Holiday Grand Plan, Anyone? - Page 2

[Thalia]

For the first week, the cleaning focus is the front porch. I started a little early because I'm not sure when the weather will be this nice again here! Luckily DH did a bunch of work last week in brushing away all the cobwebs in the roof of our porch, so I don't have to do that. But our hedges out in front needed trimming badly, and I finally got around to doing most of it today. Still need to pick up the trimmings and get the hard to reach spots in the middle of the shrubs (there is only so much I could do while keeping an eye on two-year old DD in the unfenced front yard).

[SuzyLee]

Originally Posted by Charmie981

We'll start with our whole-house holiday prep in a week! Is everyone ready?!!? I can't WAIT, personally.

(I'm really hoping, though, that I can take advantage of some second trimester energy because I just don't see how I think I can do this all as things stand right now...11w pregnant!)

Hi DDC-mate!

Since getting pg I have been a lazy blob, even though I am not sick anymore. I really need to get the house organized and baby stuff ready in advance so I am in!

I just printed off the first batch of stuff.

[daytripper75]

Started today. Should be done with the porch by bedtime tonight!
Anyone else?

[RainbowTurtle]

What a great idea! I think I can combine that with job-hunting (hopefully starting a new job soon), home renos (new floors all around before Christmas) and general life. Having you guys along for the ride just might be enough to keep me motivated! Actually, the thought of being that organized for the holidays... hmmm, that's a great motivator in itself. Love it.

[HappyLittleHouse]

Well, I'm getting started on the list part of the week, but this week will be following DeCiRi's example and doing a huge declutter with the kids away for the week. So I didn't get started on the front yard, but did do my desk, top to bottom, and it looks fantastic! I took out two boxes of paper to shred, a box of stuff that didn't belong there, a bag of garbage, and ended up putting back just one box of what was originally crowded all over.

I'm doing the lists and printing tonight, and then on to the box warehouse that is my dining room, the living room, and my craft closet this week!

[Thalia]

I did some more work on the hedges yesterday. Still have to find a way to trim the very top parts (we just moved here in March and I haven't had to do this yet!). But I'm feeling very satisfied with the work I've done so far. It really makes the whole yard look better.

Here's the rest of my cleaning list for this week:

Buy a doormat for the outside (we have one inside already)
[DONE!] Get a utility cleaning brush
[DONE!] Brush off the cobwebs on the doorsills and windowframes outside on the front of the house
Weed the front flowerbeds
[DONE!] Sweep the front porch
[DONE!] Get a small "no trespassing" sign for the door to keep the solicitors away

[Charmie981]

Week One: Front Porch and List Week

My Goals for this week:
Make the following lists:
* Gifts to be given and budget
* Christmas card list: Print list and update it. Decide how many cards are needed.
* Visits to make
* Parties/Entertaining
* Menus for Halloween Party, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years
* Goodies for Sharing/Gifts. Decide how much needs to be made and divide it between the weeks from now through December 1.
* Favorite Meals for freezing ahead.
* Long-term shopping list divided into: canned foods, perishables for each holiday, linens and dishes, decorations, etc.

Front Porch:
*See if DH has the time to build the stairs and buy the 4 10 foot boards needed to finish porch.
*Clean up around porch, weed-eat at edges
*Hang new front door?!
*New porch light?
*Hang fall wreath :::::
*Pick up any trash in front yard, driveway, flower beds, etc.
*Clean up end of driveway: put all big trash to curb, move landscape bricks to build well house foundation, etc.
* Wash door mat
* Buy flower pots and mums for each side of the front door :

These are a lot of big tasks that we've been putting off for financial and/or time reasons, so I may not get it all done. I'd really like to have steps, the boards, the new door put on (we already have it), and a porch light. As I finish tasks, I'll change their color to red.

[SuzyLee]

I am doing well so far this week. I am combining baby prep with house prep. I did most of my front porch stuff. What I have left:

-cut out NB sized cloth diapers
-finish sewing treat bags for DS's b-day party
-Finish painting fall door decoration
-Clean gutters

Yesterday DS "helped" me weed and sweep and de-cobweb the front of the house-yay!

[ILuvMyBaby]

I just finished printing all the stuff out Very excited to start! The kids start school on Tuesday!

[Thalia]

Swept the front porch yesterday, still have a lot to do!

