HGP - Maintenance Week 2018

[AuntJamelle]

http://holidaygrandplan.com/holiday-grand-plan/16-maintenance-week

Christmas is on the horizon and the season has begun with a bang: it's Maintenance Week!

Week Sixteen of the Holiday Grand Plan should see holiday preparations coming to an end--and a clean and organized home, ready for the celebration.

In holiday prep, we'll decorate the Christmas tree--and make life easy by using some of our freezer meals!

Are we having fun yet? Only minimum maintenance needed this week as we bring preparations to the finish and enjoy the holiday.

 

[AuntJamelle]

Got a lot done this weekend! All boxes to ship are sealed up and ready to go - including all the cookies and extra goodies I made.

Chocolate Dipped Spoons
Dbl Choc Dipped Peanut Putter Pretzels
Caramels
Chocolate Caramels

Also did 4 big trays of cookies, 2 for my work and 2 for DH to take with him. All cookies pulled from the freezer of course - I did run out of ceran wrap - DOH! and had to run to the store real quick but it wasn't terrible.

Also been keeping up with December birthdays, sending out cards, getting presents wrapped. 5 birthdays between Dec 1 and today - yipe!

Got the last of the shopping done for our adopted family - items sorted into bags and labeled - will be dropping it all off at the middle school today.

I don't know if I would call my house clean and organized - it is mostly clean and pretty organized LOL - except for the package I can't find!!!

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

I think I am ready.
Besides the very last minute things that I can only do on Christmas Eve there is not too much left to do. I even scheduled a dinner with my SIL for the 23rd and did that quite happily. Will try to keep on top of the daily things, washing etc so that I don't have that to worry about.
Quite enjoying the lead up this year.

 

[AuntJamelle]

Dropped off the adopted family gifts yesterday! And I shipped all my boxes! SO glad to have that done! Just working on wrapping and finishing up last of the crafting! I'm really close on the last gift that HAS to get done!

 

[luludou]

I'm almost ready, the cleanup part will not be happening much this year with ds's Moving out this Week and the bathroom remodel , but hey we do what we can. A good thing I had some headstart because between all that, buying for the remodel and appointements, and acupunctur appointements, we Don't do much at all about Christmas.
This year certainly won't be perfect but it'll happen anyways

 

[AuntJamelle]

I think I'm looking pretty good on shopping for gifts - all done there! Crafting is down to some paper tags that I need to print and DS's marshmallow sticks to glue up - which will probably wait until next week.

Just ordered roast for Saturday's sit down dinner with out of town family.

This Friday night is going to be INSANE. DS has dance recital at 5:30 PM, belt testing at 6:45PM and then taekwondo class at 7:15PM. Fortunately the last 2 things are at same place!!!!

So we'll get home about 8:30 and I'll need to THEN start food prep for next day. Working on lists of things I can do tonight and tomorrow night to lighten the load. But tonight is mostly going to be consumed with grocery trips - 3 places to go.

Running to Hobby Lobby on my lunch I think to try and find longish low wooden crate I can use for centerpiece on the dining table. I know DH will just move the one I have there now - but it is a bit big. Fine when no one is sitting there but not so great when we have a full table of people!

Need to get out the tablecloth and get any wrinkles out, dig out the roasting pan, get down platters, etc.

Looking forward to it!

I'll be baking a quadruple batch of PW Cinnamon Rolls on Sunday so I have to make the dough Thurs night too - it should keep in the fridge until Sunday morning!!!

Need to finish wrapping teacher gifts too and get all things to go into the school ready for transport next week. And then I still have to wrap all my sister's gifts, her boyfriends and finish up DH.

I have a couple of "fun" cookie recipes and some Toffee Walnuts I wanted to make on Sunday too - but we'll see. I'm thinking that might be too much

 

[AuntJamelle]

Picked up a pretty basket ($7.50) and the very LAST of greenery sprays at Hobby Lobby!!! Got taper candles too and some more white tea lights. Should have all I need to assemble centerpiece tonight!!!

