HHP Week 9 - Public Space

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luludou

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My list for this week :
- Clean oven - DONE
- 2 Entry closets to clean and put out winter clothing - DONE
- Freezers to reorganize
- Menu-plan
- Wrap some stocking stuffers
- Decorate for Halloween
- and of course normal household maintenance (vaccum, dust, laundry) - DONE (for now!)

I'll need to start cooking & baking soon also
 

Holiday_Mom

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Overall, I'm doing fine with the plan. Each week I've managed to get some cards written and addressed. I'm having a hard time coming up with "surprise" gifts for the family right now. I'm really trying to be attentive to what is being said around the dinner table and conversations in the car.

Household Checklist

  • Declutter, clean and organize the living room. Done
  • Windex windows. Done

Holiday Prep Checklist
  • Write out Christmas cards.
  • Set time aside to brainstorm more Christmas gift ideas for the family. Done
Still to Do
  • Get dd’s Halloween costume finished. Done
 
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tanya

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Overall, Im, doing pretty well.
There is not a whole lot to de-clutter for me this week. But there is some re-organising that I would like to get done.

I still have a few things to catch up on from past weeks like putting the remainder of the cool weather clothes away (weather still not co-operating totally!) I do have a master list of those small fiddly things that need doing- Im planning on getting to those in Week 11 which for me will be a less demanding week.

My pantry stash is growing nicely. Gifts are coming together well. Cards are pretty much a non event as yet but I prefer to do those mid November over a few days/ evenings. I did purchase them last year- too early for us to get Christmas stamps as yet anyway.

I still have a few household supplies to purchase to get us through- I am finally nearly through my stash of shower gel- Its on my list to purchase but I want to do a bulk purchase and am waiting til I see it on sale. Wouldn't you know it... the weeks I want it,, its full price but other weeks its on sale!

I am struggling a little with DS- I have tried to pin him down regarding a few things I would like decisions on as to which xbox games he would like, what food he wants to eat etc... Its not a big deal but I really want to be done with it and know what to order, get, plan for etc.....

Maybe I should not run such a democratic house! I told him that if he can't get back to me... then he will get what ever I think!
 

happy2bme

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Living room is all done, although I did rearrange the furniture and rehung some pictures this morning. :confused::eek::rolleyes:

I have found quite a few places that need touch up paint, so will work on that . I am also going to jump ahead and clean the pantry.

Household Checklist:
touch up paint - done
clean pantry - done

Holiday Prep Checklist:
work on Christmas cards
 
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Cindylouwho

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I am struggling a little with DS- I have tried to pin him down regarding a few things I would like decisions on as to which xbox games he would like, what food he wants to eat etc... Its not a big deal but I really want to be done with it and know what to order, get, plan for etc.....
Maybe I should not run such a democratic house! I told him that if he can't get back to me... then he will get what ever I think!

I hear ya! I have the same thing going on. I've trained my kids to get me their lists by Thanksgiving but now I really want them by Halloween. They look at me like I'm crazy! :) Time to have an impromptu outing to the mall! (He hates shopping).

Public Spaces Week (the Great Room):
I just buried it in DD's closet yesterday so it now needs attention. At least a good garden rake and push broom! My FlyLady routine has the rest of it under control.
  • Cobweb check / Sills wiped down.
  • Air Purifiers ordered - cuz I think we need some for that room due to pets and wood stove.
  • Review Family Emergency / Disaster Plan - Especially for fire.
  • Bake Pumpkin Bread and such for Halloween - Plan dinner for that night.
  • Celebrate Halloween. Boo!
  • Status Check on Holiday Plan. Adjust goals as needed.
  • Complete Christmas cards or letters. Christmas cards should be ready for mailing Dec 1.
  • Shopping with DH -- first major shopping outing with hubby in tow.
  • Get cooking! Need to get next batch of meals into freezer. See Freezer Cooking thread.
  • Car Serviced in prep for Winter
Catch up:
Art on the Walls --- keep going. Get them up. Next baby step.
Computers -- Go to appointment. Hopefully get it all resolved so life can move on.
 

