HGP 2021 - Question / Living Room Week

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AuntJamelle

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Oct 22, 2007
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Week Two? It's all about questions during Question Week in the Holiday Grand Plan!

During this week, we'll continue making lists and planning our holiday. We'll get in touch with our values through important questions.

In the cleaning component, we tackle the living room, decluttering and deep-cleaning to prepare for holiday entertaining.

HOLIDAY PREP​

In the kitchen:

  • Buy extra flour, sugar, shortening, etc.
  • Make one extra meal for the freezer labeled HOLIDAY MEAL. This should be large enough to feed the family plus two people.
Browse Week:

  • Develop ideas for gifts, decorations.
  • Order Christmas cards and address labels.
  • For your friends of other religions take the time to find out what their major holiday is and look for an appropriate card to send to them at that time.
  • Divide gift responsibilities with other family members.
Ask these questions:

  • Do I see Christmas time primarily as a time for entertaining friends and renewing long lost acquaintances or as a time for family?
  • How much emphasis do our Christmas activities place on the spiritual side of Christmas?
  • How involved is my family in the Christmas preparation?
  • What activities are particularly important to our family at Christmas? To myself?
  • Why do we observe the traditions we do in our house?
  • How important is an elaborately decorated house, homemade gifts or food, to my feelings about Christmas?
  • What would my ideal Christmas be like?
 

AuntJamelle

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Diving into the cleaning component of HGP today...focus on living room with a few oddball tasks...

- Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures
- Dust high vents, picture frames, TV, behind TV
- Clean high arched window
- Clean light switches
- Vacuum couches, under cushions
- Sweep/vacuum floor

- Clean off deck plants that have died back
- Plant mums
- Hang deck lights
- Clean office window

- Decorate for FALL!!! :D This will not get done today, but I want to get a good start!!!
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Apr 23, 2008
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I will be revisiting the loungeroom this week. I need to look through our DVD's. Donate any we don't want, create a watch pile of the ones we do want to keep. I also have a whole bunch of CD's. I really enjoy music so may keep these.
 

Myron's Mom

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No cleaning this week. I’m going to finish the quilt top I’m working on then finish making Christmas gifts.
Prep wise I have most everything I need for cooking that I can buy now. Unless it’s not available........
Cards, stamps and labels were bought earlier this year.
Finishing up my shopping. My husband does help shop for our son and his buddy.
My ideal Christmas? That’s easy! The 3 of us at home together (rest of the family is gone now), very cold and blustery and lots of snow.
 

HouseElf

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Living Room:
I should be able to declutter some games and lots of itty-bits in the built-ins that don't belong there today! Need to organize the electronic equipment cords - label and store for ease of use.

Holiday Prep:
  • Kitchen: pantry items added to grocery list and will make three extra freezer meals
  • Christmas Cards are done and will mail closer to the month. I've ordered a couple items for gifts and have received one.
Questions:
  • I think Christmas is a great mix of entertaining and gathering of friends and family. Covid will change that aspect for many of us this year again, but the same spirit of togetherness will prevail. I have added into my planner a spot for video chats with family and friends this year.
  • We have a home Advent observance; it's a bit different each year but we light candles, listen to a song, reflection and passages to read.
  • My boys and husband enjoy the holiday but do not 'plan' for it ;) they are helpful when asked to complete a direct task... sometimes.
  • The lights, tree, food and traditions like watching holiday movies together and playing games is what we enjoy the most.
  • Our traditions evolved as the boys aged and as we grew as people. Things that no longer 'work' for us are discarded and we may try new things.
  • We do not decorate elaborately, but the basics are important - especially to me. I love the lights, the tree decorated, Christmas music and holiday movies! Food is also important and the act of sitting down and sharing the meal or holiday treat. Scent is also important; evergreens and vanilla and cinnamon...
  • My ideal Christmas would be a time of Peace and being together. Snow falling and music playing, food cooking and fireplace crackling.
 

