2015 HHP - Week 5 - House Room Week (Guest & Bonus Rooms)

[Cindylouwho]

I'll post the starter for this week: We are on Guest and Bonus Rooms!

http://christmas.organizedhome.com/house-holidays-plan/05-house-room-week

Go get 'em!!

 

[Cindylouwho]

Yesterday felt like the first true day of Fall. Our family was just not feeling it til yesterday. Then it hit yesterday morning and everyone just gives a happy sigh. I'm in good shape overall on the rooms this week but plan to focus on reducing what is in them. Just. Want. Less. Have to pace myself so I don't pull out more than I can handle. (And Marie Kondo pulls it ALL out by category item so I have to make those categories SMALL so I can do both plans.

Week 5:
Marie Kondo "Paper Declutter" - Moves to front burner this week.
Guest Room - Order another Elfa shelf for that closet (Elfa on sale this month)
Reduce items in Guest & Bonus Room
Gift Closet / Attic / Holiday Decor sorted -- All this happens at same time. Underway.
Bonus Room - DS needs to sell his unused games so he can afford the endless amount of Exclusive Content he is hitting me up for the PS4!
Fall & Halloween Decor up
FlyLady Zone for me is: Car, Seasonal, Outside -- (all DONE last week).
Pamper Basket - guests coming in a few weeks
Bedspreads - Now up to 3 I now need to replace. Not liking what is out there. Patterns are all so 'busy". I prefer "calm".

Catch-up needed:
Update calendars & sync iPhones
Christmas Card Return Address labels printed
Copy Christmas list from Excel to an app and back it up -- still working on it
Stocking Stuffers - start purchasing
Halloween Costumes
Start Christmas Cards

 

[tanya]

We are not having guests and the spare room is still decluttered from last year so all good there.

I did make a variation on pamper baskets last year for DS and myself- we enjoyed them so Im thinking that I may do the same this year.

I still have some stuff to sort out in my closet and gifts to sort but this will wait til DS goes back to school. I may get a head start on some other areas of the house like the kitchen cupboards- not too bad but I want to go through everything as things seem to get put back in the wrong spots.

I have winter clothes to put away but may leave them out a week or so longer- the really heavy ones are done but I want to see what this weeks weather brings before I put everything else away. I think I am pretty safe though.....

 

[ejagno]

Tanya, it's always amusing and downright funny to read your posts. As we here in the deep south are still praying for the temps to fall below 90 you are praying for that first warm spring day. However, I think our Christmas plans are probably closer to the same since we often have warm Christmas's.

I am just now pulling out the winter clothing and was ruthless in purging those items that didn't fit, don't really care for or have just been worn out. The guest "grandchildrens" room is currently home to the overflow from other rooms that were temporarily transformed for my youngest son's wedding this Friday. I did however deep clean it about 4 weeks ago. Once the wedding is done this stuff can go back to it's original home.

I did have a complete guest suite which is currently being totally gutted and remodeled to become home for my dear sweet FIL. At least now we are to the point of construction instead of destruction.
Today - Electrical outlets and wiring was installed.
Tuesday - Headers & pocket door installed between living room & bedroom

 

[Cindylouwho]

Tanya - What kind of basket did you do for your DS? Was it for his room or for Christmas?

Ellen -- Must be so exciting to see the place come together! My friend has her parents set up in a room over their garage (so it is about that size). Access is from inside. What I really like about it is that they put in a sheet rocked half-wall as in inner rectangle (to create an inner bedroom) in the corner of what was already a rectangular space. Then along the the outside of that rectangle they created a kitchen area, living room/tv/craft area, and an office area. And THEN they added little skylights. The layout is so something Christopher Lowell would do. Remember him? I used to love his show. He was so creative (being a former set designer). Anyhow, I have this plan cemented in my head so that when she grows up and we are old, DD's future husband can build it for us! Your house sounds wonderful and how great that it is there for the extended family! It is nice to have a homestead. I think of this sometimes when I get sick of cleaning my own home and ponder chucking the whole thing and moving into an RV.

 

[ejagno]

WooHoo, the first pocket door and header was finished today. In an efficiency apartment traditional doors are such a waste of valuable space.

Cindy, I use to watch Christopher Lowell religiously. I have his book as well......hmmmm, I'll have to look since that was pre Hurricane Rita. LOL

The garage apartment was the original actual 3 car garage. We needed more space so we added another garage attached to the front of it. It just so happened that the original garage was even with our family room so we put a French door leading into it since DH was using it for his catering kitchen at first. It then became my "Lady Cave (craft room). Now it's perfect to give my FIL his own space yet he is right there for us to check on him, serve his meals and take care of him. At the moment I've been driving 70+ miles per day to care for him. We are adding on a 26' x 8' section which will be his kitchen/dining area as well as a new bathroom. It's thrilling to see it finally beginning to take shape.

So how is everyone else doing this week?

Living in an RV sounds so thrilling until you are forced to live in one. We were following the loss of our home in Rita. It's even harder to keep tidy since every little thing out of place is a huge deal in a tiny space. When this is done I'd like to get another camper and run away to stay in the woods for about a month. LOL

 

[Cindylouwho]

Ellen ~ Space sounds great. I'll bet your FIL will be so happy to be there (and you too in not having to drive so far)!