jollykelly

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Oh ladies......
So I was traveling for work for almost 3 weeks, I was so excited to get home and catch up. I arrived home on a Friday night, spent Saturday and Sunday with the family and jumped in on a Monday. I got a lot accomplished and was working my way through the list, confident I could catch up. Then on Tuesday (Oct 11th) I thought I had a stomachache. It progressively got worse until it was unbearable. My DH took me to the hospital, where it was immediately discovered that I was having an acute appendicitis and needed to have emergency appendectomy. I had the surgery, spent additional 3 days in the hospital, and then was discharged, but have not done anything for the last two weeks except heal! I am now ready to go full swing ahead with the plan, but admittedly I feel so far behind and overwhelmed. I cant even post a to do list, as it is so looong. I am just going to work my way through the weeks (thankfully some of them are not to much), hopefully catch up, and remember to count my blessings one by one. I will just keep looking at my master bedroom and closet as I believe that was were I left off if I need instant gratification! LOL Just wanted to let you all know that I have not bailed!
 

luludou

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Jollykelly glad you are feeling better and they caught it on time! don't worry you are still far in advance thant the rest of the population!
 

Cindylouwho

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Oh ladies......
...... discovered that I was having an acute appendicitis and needed to have emergency appendectomy. I had the surgery, spent additional 3 days in the hospital, and then was discharged, but have not done anything for the last two weeks except heal! I am now ready to go full swing ahead with the plan, but admittedly I feel so far behind and overwhelmed. ...

Oh gosh! Thank goodness you caught it in time! Those are so scary! I hope you are feeling better! LuLu is right. You are still light years ahead of most people so no worries there. And just think ~ you have something extra special to be thankful for this holiday. :)

As for the plan, just think about what you can delegate, what you can shortcut and what you can blow off. Isn't "reality check" on the list this week? See? You are right on time! :) I'm already looking for shortcuts. My latest is the stuffers. I usually spend a LOT of time on those. And they are good, but they are expensive and I think I have room to simplify them when it comes to the little toys and such that I always try to include. Did DH really need a $20 ultra-hard Rubic Cube last year? (Even though he loves puzzles like that). I think I could have spent that money better. Really just want to order fun little toys and such all online in one shot from someplace like Oriental Trading or something. I'm also going to take stocking sized shoeboxes down to the store and fill each with candy. One per person. One time. On the spot. No fill the cart, stashing shopping bags and then sorting later -- and then realziing I forgot something. No wondering if l got DS or DD their favorite candy...no more checking the bags. One shot. Yeah, see? That's like 2 weeks saved in my world. There ya go! There's two weeks back for you! ;)
 

jollykelly

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Thank you Lucie for the well wishes and the reminder that I am still ahead of the game.
CindyLouWho - I took your advice to heart and have really been thinking about it this morning. I immediately felt a load of bricks lifted off of my shoulders. I started with what can I blow off and what can I delegate?
Here is what I am blowing off:
  • Fall Décor - My thought is "What is the point really now?
  • Freezer Meals - I had big plans of having the entire month of December ready to go. I have 16 meals ready and that is where it will be. I don't think anyone will complain about having pizza or something thrown in the crock pot some nights and it is just as easy.
  • Place Settings - I had visions, fueled by magazines, of having gorgeous place settings with plate chargers, favors and cute handcrafted name cards. I am blowing this off, 'cause lets keep it real....my family will sit wherever they want, I will have more dishes, and the rest of my house does not look like a magazine. So Chinet it will be!

Here is what I am delegating:
  • DD 14 bedroom - She is great at the illusion of clean, but it is just that, an illusion. I was going to dive in and really organize the closet, shampoo her carpet and deep clean her room. She can take this over, and I can always just spray some febreeze and shut her door if all else fails
  • the dogs - I usually am the one to give them a bath and trim their nails (we have 2...a great dane and an English bull dog), but I just called to make an appointment with the groomer. And....even better....my DH can drive them to the appointment and pick them up
  • the office party - I usually coordinate the office party, the secret santa, the pot luck, cent gifts, etc. I took full advantage of my co workers asking me if I needed help after my surgery and I asked two of them if they could work together to throw it together. One said "I was hoping you just needed me to fax something" but they both accepted the challenge and I told them that as long as there is food it will be great. And it will be.
I also love the idea of getting the stocking stuffers all at one time. I only have my DH and DD, but boom....gonna do it all at once and not go to crazy.

I am feeling better about all of this now, and that is not the painkillers talking! Thank you ladies
 

Holiday_Mom

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Tanya - I've asked my dds in years past for gift ideas by a certain date. If I don't get any ideas, then I go out on my own and surprise them. What's been kind of interesting is that I think I have this big cool surprise and then I get a suggestion for the big cool surprise. I'm a bit disappointed when that happens but on the other hand, it's neat to know that I'm not all that off base on ideas.

