HGP 2016 - Week 2, Living Room/Question Week

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HouseElf

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Holiday prep is marching along. I have two gifts purchased and wrapped for my husband now, as well as a couple stocking stuffers. I went through my pantry and recipes for the holiday, started a list of needed items. Will purchase as items are 'on sale' with a deadline date to ensure I have them (purchase by even if not on sale).

Questions:
  • Do I see Christmas time primarily as a time for entertaining friends and renewing long lost acquaintances or as a time for family?
    • Christmas for us is really about our family of 5. We plan around the traditions we have established with our boys.
  • How much emphasis do our Christmas activities place on the spiritual side of Christmas?
    • We participate with local services at the parish but do not consider ourselves active members. We do an Advent wreath at home, complete with readings and music.
  • How involved is my family in the Christmas preparation?
    • There's areas where they volunteer their time and others when I need to ask or delegate help. They all enjoy the holiday but I do the lions share of the prep.
  • What activities are particularly important to our family at Christmas? To myself?
    • Advent observation is very important to my boys, as well as the tree and cookies! For me I think the decorations, music and tree top my list.
  • Why do we observe the traditions we do in our house?
    • In part because of our upbringings, but mostly because these are the ones that work for us.
  • How important is an elaborately decorated house, homemade gifts or food, to my feelings about Christmas?
    • I wouldn't say my decorations are elaborate :) but they are very important to me. Creating a festive home, making cookies and cakes from scratch, and purchasing gifts from markets such as Etsy (from the creators of the items) are things that have meaning for me.
  • What would my ideal Christmas be like?
    • I always say my ideal Christmas would be spent in a cabin in the woods, lots of snow and a fireplace. I do wish my husbands family was closer, as it would be good for him and the boys to have their extended family visit - but overall I enjoy the season and our little family of 5 together.
 
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sweetpumkinpye

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I deep cleaned my loungeroom today. It is an area that we use every day and it was time for a good spruce up.
Did everything on the list and I am very happy with how it looks. Now just need to maintain it over the Summer before my next big clean in March/April
 
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Lolwlias

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I start back to work tomorrow from ten lovely days off. This will be where I struggle to keep up.
Today I will clean the blinds in the living room & the windows. I hope to enlist dh to help with this task during the week days while I am at work.
I also will clean the ceiling fan today. I just need a better step ladder than my little 2-step.
Dd wants to walk Long Point at Point Au Roche & ds wants us to go over for dinner. I will see if I can fit all this in.
 
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Minta

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Since we have only been in our house for 10 months our living room isn't in bad shape. No clutter and hardwood floors that are easy to clean. I may use this week to clean out the heat vents and ducts through. with pets in the house they sure do collect pet hair.
 

Lolwlias

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Since we have only been in our house for 10 months our living room isn't in bad shape. No clutter and hardwood floors that are easy to clean. I may use this week to clean out the heat vents and ducts through. with pets in the house they sure do collect pet hair.
I totally understand about the pet hair. I have two dogs. Ugh!!
 
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Skippy1707

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Hello all,
I am already behind but I have 3 days off in a row now so I am planning on catching up whilst the kids are in school. I was hoping to declutter the kids bedrooms in advance but I think if I follow and stick to the plan I will get ahead of myself and wont feel so bad if I have unwanted guests comping and popping in as they are about to now I have bored mummies at home.

Right so I will make a fresh start on the HGP list making tonight whilst I chill out, then will get the front porch and stairs cleaned (this will take all of 5 minutes because I have put a piece of extra carpet down and cleaned it in the progress so most of mine will be clearing the stairs.

Then I shall make a start on HGP Week 2 tomorrow :) I look forward to catching up with you all!
 
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MinnieCo

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My child leaves for school Wednesday night, so come Thursday I'm on this!!!
 

AuntJamelle

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Spent all day Sunday working on my list of cleaning tasks for the Living Room and our Upstairs Hallway that is off the living room. Got 99% done!

[X] Washed dog bed
[X] Vacuumed couch including under cushions
[X] Dusted ceiling for cobwebs
[X] Dusted ceiling fans
[X] Cleaned large mirror in hallway
[X] Arranged books in hallway book shelf neatly
[X] Dusted all picture frames, entertainment center, etc.
[X] Cleaned TV screen
[X] Cleaned vents
[X] Dusted and spot cleaned all window blinds (7 windows in this space!!!)
[X] Cleaned all windows, sills, tracks, etc.
[X] Cleaned inside and outside of French doors
[X] Cleaned side door
[X] Washed outside lights (right outside French doors)
[X] Cleaned light switches
[X] Vacuumed
[X] Decorated for Fall

Holiday Tasks Status:

[X] Bought a few extra items off non-perishable part of master grocery list
[X] Made 3 freezer meals
[/] Continuing work on craft projects for Christmas

Left to do:

[ ] Lightly sand then touch up paint in one spot in living room
[ ] Wash floor
[ ] Spot clean hallway rugs as needed
 

Minta

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Well this morning I steamed cleaned the hallway carpets and the carpets in the kids bedrooms. Going to pick up new winterizing strips for the front door today and hopefully get that done today too.
 

luludou

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HouseElf

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Today I picked up wrapping paper and tags; paper is brown craft paper and tags are plain as well - will stamp and and holiday messages. I also found a bag of small brown paper bags that I will use for Hallowe'en to decorate, and picked up several medium size brown paper gift bags and white tissue paper for odd shaped gifts.

My holiday wrapping theme is "brown paper packages tied up with string"! :)
 

Skippy1707

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Sep 5, 2016
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Well today has been fairly productive...

