Holiday Grand Plan 2022

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Miss JoDee

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I have started on my notebook. I really want to do a good cleaning of the pages and a small redesign of part of it. I went ahead and made my own calendar pages by downloading the blank calendar page from here:https://christmas.organizedhome.com/printable under the Calendars heading. We set the date for our family Christmas and it will be early this year so I will need to start earlier. Since we had to cancel our Christmas get together last year most of the plans are in place but still the house cleaning and prep work needs to be done.

This is the last year I will be going BIG. Next year I will scale down the decor. It is getting to hard for me to manage it all. I am slowing beginning to minimize what I have. Things keep creeping into the house and I really want to lower the inventory of what is in this house. I am starting with the craft room and Christmas decorations.
 

Lori K

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HGP was a huge part of my life when we still had the house and my DD was living at home. Now, with is being just me, the HGP has just been my impetus to do a thorough annual cleaning, IN CASE I wind up hosting Christmas Eve, dinner, or other get-togethers where I'd be horrified if someone opened a cabinet or closet, if I'd not cleaned like I do with HGP. But, I cannot let it consume me in the summer, as that's when I have my canning notebook and supplies all over the kitchen and dining room. But, this is a good reminder that the plan starts in the not-too-distant future. :)
 

sweetpumkinpye

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I have dabbled with the HGP for years doing bits here and there. Last year was the first year I have completed the whole thing and it was a marvelous feeling. It was not the Christmas prep that was most useful, it was the cleaning and organising that helped me the most. Having the house completely decluttered and tidy before the long, hot days of Summer was just such a relief.
In March this year I did a modified version of the HGP to get my house ready for Winter and think that I will do this in the future.
I am so excited to get started on the HGP for 2022
 

Myron's Mom

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Jul 1, 2018
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HGP helps keep me organized and ahead of the game. I love having a clean and organized house for the holidays. I don’t always follow the plan but it keeps me focused to keep picking away at things.
We have already started a little bit here working on the porch, windows and curtains. And I want to tackle the 3 hall closets upstairs and the guest bathroom closet early this summer.
Can’t wait for it to start this year!
 

Miss JoDee

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I am still working on my HGP notebook. I am creating a check list of what the cleaning to do ie, remove drapes, wash windows and sills, wipe down baseboard etc) I will put this list on the divider page. On the planning page I am listing the holiday prep I plan to do that week. I am hoping to by doing this it becomes a permanent list I transfer from year to year.

I find it a little tedious but trusting that the effort will pay off. I will print check list on scrap paper first to make sure the list is complete before I print it out for the notebook. What this will eliminate is the extra pages that describe the weekly tasks.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Over the years I have modified the plan to suit our home and needs. We for example do not have an attic or basement so don't need to include those in the plan. We do have a study so I have added that. I also added car and garden maintenance to my plan.
By tweaking it over the years I now have my own check lists that work for my 2x yearly cleaning plans.
 

Whusky

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Jun 7, 2022
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I also enjoy doing the HGP, even if I don't have all the rooms to clean!

For me it really kicks off the Christmas-is-coming season.
 

Lori K

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I am still working on my HGP notebook. I am creating a check list of what the cleaning to do ie, remove drapes, wash windows and sills, wipe down baseboard etc) I will put this list on the divider page. On the planning page I am listing the holiday prep I plan to do that week. I am hoping to by doing this it becomes a permanent list I transfer from year to year.

I find it a little tedious but trusting that the effort will pay off. I will print check list on scrap paper first to make sure the list is complete before I print it out for the notebook. What this will eliminate is the extra pages that describe the weekly tasks.
JoDee, I do something similar, but take time each Sunday during HGP to go thru the list of what I did last year, and update it. Rewriting it helps me to get motivated for the week, prioritize my tasks, and stay focused to get things checked the list. It also helps me remember if I've purchased something (for example, a holiday rug that was on the list to purchase last year, was purchased on clearance after the holidays, and has been stowed away).
 
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sweetpumkinpye

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I also enjoy doing the HGP, even if I don't have all the rooms to clean!

For me it really kicks off the Christmas-is-coming season.
Exactly. I love that Christmas-is-coming !!
 

Minta

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I modify mine to fit our schedule. With DS in marching band some weeks/weekends are just so jammed packed. I will get a jump start in some of the areas over the summer.
 