Was really dragging yesterday but kept things moving. Lack of sleep from the busy weekend caught up with me. Got the hard tax papers done as that was taking up most of my mental energy so that is a relief. Things should move more quickly today. Feeling better.

Today is our 20th wedding anniversary. As sad as it is we decided to put off doing anything special since the timing is so bad. DS is buried in homework and has a big assignment due tomorrow. Welcome to parenting a Middle Schooler.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

Cindylouwho - Happy 20th Anniversary!

Ellen - I love the idea of pocket doors.

Tanya - As you are preparing to put the winter clothes away, I was thinking about transitioning out the summer clothes.

The last few weeks were spent running around to appointments but things look to be slowing down for me. We have no guestroom or guests for Christmas. This week I will be playing catch up with housework.

For Christmas prep, I would like to start on Christmas cards, make a list of stocking stuffers, and go through the master list of gifts for teachers/service people to see what online orders can be done this week or next.

 

[tanya]

Thanks goodness for google. I had no idea what a pocket door was! We call them sliding doors here!

My pamper baskets included things that I had collected during our cooler months- for some reason we have trouble getting anything apple/ cinnamon/ vanilla fragrance after September. I think that the marketing people here assume that these items are not wanted in summer. These fragrances scream Christmas to me- not really sure why? I included body wash. room fragrances, candles (for bathrooms) small shampoos and flavoured drink mixes- yes we still have hot chocolate in warm months! I also popped in some Christmas chocolate treats. We have a big house but only a small family so we actually have 2 rooms each- I have a sitting room/ dressing room and DS has a study/ games room. They lead of each of our bedrooms- kind of like 2 master suites in the one house. Our home can effectively operate as 2 smaller houses if needed. With the price of homes in Sydney - DS and his family (when he grows up) may end up living here as well.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

I didn't get to the Christmas cards. I did work on a stocking stuffer list and the master list for teachers, etc. I had these lists in Excel with notes from last year. I am so glad I did that. It's helpful. I noted when I bought the items and where. A few teacher gifts were Cyber Monday deals and a few were storewide 20% off deals. I made note of that and will look for the same deals this year. I think the stocking stuffers are things I can buy in the next few weeks.

I worked on the fall decorating and revamped the fall storage. I want to organize the basement which has become a catch all for everything. I think this is one small way to help and it isn't overwhelming.

I pulled out my fall clothes. I just need to get the summer clothes packed away now. The other day the temperature dropped from 70 F to 40 F overnight and it's been cold and rainy ever since.

The township wide yard sale didn't happen today due to the rain. It is rescheduled for tomorrow so I will place the toys outside first thing in the morning.

 

[ejagno]

WooHoo,

I just got an extra "bonus room" so to speak. We've had this huge mobile kitchen sitting in my yard for 10 years now. DH bought it during all of the hurricanes and used it to cook out of 1 time.

About 3 years ago our 5th wheel camper was totaled when a tree fell on it. I was so upset because I really enjoyed going camping.

Long story short............a lady was looking to get rid of her 5th wheel camper to buy a mobile kitchen. Her camper was almost identical to the one we lost. She'd bought the camper just to evacuate and it was only used those 3 times in 2005 and parked ever since. We did an even swap. FREE IS GREAT!

I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning. I can't wait to get it here and start adding our personal touches to it. We have RV hook-ups already set up on our property so it also doubles for really nice and private "Guest" housing. We did this several times when we had our other camper. It gives them so much more space and privacy.

Most importantly I get that huge white elephant "Emergency Kitchen" out of my yard. I must have been a VERY good girl this year.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

How nice for you and for your guests, Ellen! I love that it was an even trade too.

 

[Cindylouwho]

ejagno ~ Wow did you have that coming with all you have been through! What a wonderful thing to happen! You must have an angel looking after you!

Wrapping up here for the week and getting ready to leave town. This is all unfinished but I'm confident it will come together right before the guests arrive in a couple weeks.

Week 5:
Marie Kondo "Paper Declutter" - Much done. More to go. (Need time and a big lock on my door to keep everyone away. Legal papers. Ugh!)
Guest Room - Order another Elfa shelf. DONE.
Reduce items in Guest & Bonus Room -- Part Done. Can finish when get that shelf so I can sort unneeded sheets more easily.
Gift Closet / Attic / Holiday Decor sorted -- Much better! Skis in way. Will ask DH to get out his power tools to hang them.
Bonus Room - In good shape here.
Fall & Halloween Decor up - Only a couple items. Big stuff to come.
FlyLady Zone: DONE.
Pamper Basket for Guest Room -- Nope.
Bedspreads - Looking online.
Christmas Card Return Address labels printed - DONE.

Catch-up needed:
Update calendars & sync iPhones
Copy Christmas list from Excel to an app and back it up
Stocking Stuffers
Halloween Costumes -- One decided. One to go.
Start Christmas Cards
__________________

 

[happy2bme]

Not able to get anything done this week. I have enjoyed reading about all of your progress.

I know I have a lot of cards and supplies somewhere in the storage unit, but don't know exactly where. I will probably buy cards this year, but can't find any in the stores yet.