Mel - LOL. Sometimes the rearranging sounds good until 2 hours later and you're still at it.

Kelly - I'm so glad that you're on the mend. I love the dreaming up of place settings and the not-cooking-for-a-while-because-of-freezer-meals thought as well. Sometimes the dream isn't worth the stress. That is great you are delegating and being realistic. And you know, I bet your co-workers will have a new appreciation for the party planning you do at work.

Maybe you can look at each week you've missed and from there make a two lists: what you feel needs to get done and what you would like to do if you have the extra time. Then work off your "Needs to get done" list.

Cindylouwho - I like your idea for stocking stuffers too. I think I got the idea that I have been currently using here or on the old Organized Christmas forums that CEO use to run. I've gotten plastic grocery bags, labeled the bag with my dds' names and then placed the items into the correct bags. Then I place the bags on a coat hanger in our hall closet. One of my extra coats hides the bags. On Christmas Eve, I grab the bags and put the items right into the stockings. So far as I know, no one has discovered this secret hiding place. Shhh....:D

Update on what's been done so far:

I windexed both the inside and the outside of windows in the living room and dining room. They really needed it this fall. Usually I just do the outside windows in the spring. The living room is now in pretty good shape.

Like Cindylouwho, I usually try to get some sort of gift list around Thanksgiving. That's when my in-laws ask about gifts. I thought of a few more ideas for gifts and wrote them down. I'm so happy about that. :)

I'm going to work on the costume today. I just realized that I will have no time for it this weekend so today it has to be.
 

Holiday_Mom

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With the exception of the card writing, all the other things are done for this week. :) It's hard to believe that we're half way through the HHP. :eek:
 

happy2bme

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I did the touch up paint yesterday after doing it just a few weeks ago. I am really disgusted and disappointed with how my home is being treated. :(

I completely forgot to do the pantry, I discovered that when I cleaned it out last night. I will do it at a later date.
 

luludou

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Kelly, you are doing great with your being realist and doing what you CAN. :)

You gals have fantastic ideas on this thread
 

Cindylouwho

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JollyKelly ~ Those are some GREAT solutions! I laughed at the comment on the relatives' seating and the Chinet? Now that's got me thinking too! Hmm.... no dishes! We have these woven plate holders for summer -- they look nice and support the tray with the paper plates sitting inside. Ideas swirling for dessert plates.....those are usually the ones that put my dishwasher over the top in terms of capacity.... Thinking.....

Also laughed about your DD -- sounds just like mine! I think she has a running competition with her friends as to who can have the messiest room! The other two are just the opposite.

HolidayMom ~ My kids are complete Sherlocks. They would find that bag in a heartbeat! I have everything in bins. With locks! This year I'm contemplating having DH put a lock on the attic door so I have an entire room to work in. So I can store things vertically and not have to hunch over. Would be SO much easier. I don't have any other rooms or closets that could serve that purpose.
And good job getting all your stuff done!!

I JUST LOVE THIS FORUM!! So many great ideas!
 

Cindylouwho

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Checking back in for my recap. Got a lot done this past week but not necessarily what was on my list. Just like JollyKelly, I'm in transition mode here - moving from what I "want" to do (which in my case is finish the Marie Kondo) to what I "have" to do (get cooking and gift buying seriously underway). Here's how I did this week:

Public Spaces Week (the Great Room):

• Cobweb check / Sills wiped down. - This is in the high ceiling area. Hard. Need to ponder.
• Air Purifiers ordered - Bump..
• Review Family Emergency / Disaster Plan - Especially for fire. Bump.
• Bake Pumpkin Bread and such for Halloween - Plan dinner for that night. SKIP.
• Celebrate Halloween. Boo! READY.
• Status Check on Holiday Plan. Adjust goals as needed. DONE.
• Complete Christmas cards.
• Shopping with DH -- first major shopping outing with hubby in tow. DONE.
• Get cooking! The quarter-share of Beef arrived. Freezer loaded!
• Car Serviced in prep for Winter -- DONE.

Catch up:
Art on the Walls --- One baby step.
Computers -- Had Apple Care appt. Love them. Huge help!

PLUS:
2 carloads out the door for Marie Kondo -- All the empty containers and unwanted furniture!! Feeling awesome!!
 

happy2bme

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I have fallen behind in getting Christmas cards ready. I know that I just need a couple of evenings and I will be caught up. I need to make it a priority and write it down on my To Do list that way I will treat it like any other task I have to do.

If I tell myself that enough times, it might happen.
;););)