Week Two HGP 9/4 Living Room & "Questions" We

[SparkleNana]

Welcome to Week Two! Correct me if I'm wrong... I believe that Week Two is the Living Room Week.... and for the "Holiday Plan" part... we continue working on lists... and trying to answer the "questions" about what would make Christmas 2011 most meaningful and satisfying for us... and our loved ones!

The people that we celebrate with... may or may not be the same people as last year..... but the world around us is sure changing! (Of course... the people we celebrate with are changing too.... at the very LEAST... they are a year older!) In fact.... that is one of the wonderful things about special holidays..... even though evrything may have changed in the last year.... "some things about the holiday" have NOT changed.... and that can bring great comfort.... in a time of great change!

Labor Day Weekend is uneventful for me, this year. And I am interpreting THAT to be a BIG bonus.... more time/energy/thought to preparing for the 2011 Christmas holiday season.... which will be VERY eventful!

 

[SparkleNana]

Oh... I am "setting the bar" quite low this year. My goal is to spend "One Hour" on the Holiday Grand Plan... each week. Anything more that gets done... is just gravy!

 

[luludou]

As we bought a propane foyer yesterday, dh has to install it and then put stone & grout around it... so the LR will be a full fall job. When it will be all done, pain has to be done, have to buy a tv stand, have the rocking chair recovered, buy couch slipcovers.... etc...
now the PROBLEM.. is this...
WHERE will I put the Christmas tree??? The foyer is taking its place.

I'm also thinking about what Christmas things I love..

 

[ChristmasPir8]

Lucie us a foyer a fireplace ? Here a foyer is a hallway or open area just inside your main door.

 

[luludou]

oops,... fireplace. We use foyer in French. So it's a propane fireplace

 

[ChristmasPir8]

Interesting. That was my guess based on how you used it

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Is this the correct link for this week?
http://christmas.organizedhome.com/holiday-grand-plan/question-week

 

[ChristmasPir8]

Diedra that looks right.

 

[Winged One]

I have what looks like a long list this week, but DH is home and some of the jobs are his (like painting and sweeping chimney). The jobs are kinda batched in cleaning, cooking, crafting, organising, and Christmas prep below. I also DO have some time out things to enjoy - a "Cousin's lunch" to celebrate one aunt retiring, and a street party to celebrate 2 people turning 40 over the summer break (including DH!!).

[] Clean outside windows downstairs (weather dependent)
[] Sweep chimney
[] Dust sitting room
[] Clean inside sitting room windows
[] Clean mirror
[x] Sort magazines
[x] Check firelighter, matches, candles, essential oils needs - make a list
[x] Sort drinks cabinet
[] Wash glasses
[] Paint last bedroom wall
[] Paint bedroom woodwork
[x] Put doorknobs on wardrobe doors
[x] Keep filing crafts patterns
[] Sort sitting room bookcases
[x] Put together IKEA unit for DD's crafts things
[] Move wooden toy chest and other items to storage unit

[] Make 1 batch jam from fruit in freezer
[] Make 1 batch of cookie dough for freezer
[] Start a fruit liquer and batch of limoncello
[] Make dish for street party - probably needs to be a starter

[x] Finish small tote
[x] Work on Cross-stitch
[] Sew together 4 dollie blankets
[] Sew tree decorations (I think I have about 10 already cut)
[] Sew 3 crayon rolls
[] Knit gran's lap banket
[] Knit DD's sleeveless jumper

[] Do big shop
[] Get house insurance quotes
[x] Decide creche activities
[] Make dentist appointments
[] Ring plumber to arrange fixing taps, putting in new radiator
[x] Liaise between school and creche on school after-school club days needed
[x] Arrange bank ATM card to be sent from my branch to a branch physically near me
[x] Drop form to school to fill in before clinic apt
[] Work on our form for clinic

[] Write cards list
[] Check cards addresses
[] Do the Holiday Values with DH (Friday afternoon outing should be good timing)
[] Decide on holiday location
[] Consider family holiday treat outing - Santa Cottage? Leahy's Farm?

Hmmm, looks like a long list - may have to cut some things, but we'll see how far we can progress and - if everything doesn't get done, so what.

 

[Merry]

I'm not having company for Labor Day so I can get started on my livingroom. The temperature is cooler so I should be able to get a lot done today.

 

[missjane]

Our living room is one of my favorite rooms in our house, and it is very "lived-in," so it usually needs the most attention. We have nothing planned in the evenings this week which makes me happy because I should be able to give this my full attention.

