on the Master Bedroom and soy does it need it. Its the "catch all" room.



[][]All draperies or curtains taken down and fluffed in the dryer.
[X]Do the same with your bedspread.
[][]While windows are bare, clean blinds and glass.
[X][X][]Clear off those stacks and piles on and around your dresser and bed.
[X][X][X][X][X][X][X][X]Go through each drawer and sort
[]How about the jewelry box
[]Clean out under the bed. Vacuum, dust and do baseboards under bed.
[X]Closet. Take out most of the summer clothing. Remove clothes that are one size too small and put in tote (I’m dieting and hope to fit back into them soonJ )
[x] Organize closet by color.
[X][X][X][][][][][][][]For shoes, try on all pairs if you can't wear them now, chances are you never will.
[X]Change the linens on the bed
[]Throw the pillows into the dryer to fluff.
[X][X][][][]Time to dust and clean off and polish all the furniture.
[]dust and polish TV
[]Clean mirrors you may have.
[]Vacuum the floor of the room and the closet!
[] Clean the ceiling fan.
[]Light switch
[]baseboards
[X][X][X][X] Go through totes

 

[Winged One]

My life is slowly falling apart at the seams again (not nearly as badly as some others - I just hate the out of control-ness of it all).

So I am not making any progress on cleaning, and not much on my organizing stuff - just getting through day to day things is the challenge at the moment. Which does include getting the master bedroom tidied as it happens, but maybe I will get to that on Saturday. [Fed up smilie face] ...Humph.

But I did get a book for DD yesterday and paid the house insurance - so that is something at least.

 

[luludou]

Wings your schedule is always nerve-wracking! I don't know how you do it all with work, dd, the au pair, dh away for work.... you are doing great no matter what! ((hugs))

 

[Cathymac2]

Hello everyone. I am playing catch up as usual. However, that's the very reason I chose this plan, because there are so many rooms on it that I don't have that I have plenty of catch up time.

Master bedroom is a biggie on my list. Ours is awful. Every corner of the room is cluttered and needs cleaning. However, it may not be this week. I am still working on our laundry room (again? still?) trying to get it squared away (it's my "entry" through the back door, so that's why I've been working on it).

We built a new floor for our storage shed and moved the shed over a couple of weeks ago. I am slowly sorting things (currently stored on my back porch) and putting them back into the shed in an orderly and organized manner! LOL. It will be so nice to go out and pull out a tub of Christmas decorations or whatever and know exactly what is in it and that it's properly stored. It's going to be nice, but it is time consuming.

Our fall/Halloween party is one month from today. It's in our back yard, so I have to shake a leg and get moving.

I'll be back soon with progress to note!!

 

[Lolwlias]

Last Sunday I finally got my Master Bedroom presentable. I like it much better when it's looking like it does now. It's my oasis. I still need to do walls & windows, though.