HGP Week 6: October 6-12, 2013

[HouseElf]

Kids' Room Week

Week 6: October 6-12, 2013
By Cynthia Ewer, Author of Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Organized

Will Santa be visiting your house this year? Time to sort out the short stuff!

This week, we focus on kids' rooms for deep-cleaning, decluttering and organizing so that there's room to spare for holiday gifts.

Our holiday prep assignments include assembling freezer meals, working on hand-crafted gifts, and continuing to buy gifts and holiday supplies.

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

Cleaning/Organizing Area:
Kids' Rooms / Play Areas
Kids' Room 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.
• Check smoke detectors and clean them, change batteries if needed.
• Make "goody basket" for guest bath, from samples found in abundance in stores right now.

 

[HouseElf]

So for us Canadian Thanksgiving celebrations I added the following to my list, borrowed from the holiday prep of other weeks - to unsure Thanksgiving dinner is ready:

• Clean/clear library/front hall closet so there will be room for guests' coats. Give unwanted coats to charity. Store other stuff in attic in empty luggage.
• Send invitations for Thanksgiving.
• Order/Buy turkey
• Put up Thanksgiving decorations.
• Review and revise menus and other plans.
• Plan table setting
• Plan centerpiece, make as much as possible now (or order it from florist).
• Get everyone's holiday dinner clothes purchased/cleaned/pressed.
• Make place cards.
• Make 3x5 card for each serving dish, list what goes in it, garnish, how much before dinner can it go in and serving silverware used with it; tape it to edge of dish.
• Be sure all dishes are clean!
• Borrow or buy any additional serving dishes needed.
• Are linens clean and ready? Unfold and verify that all spots can be hidden by centerpiece.

 

[Winged One]

After a hectic weekend, I have a reasonable week ahead, I hope. I managed to get a lot of DDs room done a couple of weeks back, so I only need to clean windows and list clothing for holidays needs.

I think I. Will focus on the living room instead this week as I never got to it really yet. And organize all the cards and presents for this month's birthdays (6) and a couple of parties , dad is having 2 and a family breakfast for his retirement in 2 weeks (although he actually retired last week, I think he needs time to get over the shock of it all!!! LOL!!!!).

 

[Winged One]

Cleaning - mainly Living Room:
[] Clean inside windows
[] Dust blinds
[] Dust behind picrtures, mirror
[] Dust bookcases
[] Sweep ceiling and wall corners
[] Hoover to skirtings
[x] Clean leather seats
[x] Treat carpet stains
[x] Put down rug to protect carpet
[] Clear bookshelves clutter
[] Sort and file papers
[] Dump excess paper ("useful recipes" and craft ideas etc I've never made)
[x] Check all bulbs in lights
[x] Clean CD shelves
[x] Empty and sort drinks press
[] Clean tv screen, mirror
[x] Clean stove
[x] Clean top of fireplace
[x] Put out lightlights
[x] Put up new wine rack and sort bottles
[] Clip back plants in back garden


Organising:
[] Sow leeks, broad beans
[] Check smoke alarm batteries
[] Check candles, matches, firelighters etc needs
[] Check drinks press needs
[] Post DBro New House card
[] Post DSil birthday card
[x] Ring Clinic re DD's script (rang and left msg)
[] Send school report to Clinic (I really ought to get to this this week!)
[] Make and freeze 1 batch cookie dough
[x] Make 1 freezer meal
[] Bottle rhubarb gin and rhubarb vodka
[xxx] Buy 1 gift
[x] Update master budget and gift spreadsheet
[x] Check clothes for all
Christmas Day outfits (DH, DD and I)
2-3 other “nice” outfits
General winter needs
[x] Make DD clothes wants/needs list
[x] Make list of needs for DH and I (if any)
[x] Buy 2 outfits for me - Dad retirement party and Christmas Day
[/] Buy Christmas jumper for me (DH and DD both have one)
[] Make DD presents ideas list for any relatives asking
[] Buy 1 batch cards - Not out yet
[x] Put money into savings
[] Open high interest savings account
[x] Rearrange school meeting (if possible) to allow DH come

Oh, that sounds long again this week. Oh well, the living room really does need attention...

 

[Winged One]

I took a few minutes out over lunch, and finally researched entertainment options over Christmas week where we will be staying (there will be 2 pantos, but they only announced them recently as I had looked unsuccessfully in August).

So we might finally book to bring DD to one, and I found a few ideas for different things to do in the daytimes not over the immediate festive days (most things are closed 24-26/27th here) not involving shopping or a playcentre.

I sent the info to DH, and we will have a chat about it tonight.

I must book tickets for the UCF v Penn State game next August too. And look at the schedule for local rugby team, to get a Friday night match this season, or maybe a Saturday evening if I have to.

Edit: Oh I am so bold, I have gone and booked tickets for DH, DD and I for the American Football match. DH will probably go mad but the good tickets are nearly gone, international bookings opens very shortly, and we had said we wanted to go!

 

[Winged One]

Booked the tickets for the Pantomime yesterday too - Aladdin on Monday 23rd December, evening show so DD can stay up late and enjoy the show and the magic of pre-Christmas nights in town!!

 

[HouseElf]

Wingedone, sounds like a great time!

 

[HouseElf]

Busy week, Thanksgiving holiday prep is done - just the cooking is needed.

Came to the conclusion with this weeks cleaning focus that it was much easier to clean the 'kids' rooms when they had just Lego and Hot Wheels all over - teenagers are so much messier and they have opinions about their stuff

Dropped food-drive items off at the school Thursday, and started a new box for the Christmas hamper drive.

Great big busy week!

 

[Winged One]

It was a manic week in more ways than one, and the fact of our gas getting cut off on the 1 night I had dedicated to cleaning (in my mind at least) meant that plan got smashed to smithereens.

I didn't do terrible though, I ordered tickets for 2 different events, I sourced birthday presents for 3 of my 4 siblings I needed to, I have a present almost sorted for my Mom's birthday and I found the housewarming present I had gathered for my DBro (a Bride's box - I was going to give it to him and his new DW for Christmas, but they bought their first house and moved in 3 weeks ago - so they'll have a tree up this year!! Giving the decorations now makes sense.).

Now I need to go see what I can accomplish this week (probably not a lot as I have to pack for this weekend's trip home, including 2 evening parties and an early morning breakfast; my own 2 day trip to Paris the following Monday; be organized for DH's packing for his week in South Africa leaving Sunday (I have to drive back with just DD, which is fine); and be organized in my head for a meeting with DD's school midweek about her extra needs this year).

Luckily, I don't have a guest room anymore (the au pair is responsible for keeping her own room tidy) but the study (my usual alternate) is a dumping ground again. The ONLY good thing is that I got rid of about 8 bags of clutter between my DSis and goodwill over the past month or so and will need to move another 2 bags this weekend as gifts.

 

[Winged One]

I did forget to say though that I did a major job on my wardrobe yesterday as well - finished seasonal switch (all summer now gone as weather changed mid-week, and thermals in my room ready for action when needed). And put away all the clean things from the hotpress too, which is a fair job in itself.