[*Lisa*]

The kids and I started working on the front porch today. It looks so much better! I'm having trouble thinking about Christmas gifts, though. It just seems so early!

[greenmansions]

I swept the front of the house - we don't have a porch. And I need to tidy up the window boxes out there, and pull out all the dead plants and the kid's "decorative projects" for lack of a better name for them.

As for Christmas presents, I usually shop very early for gifts and am typically done by Thanksgiving at the latest. But DH is layed off, and I don't know if we'll be buying any gifts this year. Perhaps for the kids in the family, but nothing big. So I'm going to wait a bit and see how the finances are looking closer to Christmas.

[rightkindofme]

This seems to be geared at people who have much bigger houses than me. I don't have a foyer/my closets are pretty empty/no dining room/my garage is empty (this is because of a construction project)/no attic...

But it sounds really awesome! I guess I just get to have a mini-Grand Plan.

[Whimsical]

Oh fun, can I join in a couple days late? I've been Christmas shopping already...might as well try to work on everything else, too!

We'll be moving to a different house within the next couple of months, so some of these things will have to wait until we get moved over there. The rest sounds great though! I think I'll get started on my lists tonight.

[SuzyLee]

Some friends and I are doing this locally, and most of us don't have "big enough" houses for the plan. Lucky for me (ha!) I have certain rooms that need way mroe than a week of work. Storage areas for example! We need to clean out our entire basement. So I am just shifting stuff around a bit to make it work.

[daytripper75]

One of the bad things about the grand plan is the way it wants us to spend money. Replace, fix, restore, etc.
I have to stop myself from running to the store to buy things because frugality is more important at this point.
Anyone else doing the grand plan with a near $0 budget?

[rightkindofme]

Originally Posted by daytripper75

One of the bad things about the grand plan is the way it wants us to spend money. Replace, fix, restore, etc.
I have to stop myself from running to the store to buy things because frugality is more important at this point.
Anyone else doing the grand plan with a near $0 budget?

I'm not at $0 but we are trying like mad not to spend much money. I am ignoring their very materialistic, upper middle class dictations to spend money like it grows on trees. :P I do appreciate the reminders to clean things like curtains and light fixtures. That hasn't been done... oh... ever?

[Thalia]

Originally Posted by rightkindofme

I'm not at $0 but we are trying like mad not to spend much money. I am ignoring their very materialistic, upper middle class dictations to spend money like it grows on trees. :P I do appreciate the reminders to clean things like curtains and light fixtures. That hasn't been done... oh... ever?

I don't get it. What about this plan is causing you to assert that the authors are materialistic, upper-middle class, and dictating that people spend money like it grows on trees?

eta: Someone down-thread pointed out that while the front porch list doesn't have a lot of recommendations to buy things, some of the other weeks do (I haven't gotten there yet myself). This is helpful to know. But I would hate for anyone following this thread to feel that if they post their intentions to follow some of the suggestions in the plan, they are going to be judged as being very materialistic. Ouch.

[SuzyLee]

I am thinking she is referring to- go buy a new wreath, go buy a new doormat, go buy new porch swing cushions, etc.

Personally, I am trying to accomplish the end goal without buying the stuff. I painted a "welcome" sign for our door on a square piece of wood and hung it from a ribbon, instead of buying a new wreath. For the coat closet, I am collecting shoe boxes to organize hats/gloves instead of going out and buying storage containers. We won't be buying any xmas decorations, just using what we have and making what we can.

Our budget isn't zero, but probably under 200$ for everything home related for the next 4 months.

[daytripper75]

Originally Posted by SuzyLee

I am thinking she is referring to- go buy a new wreath, go buy a new doormat, go buy new porch swing cushions, etc.

Personally, I am trying to accomplish the end goal without buying the stuff. I painted a "welcome" sign for our door on a square piece of wood and hung it from a ribbon, instead of buying a new wreath. For the coat closet, I am collecting shoe boxes to organize hats/gloves instead of going out and buying storage containers. We won't be buying any xmas decorations, just using what we have and making what we can.

Our budget isn't zero, but probably under 200$ for everything home related for the next 4 months.

YES! I want to make do with what I have already! Of course we went and spent money on the paint for our pillar which was the first part of our grand plan but my stomach was kind of turning over all of the dictates to spend money!
If we need something, I will spend the money on it but this year I am not going to buy a new wreath or cushions or pictures. It has to be a need, not a want.