2nd Round of HGP (Holiday Grand Plan)

[SparkleNana]

I'm just getting baCK TO SPEED..... after being away for a couple of weeks....... HOWEVER...... doesn't the Second Round Of The Holiday Grand Plan (HGP) begin now (the first week of May?)

As I remember it..... we have the option of going through the Holiday Grand Plan three times during the year. The first time.... begins in January. The second time begins in May. And the third time begins in September. AND.... the Third Time includes all the Christmas Preparations!

SO.... if we are able to follow the plan.... a little bit.... this Second Time around..... we will be in so much better shape.... when September comes.... and Time Begins To Speed Up!!!!!

I have been here for quite a while! AND.... I have seen.... that things get better and better.... every time we go through one of the "cleaning plans". Whatever we can do.... over time.... adds up to a more peaceful home. Which is what we want for the Holidays!!!

So... what do you think?

 

[SparkleNana]

While you are thinking........

I thought I would point out that Week 1... of the Holiday Grand Plan.... is "List Week & The Front Porch".

Of course.... everyone is ALWAYS encouraged to switch the "room of the week" around.... to fit their personal schedule!

I WILL start with the Front Porch (which is a tiny front stoop)... and I will add in The Back Porch this week!!!!

 

[Colleen in PA]

This is the list of weeks...Round Two ends the week before the Holiday Grand Plan Starts (Aug 28th)...thanks for the reminder SparkleNana!

Week 1- May 1 Prep / Questions / Get Ready!

Week 2- May 8 Living Room (mothers day)

Week 3- May 15 Foyer / Closets

Week 4- May 22 Dining Room

Week 5- May 29 Entry / Porch / Decorate (memorial day)

Week 6- June 5 Master Bedroom

Week 7- June 12 Family Room

Week 8- June 19 All Bathrooms (fathers day)

Week 9- June 26 CATCH UP / REVISIT ROOMS

Week 10- July 3 Kitchen (independence day)

Week 11- July 10 Garage / Storage / Sheds

Week 12- July 17 Pantry / Storage

Week 13- July 24 Guest Room / Craft Room

Week 14- July 31 Laundry Room

Week 15- Aug 7 Kids Rooms / Office

Week 16- Aug 14 Basement

Week 17 -Aug 21 CATCH UP / REVISIT ROOMS
HOLIDAY GRAND PLAN KICK OFF AUGUST 28th!

 

[SparkleNana]

Thank you, Colleen in PA! Are you going to follow the weeks pretty much as listed?

For me... there is some "personalizing". For me... I don't do Week 1.... I do a much more "informal" attack on the rooms. I don't use a "list of jobs". Everybody does it their own way. In Week 1, I go right to the "Porch"... which is Week 5 on the plan.

We also don't have the "rooms" for Weeks 11, 12, 14 and 16.

My Office/Guest Room/Craft Room is all one room. And it is too hot for me to attack this room in late July or early August. So.... I may do this in Week 8... and then continue working in it in Week 9 (our Catch-Up Week).

AND.... I probably won"t do any of the plan in August! It will be too hot and humid! PLUS... we will have family visiting that month.

NEVERTHELESS..... it really, really helps me a lot... to do whatever I can to follow the HGP (Holiday Grand Plan). It makes so much less to worry about during November and December!!

 

[candysprinkles]

Interesting. I think I would like to give this a try. Even if I don't get it all in or don't stick to it religiously...whatever I manage to fit in will be in better shape than if I hadn't attempted, right?

 

[missjane]

I need to bookmark this. I have been in a cleaning mood, which makes me want to stay home from work. I'm a morning cleaner. By late afternoon, my deisre to clean is gone. That makes me terrible at cleaning when I get in from work.
I usually am running late this time of year (not after the bell rings, but later than I like to get to work) because I am cleaning more in the mornings.
Thanks, SparkleNana for reminding us. And thanks, Colleen for posting the weeks.

 

[Saquilla]

Hi Sparklenanna!

I was just thinking about this the other day!

The room a month thing isn't really working out for me (I'm finding that I procrastinate more if I have more time), so I'm reverting back to this. I'm not perfect and not all weeks will be done, but I'll do what I can... week by week...