I had every intention of getting the garden cut but it is so hot here in Wales - realistically its about 24 degrees but for the welsh that is practically tropical and most people are hiding or burning as we speak - I am a burner though so I decided to tackle the hallway/ porch

These are the before pictures!





and thankfully.....after about half an hour of cleaning, sweeping, moving, rehoming etc..... I can now say
  • everything from the stairs has been moved that didn't need to be there.
  • I have sorted through the paperwork that was splattered everywhere
  • I have rung the local community centre about First Aid course and a Paediatric First Aid course after finding the leaflet in said paperwork
  • The bag of dog food has now been decanted to a box and is now in the back porch tidily put away and stored.
  • I have brushed the stairs
  • I have old style beaten the doormat.
  • Swept the floor
  • All the clothes/socks/coats are away or by the washing machine now
  • All the rubbish is out
And this is the finished result!



It feels so much better to have cleared it - especially since its the first thing people see of my house and sets the initial impression!
Tomorrow the husband is off so we are taking a load of old wood and an old tumble drier to the tip - so I am now on a roll and off out to
* clear out my greenhouse to convert it to a sandblasting booth for the winter.
* laying a tarp out to dry
* cutting the grass.

The rest of tomorrow though I think I will spend tackling the living room and the under stair cupboard that comes with it. - should be fun!
 

Skippy1707

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Sep 5, 2016
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Well I am absolutely shattered.
I started the living room at lunchtime and I am still not finished.....in my defense it has had a proper gutting - everything out and I have still managed to
  • do the school run in this time
  • Deliver nephew to my mother in law
  • Put an old TV out for collection
  • Do the intended skip run to rid my greenhouse of old wood
  • Do a food shop online and get it ordered
.......I will sleep well tonight.


Shamefully here is the before pictures......I had already pulled the sofa out at this point.


This is the second sofa and behind the camera


and the shoe crevasse - its not a show rack but seems to be the shoe dumping ground! Youd think we had about 20 people living in our house - no there is 4! and behind this sofa is where my hubby stores his motorbike stuff that he wears daily for work.



Anyway 2 bags of rubbish out, various bits of paperwork rechecked and binned/re-homed, numerous hair bobbles, scrunchies, bands moved to little Holly's bedroom, DVDs checked and re-homed to Holly's bookcase, various dog items now stored, and toys neatened and moved

This is the after pictures

(note the sewing box next to my seat :) )





All the toys are now in the one box with a strict one in , one out rule.



I managed to get this far, until I had to leave the room to do the online shopping and get it ordered......tumbleweeds in the fridge is not a good look..........and came back to this.........



My helpful husband and mutts (there is 2 there is you look closely!) which now means I will have to leave cleaning this side of the room until tomorrow or until tonight once the kids are in bed and hubby is probably on the computer......I am not in work till 2.15 tomorrow afternoon so I think I might actually just have a rest or just slowly finish the living room off...........

Next thing to get done though is tonight I plan on stripping the covers off the sofas and washing them overnight so I can hang them out to dry tomorrow morning when the weather is meant to be nice because they are absolutely minging.

The good thing is this is shaming me into getting it all done and keeping it clean! My bathroom is still nice and tidy, and so is the back porch bar a few things I moved there that are going in the shed from the living room

:):):):):):)
 

Skippy1707

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Have to be honest - I dont really have a big enough freezer for bulk cooking though so instead of feeding the freezer I am going to make a start storing up the tins/packets etc for the winter cupboard and starting a Christmas cupboard.

i brought stuffing today so that is my start.
 

AuntJamelle

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Skippy1707 - Love that you posted before and after pics! I should have done that! Maybe next week!

Great idea on stocking up on items in your pantry as opposed to the freezer route. Either way you are going to lighten the load on your grocery budget closer to the holidays!
 

Skippy1707

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Sep 5, 2016
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Thanks Aunt Jamelle and Gramma Deb!

I know if I post them at least I will prove to myself I did it and I can see the difference when I look back. I hate not seeing progress with stuff......and I know I have the kids bedrooms to go - I think even them I will have to try and tidy first before I take a before picture! :eek:

and I found a box the other day when I cleared out the back porch that Im planning on using as the pantry/xmas/store cupboard box that Im going to hide away upstairs so it cant be eaten on site.
 

tanya

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Im not big into freezer cooking either. I have tried a bit but for just the 2 of us it does not work so well. Also Christmas is in the middle of our summer- I always have a full freezer- just not cooked as yet. I do have a Christmas pantry- could not get through the holidays without it.
 

Skippy1707

Retire Member
Sep 5, 2016
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Wales
Well behind the camera - ie Second Sofa - is now finished.....I have moved all the bike stuff upstairs and put all the shoes in black bags and moved them upstairs too. They are currently all in my bedroom - I am planning to sit with the kids tomorrow afternoon and sort through them all. Some are the husbands but all our shoes going in our wardrobe and then its just to find homes for the kids.

We do have an old train piston box in the living room which Ive put my ids trainers in. I think this can be used for daily shoes at the minute. Like school shoes and work shoes so it will be mostly empty in the daytime!

Also sofas are being stripped tonight because Saturday is suppose to be nice - so if I can wash them overnight when the dogs are upstairs with us - it just means they will have to stay in the kitchen tomorrow so they arent on the uncovered cushions - and then pin them on the line before I go to work at 9.45 :)

I will post an update picture later. Feeling so much better not having a house full of junk and clutter.....

really cant wait to tackle the kitchen - I think I will skip ahead to that on my 3 days off next week - because then downstairs is all clear and if I have guests - I am actually confident inviting them in for the first time in a long time.

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)