2017 HHP Week 10 - Kitchen

[Holiday_Mom]

Here's the link to this week's focus - the kitchen! http://christmas.organizedhome.com/house-holidays-plan/10-cooking-space-week

What are you hoping to get done this week?

 

[Holiday_Mom]

Hoping to get the following done this week:

Household

• Declutter, clean and organize the kitchen. I’m going to give this a deep clean. In additional to my regular cleaning, I want to wipe down cabinet doors, drawers, backsplash, trashcan, overhead fan, dust then wipe down walls. Done

Holiday Prep

• Reality Check - I’m eliminating some of my “Still To Do” items from my HHP list. I think anything that is going to take more than an hour to do will have to wait until after Christmas. I know that more of my time is going towards Thanksgiving food preparation, wrapping, finishing up the cards, and then onto Christmas baking and finalizing Christmas preparation. And, I promised myself that I’d add in time for me each week in November and December to either read a Christmas themed book or watch a Christmas themed movie.
• Organize holiday recipes. - I think we are okay with this but will double check. Done
• Plan Thanksgiving menus. - Menu is planned but I need to block off time on the calendar for food preparation in the next few weeks. Done
• Plan holiday baking. - The cookie dry mixes were made up a couple of weeks back by my dd. I will make sure we have enough vanilla and then start stocking up on butter and eggs as the sales occur. Done
• Make a tabletop check. - I think we are okay on this one as well but I’ll double check. Done

Still to Do

• Work on Spruce Up List. Still have a few more items to check off.
• Finish cards and put on stamps.

Have a productive week!

 

[Miss JoDee]

I need to address cards and purchase stamps for them.
Pull together my gift for Mom for Christmas to take with me when I go (leave on the 12).
Finish my sewing and mail it to Dgds Advent calendars and Christmas panel books.
Line the kitchen cupboards with shelf liner and get out new pots and pans and new pot holders.

 

[ejagno]

Hey everyone, I haven't been posting much but I have been doing my best to stay on top of things. My Mom fell and broke her back, my sister got into an accident injuring her low back and hip and my Dad has advanced dementia so I've been caring for all three. Thankfully we all live within 1/2 mile of one another and I've been able to work out a routine to take care of my sisters house on Tuesdays & Fridays, my parents house on Mondays & Thursdays, my own home on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I'm finishing up the last gift, hand made afghan for my Mom in the evenings and on Sundays while glued to the Hallmark Channel and all of the wonderful Christmas movies. We've had to make some last minute changes to our holiday plans but it's all worked out for the best. I've also been really busy getting the last of the summer garden and now all the citrus harvested, canned and preserved. I love seeing all these beautiful meals ready to simply heat and eat. It's especially come in handy during these hectic days. I've really put the "Reality Check" into perspective and it's given me so much peace to accept things the way they are instead of the way I wish they were. Thanksgiving menu is done and everything is ready. The kitchen has been in overdrive with a constant rotation of canning jars lined up on towels cooling until they are washed, labeled and placed in the canning pantry. I don't see this changing anytime soon. It's a blessing and a curse to live in an area with year round gardening. No rest for the weary! The citrus trees should be finished up by the end of this month then it's on to harvesting and preserving the fall garden.

 

[luludou]

Ellen nice to see you back! ouch that is a lot to deal with! I do hope you can get some rest and relaxation at some point.

I've got lots to do next weekend... will come back and post later

 

[Miss JoDee]

Ellen prayers for your family and strength for you.

 

[Minta]

Picked up all the types of chocolate chips for cookies that I needed for my christmas baking plus a few extra sot have on hand. Got most of the Thanksgiving dinner bought, just waiting for the week of to buy the perishables. I have a 4 day weekend this weekend and so do my kids so I think we are going to knock out all the big cleaning and just maintain after that, with the exception of the garage .. that's just to big of a mess to deal with right now.

 

[jollykelly]

Hello Ladies!