Just think - we're only a plan away from the Christmas HGP!

 

[SparkleNana]

Hi Saquilla! When we think that.... "we are only one plan away from the 2011 Christmas Holiday Grand Plan.... we SEE how incredibly FAST time is flying by!

AND.... when we endure ONE DAY with "summer-like temperaures".... we see how incredibly slow that time can pass....... TODAY... we have "summer-like temperatures and humidity".

AND... the "Room A Month" plan did work for me... for a couple of months..... but it is just too much time for most of the rooms I have.....

Missjane.... I am absolutely with you.... I also have most of my energy in the morning! Thats when things get done! However.... sgrangely.... "decluttering" can happen at other times than morning. I just have to go with it.... when I have the "impulse" to work on decluttering!

Candysprinkles... YES! ANYTHING we do.... bit b y bit.... ir really does add up!!!! And e do encourae each other!!!!!

 

[Saquilla]

Yes it's quite scary how fast it's going!! I remember joining the forum about a year ago (WOW!!) and thinking it was only two hundred and something days to Christmas. It felt like ages away... then the HGP started, and suddenly it was only forty or fifty days.

For me, I think the room a month plan works best for project or job type tasks, rather then cleaning. I have a small house, so the rooms don't take long and I tend to put deep cleaning off since I have so much time... and I feel like I'm abandoning everywhere else. However, I knew that in February I could focus on getting my living area painted. Last month, in the bathroom, I could focus on getting my sink replaced.

I think cleaning for the SHGP, and month per room for bigger jobs will work better for me

Oh, I also have most of my energy in the mornings... but here it's getting quite cold so it's so much harder to get out of bed!! Must work on that

 

[Colleen in PA]

I need to shift the rooms around a bit...I will not be home for several weeks in July, but I really like the detailed cleaning lists and I always seem to run out of time a few weeks into the HGP with all of the added tasks ( holiday prep) so I am definitely going to try to do as much of this as I can. My garage and attic need to be moved up before it gets really hot. Most of my holiday decorations are in the basement...I keep them in plastic bins, but there is a large (and growing) pile of orphaned items that we "forgot" to put away for several holidays. I also need to get my CiJ boxes together by mid-June.

 

[SparkleNana]

Colleen in PA.... your mention of "Christmas in July" made me feel happy.... for some reason! I REALLY would like to "celebrate" Christmas In July! Even celebrating it all by myself.... well, with our MHH Family.... would be a big treat!!!!!

I wonder if I can be "far enough along" in the Summer HGP.... to really feel like celebrating! There is over 2-1/2 monhs until July 25th! That is a NICE amount of time.... for Baby Steps Towards Progress!!! I CAN do Baby Steps!!!!

This week.... I am working on the Front Porch and the Back Porch. Or.... I am INTENDING to work on them. I suppose some Baby Steps towards the porches would be helpful!!!!!

I am ALSO doing some SERIOUS decluttering in May!!!! I think I'll grab my big trash bag and get started on that, too!

 

[SparkleNana]

I just finished reading through the "Holiday Grand Plan... Week 1" entry --- in the COUNTDOWNS section of our board.

It was inspiring! Since I am working on "The Porch".... it was great to read other entries... from late August 2010! AND... the third go-around of the HGP each year... incorporates all the Chismas prep! So... it was HOT late-August weather. Lots of HGP work going on.... PLUS Christmas Prep! YIKES! It really will be helpful to get stuff done this 2nd go-around!

I spent quite a bit of time on the back porch! Sweeping, cleaning, rearranging, etc. etc. The spring bulbs have almost completely finished.... and all those planters need some cooling, serene, white impatience plants!!!

Another bag of trash went OutTheDoor.... and a lot of it came from the back porch!

How are you doing? Remember... baby steps!

 

[Colleen in PA]

SparkleNana - you are off to a great start! DS(5) and I looked through some tear files last night (when I couldn't get on MHH!) and he picked 2 ornaments to make for our Christmas in July boxes...the first uses glass balls filled with sand some shells and possibly those teeny drink umbrellas (if I can figure out how to open it once we get it inside). The second is made from left over puzzle pieces painted brown to lookg like reindeer.