Lori K

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Nov 13, 2018
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Here's the plan for the week --
Monday -- I was away for the long weekend, so took time to read the plan and start strategizing
Tuesday -- Complete last week's task of painting the deck rail; dust cornices in LR/DR; stow canning items in garage; start washing baseboards
Wednesday -- complete baseboards; wash LR windows in and out [update: can't reach around to get outside windows, will need to hire a window cleaning company to do the outsides of all (except deck) windows in the Spring); begin clean-up work on previous owner's botched repair job on one corner of the crown moulding.
Thursday -- dust down walls and wipe closet door and trim below crown moulding repair
Friday -- Autumn decor out, change tablecloth; misc. final tasks to wrap up
 
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AuntJamelle

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Got a LOT done over the 3 day weekend!

- Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures - DONE
- Dust high vents, picture frames, TV, behind TV
- Clean high arched window - DONE
- Clean light switches
- Vacuum couches, under cushions - DONE
- Sweep/vacuum floor - DONE

- Clean off deck plants that have died back - DONE
- Plant mums - DONE
- Hang deck lights - Ran into a snag. Could one find one of the boxes in the garage :( Ordering another one so we find it - LOL
- Clean office window

Also weeded front flower beds, purchased and spread new bags of mulch in all the front beds.

I also spray painted a wicker table in glossy black for the deck - looks great!

And I got all the Fall decor up in the main level of the house. Made a small start on the downstairs living room - will finish it up this week!
 
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Rose94

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Will be working on the living room this week.
wash the inside of the windows
wash the sheer curtains
vac/clean the furniture
dust
vac the floor
vac the curtains
change out the sun catcher

also want to go threw the gift bins—things are just kind of throw in as they were purchased so I want to straight them up.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Apr 23, 2008
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Week 2,
Loungeroom. Deep cleaning this week.
DB is coming over and we will wash all windows both inside and out so that will be done.
Besides cleaning the loungeroom the main focus will be sorting through the DVD's and CDs I am not necessarily ready to get rid of these as we still enjoy them but I do need to set aside 2 piles. One for tossing/donating and one for a future watch list.

  • Do I see Christmas time primarily as a time for entertaining friends and renewing long lost acquaintances or as a time for family? Over the last few years Christmas has been primarily for family. We no longer have large gatherings as it is no longer our style. We aim for simple and quiet.
  • How much emphasis do our Christmas activities place on the spiritual side of Christmas? Not much at all.
  • How involved is my family in the Christmas preparation? Most of the Christmas prep falls to me, the family will help with tasks when I ask them to.
  • What activities are particularly important to our family at Christmas? To myself? We enjoy the simple things, good food, together time, watching a movie, going to see the lights. Relaxed and calm is the aim.
  • Why do we observe the traditions we do in our house? We observe what we do because it suits us and where we are as a family. The traditions change from time to time but the core ideals remain the same.
  • How important is an elaborately decorated house, homemade gifts or food, to my feelings about Christmas? I love to have a decorated house, food treats and a wonderful meal are very important to me. Some years it is more important than others.
  • What would my ideal Christmas be like? A house full of family, a warm day, music on, full bellies and lots of laughs.
 

HouseElf

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Living Room cleanout completed. Will need to do exterior storm window still.
Also need to 'sneak out' the bag of unpopular pop culture collectables and too complex games.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Just need to vacuum the couch and floor and wash the windows and this room is done. It's looking good. Nothing needs to be repaired or upgraded in here so that is good too.
 

Lori K

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Overall, I think I accomplished a lot this week. The crown moulding repair is going to have to wait. I don't have a ladder tall enough to reach there comfortably. Instead of tackling the autumn decor, I opted to can spaghetti sauce (at the request of my son-in-law). I have a very small entryway, so it will be handled this coming week.
 

luludou

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Last week I deep cleand basement linen closet, basement entryway, basement storage sections and decluttered a few things. It was a good week and lots got done and decluttered
 
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