 

[SparkleNana]

When I looked at WingedOne's list for the week.... I fainted!

When I revived.... I looked at it again.... and, I must say.. it is a darling list! I can just see WingedOne.... calmly and competently.... going through her beautiful plans, item by item!

Merry... I love your enthusiasm for today! It gave me a big lift!
Ahorsesoul... thank you for pposting the list!
Piratemamaof3boys... today.... your list has one item.... Survive Today! Because tomorrow.... SCHOOL STARTS!
Luludou... I guessed that foyer was "fireplace" for us! It WILL be a huge project! But... how wonderful it will be!!!!

I really want to have a beautiful list like WingedOne's list:

So far, my list is:

make and eat a bologna sandwiuch (veggie bologna). Dh has an upset stomach from too much coffee. So.. he just wanted Greek youghurt and tea!
Go outside to work in garden. Come inside in ten minutes... after the mosquitoes had found me and begun their Labor Day Feast! (I'' try again later.. well fortified with Bounce dryer sheets!)
Pick up newspapers. Stop halfway through. Sit down to read emails.

 

[Gingerbug]

First THANKS so much to Sparklenana for getting these lists and weeks up and going. The Grand Plan always startts at the worst time of the year for me...right when I go back to school.....getting back in the groove of work always throws me....so I am BEHIND before I start...

But because my house is smaller...I can always start a bit late and still "catch up"!!!

 

[HouseElf]

Windged One, I think I need a nap just reading your list!

Today sees me still on the porches, rain last night and the heat are holding up production. Taking SO much longer then I had wanted (of course).

DH is working on the 'living room' cabinets. We finally picked out the wood floors for the main level, so that is one thing off our todo list!

Tuesday we go back to the store and get an updated quote on our kitchen/porch door, they did not have the new price list on the weekend.

My camera died, and while my iphone takes an okay picture - I do not like using it for photography. Really need to replace so I can chronicle the reno
I have big hopes that more work will be completed soon!!:clothes:

 

[Winged One]

Sparkle Nanna, I don't want to be responsible for any fainting or other problems!! Even my own!! So I break it down into very BABY steps to do all week, and aim to achieve some in each category. By taking such small steps, I can find plenty of little jobs to do in the 5-15 minutes I find myself having spare, and also mark off a whole job (rather than having to abandon things part way through and never finish them!).

But I can see why it makes a lot of people go YIKES! when they see it first - it often does that to me too LOL!

 

[nursemomtothree]

Gingerbug - It's so good to "see" you. I hope you are feeling better.

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Since dh is home I'm having him help pull out the sofa so I can vacuum and dust behind it. Doing the baseboards and vacuuming the back of the sofa. Have done the window on that wall too. Not sure if I will wash the curtains or not. Will see how the week goes.

 

[horsemama]

My living room is pretty small, so I think I'll move the furniture around, it's always easier to clean behind everything that way. Curtains need washed too.
And I still have one dead bush to dig out in front of the house left over from last weeks list.

luludou - I've always wanted a fireplace, if only for the looks...hope you enjoy yours!

 

[luludou]

Thanks Horsemama & welcome!
I wanted one for the looks too.. dh decided it had to heat, so instead of costing a few hundred dollars it costs a few thousand. I know it`ll be great when we have heating shortages.

 

[AuntJamelle]

I've gotten quite a bit done on the living room already - just a couple things left to do! The biggest challenge will be getting DH to move the display cabinet out of this room to the downstairs living room - which we've only been talking about doing for over a year!

We are still recovering from illness - so I'm not sure how quickly this will happen - but I'm going to push because I'm sick of looking at it! lol

I hate being dependent on someone else for a task! Urrrggh!

[X] Dust ceiling for cobwebs
[ ] Windex mirror
[ ] Clean fireplace doors, etc.
[X] Dust shelves, mantle, TV stand, etc.
[ ] Arrange to move display case downstairs
[X] Clean windows/sills
[X] Dust blinds
[ ] Vacuum under cushions
[X] Flip blue/white chair and trim lining that is frayed (Slip cover?)
[X] Decorate mantle for fall
[X] Vacuum/”Mop”

I've been neglecting the holiday prep part of my HGP week assignments big time! Will try to start fixing that today!

Good luck, everyone!

P.S. Over the weekend I also painted some existing picture frames in the room black. The goal is to make all the frames in the room black. I have two more frames to paint and then we will hang up a gallery style arrangement on the wall - we planned it out with newspaper templates laid out on the floor. I can't wait until it is done!!!