HGP Week 7: October 13-19, 2013

[HouseElf]

Week 7: October 13-19, 2012 By Cynthia Ewer, Author of Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Organized

Guest rooms ready for holiday guests? They will be, after we tackle them during Week Seven of the Holiday Grand Plan: Guest Room Week!

This week, we deep-clean, organize and prepare for overnight guests.

In holiday prep, we keep plugging away on gifts, whether to-make or to-buy. Decor alert: Halloween is coming!

Ready? Let's get organized with Guest Room Week in the Holiday Grand Plan!

Cleaning/Organizing Area:
Guest Room / Bath
Guest 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.

Decorate for Halloween:

If you decorate mainly with a fall harvest look, then a few Halloween things can make it for Halloween. After October, replace the Halloween decorations with Thanksgiving things for a minimum of work.

 

[HouseElf]

I do not have a guest room (wish I did!) so this weeks focus will be to clean my car, and to 'ready' in case we do have guests.

We have trundle beds in two of the boys rooms, for friends/guests to our home. I will take out the sheet sets/comforters and wash them - repack back into the linen closet after.

We also have a portable cot (think the OLD metal kind on wheels that folds in two) and a sleeper sofa. Will wash the sheet sets/quilts for these sleepers and pack them away. Flip the mattress to the sleeper sofa and trundle beds. Spray with linen spray.

Will look for samples of soaps/shampoos/new toothbrush etc... and put together a basket.

Our home is already decorated for Thanksgiving (this Monday in Canada) - so we just take down the scarecrows, carve the pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns, and put up our spiders etc... for Halloween.

Today I doubled my GF stuffing recipe, and put half in the freezer for Christmas Turkey dinner! The first few steps (chopping, toasting, sautee) takes up the most time - so all I will need to do is add some extra herbs, the eggs and turkey stock before stuffing the bird!

Sliced up a roast into thin strips and put in a ginger marinade for a stirfry. Will just need to toss into the pan with the separate bag of stirfry veggies - label Holiday meal.

I made a pumpkin coffee cake for tomorrow, and again doubled the recipe today. Made the extra into mini loaves and put them in the freezer this afternoon. They make a great breakfast with maple sausages and a bowl of mixed fruit.

Our visit to the orchard today was a short one, picked up a bushel of apples and pears - plus two jugs of cider.

 

[Winged One]

As I don't currently have a guest room (the au pair keeps that room clean herself while she is in residence - I can have guests in between au pairs!!), I use this week to tackle the study. The bomb site, I call it. Luckily, I had removed 8 bags between my DSis taking clothes and books for DNieces and DNephews (her own DCs and my BILs DCs), and giving a few to Goodwill of adult clothes and books. And I will take out 2 more when I go to my Dad's retirement parties this weekend - birthday presents for 4 of my Siblings (Aug, Sept and Oct birthdays), and my DMom (early Nov), and a housewarming present for DBro. The present for DDad birthday (Thursday) and retirement (2 weeks ago, but parties this weekend) are not there yet as they're still getting framed. (Must ring framer to make sure they're done). And between the weekend away for us all, DH leaving for South Africa from his parent's house (we're staying there as my DPs house is full - 1 Dsis has the floor!!), and me driving back home alone with DD and turning around to go to Paris next morning overnight - I need to concentrate on packing this week and being organized. And having a clear head for the meeting with DD's school about her extra needs this week.

Cleaning: Study
[] Clear floor and hoover to skirtings
[] Clear off study desk
[] Clear top of bookcase
[] Tidy shelves in bookcase
[] Put beach towels into storage unit
[] Dust and polish furniture
[] Clean inside of window and glass in bookcase
[] Mend pillowcase and PJ top

Organizing:
[][][][][][][] Write birthday cards (DSis1, DSis2, DSis3, DBro2, DMum, DSisIL, DDad)
[/] Buy and write new home card for DBro1
[][] Buy birthday gift for DBro2, DSisIL
[x] Ring framer to ensure DDad gift ready
[x] Collect DDad gift
[/][/][/][/][/][/][/][][] Wrap all gifts for celebrations above and DDad retirement - have at least located most and put them into the study to wrap and pack
[/] Pack for weekend in Cork - DD and I (DH does himself) - started gathering clothes
[] Pack for Paris trip (except washbag)
[] Send school report to Clinic
[x] Attend school meeting re DD
[x] Make cheese sauce and assemble lasagna, freeze (for DSis1 to cook while I am in Paris)
[] Pack tubs for sloes (to collect when in DPILs next weekend)
[] Bottle rhubarb vodka (need to big jar to make sloe gin, rhubarb has sat long enough)
[] Organise internet food shop for mid-week next week
[] Go to market when "home" - chicken, spices, apple juice, vegetables, cheese...
[] Buy the reindeer top for DD for Christmas day (shop didn't have her size, available online)
[] Buy the Christmas pudding jumper for me (haven't been to shops but it looks nice online)
[x] Start decorating house for Halloween
[x] Buy Halloween candy

OK that list is long, but I will have to make good progress on the second half at least this week.

 

[Winged One]

Progress is just not happening at the moment. I am physically worn out and sleep deprived, dealing with serious frustrations at work, and the house is such a tip that it is truly overwhelming apart from the main living spaces. And I seem to have no energy (I know I'm not eating enough fruit and veg, and not getting enough exercise - so I am putting pounds back on and severely lacking in energy as a result). But it's going to be manic for another 10 days, after which I have a couple of days to get things sorted at home at least.

Unfortunately, that respite comes AFTER the festivities this weekend and all the presents I need to sort for those. And when I need the energy for 2 late nights followed by an early breakfast, and then driving home on my own (well, with DD) after it all (I don't mind driving the 3 hours normally, but I am so tired this week that I think we'll need a pitstop en route, or maybe even 2!!).

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Progress is just not happening at the moment. I am physically worn out and sleep deprived, dealing with serious frustrations at work, and the house is such a tip that it is truly overwhelming apart from the main living spaces. .

Wish we were closer. I'd ask DD to take her cleaning team (LC and me) to your house for a few hours. We'd clean and put something in the slower cooker for your dinner.

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Today I doubled my GF stuffing recipe, and put half in the freezer for Christmas Turkey dinner! The first few steps (chopping, toasting, sautee) takes up the most time - so all I will need to do is add some extra herbs, the eggs and turkey stock before stuffing the bird!

Sliced up a roast into thin strips and put in a ginger marinade for a stirfry. Will just need to toss into the pan with the separate bag of stirfry veggies - label Holiday meal.

I made a pumpkin coffee cake for tomorrow, and again doubled the recipe today. Made the extra into mini loaves and put them in the freezer this afternoon. They make a great breakfast with maple sausages and a bowl of mixed fruit.

Is your pumpkin coffee cake recipe on your Pinterest board?

 

[HouseElf]

Yes it is turned out great, even if dh complained because he ate too much! From the Gluten Free Goddess:

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Thanks going to look it over.