Ahhh...the kitchen. Here are my plans:

Household:

• organize "junk drawer". Amazing what finds its way there.
• clean oven
• clean light fixtures
• clean top of fridge
• wash shelves in fridge

Holiday Prep:

• complete MHH cards
• finalize Thanksgiving menu with my mom. She hosts Thanksgiving, but I bring a lot of the food
• pick up final stocking stuffers for DH and DD

Hope everyone is doing great! Holiday Baking Championship started this week on the Food Network! I love that show

 

[Cindylouwho]

Ellen ~ I had noticed you were not posting and was worrying in the back of my head. So sorry to hear about the family. Thank goodness for relatives - I'll bet they are SO happy to have you there! I love that you all live near each other. Our family is more spread out and I hope that is not the case when my children marry and settle down. Sounds like you have everything on track for Christmas so GOOD JOB!!

Here's where things are at my house:

Cooking Space Week

• Declutter the kitchen -- DONE. Overall, the house is in good shape.
• Woodstove -- Mantel is being sledge-hammered out TODAY. (Please let this go smoothly)
• Garage Doors -- Frames hung yesterday. Look great! Need to pick a stain. Uhm....
• Driveway pot-holes -- Bulldozed & smoothed out. Visitors without 4WD are very thankful!
• Separate holiday recipes from rest of cook book - so they are in their own section.
• Print Thanksgiving shopping list -- I put the whole thing in Excel last year.
• Holiday baking - First set of freezer dough done last weekend. More to come.
• Prep for freezer meals, baked goods or kitchen gifts. - Freezer meals done. Grass-fed beef order arrived yesterday and is now in the freezer.
• Order Thanksgiving turkey & Prime Rib for Christmas
• Bake any fruitcakes -- DS should do this.
• Do a tabletop check -- That's right! I lost a table runner to running wax from a candle last year. Need to replace that. (So sad -- it was my favorite. I might get out the iron and try to get it out).

 

[tanya]

Hi All,

Im mostly back on track. Im nearly finished de-cluttering the kitchen. Planning on finishing it totally when my cleaner is here tomorrow- much easier and quicker when there are 2 of us doing it.
Christmas prep is pretty well on track- I am behind on cards according to the plan but I always tweak this particular part to my personal timetable so not really behind.
Feels good to be back.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

Hey everyone, I haven't been posting much but I have been doing my best to stay on top of things. My Mom fell and broke her back, my sister got into an accident injuring her low back and hip and my Dad has advanced dementia so I've been caring for all three. Thankfully we all live within 1/2 mile of one another and I've been able to work out a routine to take care of my sisters house on Tuesdays & Fridays, my parents house on Mondays & Thursdays, my own home on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Ellen, It's good to hear from you. I miss your postings here. What a blessing you are to your family!

 

[Holiday_Mom]

Thanks for the heads up on the Holiday Baking Championships. I like to record shows to watch/listen to while wrapping Christmas gifts or writing out cards.

I've been working on the Thanksgiving meal planning, buying and early preparation. There were some specials going on for meats this week so I bought those to cook for some November/December freezer meals. After all the cooking and cleaning in the kitchen, things are looking pretty good. Still need to stamp the cards but that may not get done until next week. I just saw the sales circular for the grocery specials starting this weekend. I think I hear that calling me instead.

 

[Cindylouwho]

Tanya - I hear ya! I too hired a housekeeper this year. Just a few months ago in fact. Got her on reference from a neighbor and am so happy to have her! Couldn't keep up the house this year with all the drama going on with the relatives. She comes in a couple hours twice a month (cuz that's all I can afford) and just does what she can get done in that amount of time. But I tell you when she comes in we BOTH go at it and SO MUCH gets done! I'm absolutely exhausted by the time she leaves but its so nice to be able to compartmentalize the deep cleaning to every two weeks instead of facing it every day. And I still make the kids clean their own rooms, bathroom & toilet. We still have to do the regular cleaning throughout the week but at least I'm no longer losing the war this year. It's a relief.

But right now we have fireplace construction going on -- so the living room is totaled.