I haven't done much on the cleaning front beyond normal weekly maintenance yet. DH and I are planning to tackle the back patio this weekend...bring out the table , chairs and umbrella, etc.

I need to go back through the posts from last year as well...speaking of CiJ, that's one of my favorite parts...revisiting posts from the past that are only available that month!

 

[Merry]

The summer Holiday Grand Plan really helped me last year! I might have to switch around some rooms due to the summer heat and vacation. It gives me a great feeling in the summer that I'm working towards a great Christmas. Thank you SparkleNana for starting this and thank you Colleen in PA for posting the plan!

 

[SparkleNana]

If we can POSSIBLY... "think ahead".... that can really, really help us!

If we can figure out...... "how we will be Feeling and Acting"..... a few months from now....... That ALONE...... may help us change our behaviour NOW...... to make things better for us..... THEN!!!

Reading our MHH posts from late August 2010.... the first week of our Final 2010 HGP Plan (including Christmas prep).... I remembered how DIFFICULT it is to begin "heavy cleaning" AND to begin "Christmas organizing"...... during the hot days of late August and September.

It feels MUCH EASIER.... to me..... during the fresh spring days of early May!!!!!

The decluttering and cleaning...... is MUCH easier for me NOW..... in MAY!!

Now "Christmas Itself"... does not require so much from us. The Shepherds at the First Christmas....... they did not have to "prepare".... they just came to worship!!!

WE are the ones who require SO MUCH from ourselves!!!!

SO.... why can't we make it a bit easier on ourselves?? Why don't we do some of the "heavy lifting" during May?

What do you think?

 

[ChristmasPir8]

I took a minute to go sweep down the front porch. I need to go through the box of storage stuff but not tonight. Back porch is next.

 

[SparkleNana]

Baby Steps will help us all, piratemamaof3boys!!!

The weather is supposed to be good this weekend! Not too hot...... not too rainy! Outside of watching the dgs play games today, and tomorrow.... I will try to spend a lot of time outside!!!!!

I haven't swept/cleaned the front porch yet. I've started work on the back porch.... which makes me happy!!!!!

 

[luludou]

Cleaned bedroom closet, 2 entry closets.

 

[SparkleNana]

Do you start your HGP Week on Monday... or on Sunday?

I think I am going to start on Monday. May 1st was a Monday... and I started Week 1 on that day. So... this weekend finishes up Week 1.... and Saturday afternoon is half over. I HAVE done work outside today. PLUS all the routines INSIDE... plus all the REAL LIFE STUFF that came up today!

So.... I am going to have PLENTY of "outside work" left for the month of May. Although.... the porches will be pretty good!

Actually..... I LOVE to work outside. AND... it is my best "exercise". So... it will be a pleasure to keep on working outside in May.

Has anybody decided what they are going to do for WEEK TWO of the Summer HGP????

 

[Saquilla]

Do you start your HGP Week on Monday... or on Sunday?

I think I am going to start on Monday. May 1st was a Monday... and I started Week 1 on that day. So... this weekend finishes up Week 1.... and Saturday afternoon is half over. I HAVE done work outside today. PLUS all the routines INSIDE... plus all the REAL LIFE STUFF that came up today!

So.... I am going to have PLENTY of "outside work" left for the month of May. Although.... the porches will be pretty good!

Actually..... I LOVE to work outside. AND... it is my best "exercise". So... it will be a pleasure to keep on working outside in May.

Has anybody decided what they are going to do for WEEK TWO of the Summer HGP????

I also start on Monday. I find I work better planning over two days, rather then Saturday in one area and Sunday in another area. Sunday is like my "finishing up and writing a list for the following week" day

Week one is really very easy for me, as I don't have a porch LOL! Just involves sweeping away any cobwebs out the front, and sweeping the pavers (I don't have an actual garden out the front either - yet!)


Week two, although I haven't written my actual list yet, will be much more work. I'll need to wash windows, take the covers off the couch and wash those, and the standard mopping and vacuming which would happen anyway. Since I have two toddlers, the hardest part will be keeping toys and little clothes and shoes neat - they always manage to travel out of the toy room LOL!