Picked up the roast and did all the grocery shopping. Is anyone else having the FUN I am when it comes to stores being out of items??? I hate that part of shopping this time of year! Wanted radicchio for the salad and there were only two left and they were half rotted! No lime sherbert - gone! And so on...

So I will be going BACK to a different store tonight to pick up a final few things. Also occurred to me that I was planning on making Italian dressing for the salad and that it uses vinegar. And that vinegar might not be gluten free - sure enough - some are, many are not. So I'll be picking up some Heinz gluten free vinegar tonight as well!

One Italian gift basket and the movie night basket are assembled and sitting on dining room table for the moment. Need to get loaf of bread I made out of the freezer on Friday to thaw - I'll slip it into the Italian gift basket at that point.

Tonight will be a long list of preps to make tomorrow night less crazy. And making quad batch of cinnamon roll dough. I'm toying with the idea of doing half traditional and picking one of the variations for the rest. Like the Apple Caramel rolls, or the Lemon Blueberry, or the Chocolate Chip...or the Orange Marmalade...off to ponder

 

[Myron's Mom]

We are in pretty good shape here except for the normal day to day house work, grocery shopping that you can't do until closer to time, and a few odds and ends.
I still want to make croissants, will get those started tomorrow.
Will make 2 batches of fudge next week for gifts.
AJ- lol I know all about the stores being out of stuff! Along with that where is all their help??? I hate the self check out. I can have 4 items an three won't scan. Drives me nuts. I don't think they get we are on a mission!
Hang in there everyone!

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Myron's Mom....I am like you, I loathe the self check out. I would much rather go through a real person.

 

[AuntJamelle]

Myron's Mom - Now I am craving fudge and croissants - lol!!!

Katrina - Our Meijer took away all the self checkouts - unless you only have few items. Did they add extra cashiers, you ask? Hahahahaha

I decided to make the cinnamon roll dough Saturday night after everyone has left. We're eating at 1PM and most have a long drive home so I don't think anyone will stay super late.

Missing package never did turn up - store was kind enough to send me another hat for my sister! Should arrive on the 17th!

Ran to another store last night to get lettuces and a few other things. No joy on gluten free vinegar. Calling Whole Foods today to see if they have it so I can run on my lunch.

Would you guys believe I am running out of cookies? I thought I made a ton! Will probably back an emergency batch or two on Sunday

 

[Minta]

I have recruited the hubby and the kids for a big house cleaning tonight. LOL. Everyone is being assigned specific jobs to do so I can tackle some of the bigger jobs.
Got a few packages to get to the post office first thing in the morning and then plan on spending a good part of tomorrow finishing up the wrapping. Goal is to relax Sunday and watch a lot of Christmas movies and do some light baking.

Most of the groceries for the big cookie baking marathon and the Christmas dinners have been bought. Just still need a couple more little things that I can get next week.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Minta, I love the idea of a group house cleaning party. Turn up the Christmas music and get moving.

 

[Minta]

Well got the downstairs done and part of the upstairs. The oldest was recruiter to go babysit her younger cousins for the evening so less hands on deck for cleaning but its all good. Still need to finish the bathrooms today.Will wait until next weekend to steam mop the floors.
Shipped all the packages.
Got a bulk of the wrapping done last night as both kids were out of the house for the evening. Just have 5 more gifts to wrap and will have them done by tonight.
Will get the the Christmas Bedding on the beds today and wash all the throw blankets today/tomorrow.
Got almost everything for the family dinners/breakfeast that we are hosting for CHristmas. Just have a couple more things to get get when I go to the store later today.
Later this week I will get out my Christmas tins for the cookie gifts and get them washed and dried from being stored away all year. I start my baking marthoon Thursday night and shoudl wrap up Saturday.

 

[AuntJamelle]

Minta - You are rockin' around the Christmas tree, girl!!! Great progress!!!!