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sweetpumkinpye

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Does anyone have a favourite (or least favourite) week of the HGP?
No, not really a favourite week, I am just happy to get started.. I do make room for a few "catch ups" just in case real life gets in the way and I need the extra time.
 

Lori K

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Does anyone have a favourite (or least favourite) week of the HGP?
In previous years, for me, it was the first week of HGP, simply because it typically fell over the Labor Day holiday weekend -- for me, a 4-day weekend away from home. Heading back to work on Tuesday, after that brief vacation, was always stressful. I always felt rushed when starting HGP tasks. And, thinking about Christmas while celebrating the end of Summer (often when it was 90* or more), even if only mentally running through Week 1, just seemed so wrong. I found it difficult to transition my mindset to Christmas, while hanging out with friends on the sand bar, and I often felt that I was behind the 8-ball from the get-go. Not having the boat to deal with this year (haul-off food-stuff and anything that might freeze or be ruined while in storage, and dealing with haul out to dry dock, winterization of engines and water system, shrink wrapping, and covering storage fees), perhaps it will be easier and more fulfilling this year.
 

Whusky

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Jun 7, 2022
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I've been thinking (and panicking a little) about this year, and how it's going to be different for me. I'm starting a pretty intense degree at the start of August as well as all my other stuff. I won't be having any real breaks until Christmas.
Is there anything I can do in July to get ahead? I've started list making, started gift buying, and this week I should be buying long-life food items.
Is there anything I've missed?
Any advice/tips would be appreciated!
 

Lori K

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I've been thinking (and panicking a little) about this year, and how it's going to be different for me. I'm starting a pretty intense degree at the start of August as well as all my other stuff. I won't be having any real breaks until Christmas.
Is there anything I can do in July to get ahead? I've started list making, started gift buying, and this week I should be buying long-life food items.
Is there anything I've missed?
Any advice/tips would be appreciated!
First and foremost, if there are household repairs that you already know will be needed before the holidays, do them now (or get on a contractor's schedule ASAP, as (at least here) they're really backed up). If you've got porch or deck boards that need to be replaced and painted, do it now. If you have a light fixture that is not working and needs to be swapped out, get on the electrician / handy man's calendar. Check linens and other items for what needs to be replaced and start keeping an eye out for a good sale (red tablecloths from the 4th of July may go on clearance now). I would suggest that, during the months you'll be taking classes, focus on what is critical for you to do, and not worry about the stuff no one will notice. I treat the HGP as my major deep clean for the year. But, let's be honest, is anyone but you going to notice if you don't get the master bedroom baseboards washed down? And remember, take care of you, too.
 

halimer

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Aug 30, 2008
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Also, you can start the plan any time that works for you and in any order that works.

If it's helpful to do the living room now and the kitchen in August, go ahead.
 

AnnieClaus

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Quite a few years ago, there was a group on Facebook that did the HGP (minus the holiday prep) during the spring
as a Spring Cleaning schedule. I thought that was cool.
If you can go through it a couple of times a year, you won't have such big deep cleans once a year!

Anne
 

sweetpumkinpye

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I've been thinking (and panicking a little) about this year, and how it's going to be different for me. I'm starting a pretty intense degree at the start of August as well as all my other stuff. I won't be having any real breaks until Christmas.
Is there anything I can do in July to get ahead? I've started list making, started gift buying, and this week I should be buying long-life food items.
Is there anything I've missed?
Any advice/tips would be appreciated!
I am not sure if you will have time before your course starts...
Do you write Christmas cards? Can you start those now?

Who is in your household? What can they do to lighten the load? Delegating is a good thing.
Can you do a bit of freezer cooking now so that when things get a bit much you have a meal or two to fall back on?
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Apr 23, 2008
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Canberra, Australia
Quite a few years ago, there was a group on Facebook that did the HGP (minus the holiday prep) during the spring
as a Spring Cleaning schedule. I thought that was cool.
If you can go through it a couple of times a year, you won't have such big deep cleans once a year!
This is what I have been doing 2021 and 2022.
In March I do a modified HGP (just the cleaning part) to get ready for the Winter. It has worked so well the 2 years that I will make this an annual thing from now on.