Closed: summer prep for the holidays 2025 CLOSED

[blessedw2]

★˛˚˛*˛°.˛*˛°˛.*★˚˛*˛°.˛*˛°˛*★ Holiday *★* 。*˛.
˛★_██_*.。*../ ♥ \ .˛* .˛。.˛.*.★* Season Is *★ 。*
˛. (´• ̮•)*.°。*/♫.♫\*˛.* ˛_Π_____. ♥ On Its Way ♥ ˛* ˛*
.°( . • . ) ˛°˛/• '♫ ' •\.˛*/______/~＼*. ˛*.。˛* ˛.*。
* (...'•'.. )°*˛°╬╬╬╬╬˛°｜田田 ｜門｜╬╬╬╬╬*˚ .˛ ...



TIME TO GO TO viewtopic.php?t=9306 THE OFFICIAL SITE
this is d Harriets design! I truly love it. I hope you don't mind me putting this here.

Yes, it's early but I have found that following the holiday grand plan (simply) has helped me over the years.
how about you!

I can move this to somewhere else if you all want.

dh and I have been talking about what needs to be done before the holidays: inside and out.
We are thinking about what we can do ourselves and where we need to hire help.

we also know that our lives, in this season of life, can give us surprises and put us behind when it comes to family and holiday plans.

I hope you all don't mind me starting this early.

Do you have things to do before the summer ends that will help you for the holidays?

THIS POST WILL END AT THE END OF AUGUST WHEN THE OFFICIAL D HARRIET POSTS STARTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

[blessedw2]

dh on our list for the summer to be ready for the Holidays.

the addition
New fence
paint the front door
find pictures for the white elephant: getting a cover for luggage with my brother in laws faces on them. I think it will be funny. White elephants aren't real things.
I will buy one nice thing.

September/October: have the young man we have put lights up in yard

I bought christmas cards already that mom and I will share.

[Nancy]

I am thinking about some projects decor decluttering.

I've gotten more de-cluttered after the last holiday season.
Glad for that progress and have the tomato cages to do the wrap with lites.
I can work on this summer when it's hot and try that out just for fun yd. sale finds!

I have some red and green baskets to decorate and get ready for decor or put fun things in like
the things I've been making.

Ribbons and notions and fake greenery.

[blessedw2]

I have been wanting to do holiday decluttering as well d Nancy!
yay on your decluttering and good for you on your decorating baskets.

[blessedw2]

planning to order a couple white elephant gifts soon.

[Kittykatt]

Blessed, thank you for this thread. I usually start some time in September (depending on on the weather, as I use the fine days then for pruning my roses!) with my annual decluttering/spring-cleaning, going through every room, one shelf / drawer at a time. I also do a little for Christmas, like ordering the meat and picking up any gifts that catch my eye at they are "right" for the intended recipient. And then at the end of November/ beginning of December pause on the spring cleaning and switch to Christmas prep. By then, all the public rooms should be done! I then restart the spring cleaning in January.

However, with DH going away for two weeke ds in August, it did occur to me that I could perhaps start doing a little then? Would you be happy for me to join you, even though I'm probably not doing things conventionally?

[Kittykatt]

I've found my list from last year! I may need to tweak it, but it's a start.

Christmas Preparations:
Decluttering and deep cleaning:
Declutter hall
Deep clean hall
Declutter stairs (there shouldn’t be anything on there apart from the bowl with toys for Matilda!)
Deep clean stairs
Declutter sitting room
Deep clean sitting room
Declutter landing book case
Deep clean landing bookcase
Declutter bathroom
Deep clean bathroom
Declutter bedroom
Deep clean bedroom
Declutter spare room/ office
Deep clean spare room/ office
Declutter kitchen
Deep clean kitchen

Prune roses X done, X to do.

Christmas List!
( I’m going to need to make amendments and additions, but it’s a start.)

Christmas prep:
Find my Christmas book!
Gifts:
DH birthday (and card) and Christmas(and card)
DH stocking
DF E
Dnextdoorneighbour C
DH’s family: A, DH will sort: R, S, L&G, B, L2, R2 & D, J
Give tubs of chocolates to: vet, hairdresser, anyone else who has been really good to us this year to say “thank you” – Ocado order for this last year - see if they give good value again?)
List gifts I still need to buy
DH is supposed to be buying for his family
Wrap gifts
Cards:
Do I need to buy more?
Update card list
Check addresses and get DH to print out address labels
Write cards
Are we doing a newsletter this year?

Food:
Ring butcher and order Christmas meat
Veg and fruit
Christmas “goodies” – cheeses, biscuits for cheese, sweet biscuits, chocolate...

Baking:
Mince pies
Gingerbread men
Christmas cake
Glaze Christmas cake
Fudge?
Truffles?

Christmas grocery order – Waitrose (KEEP CHECKING
FOR CHRISTMAS DELIVERY SLOTS FROM MID SEPTEMBER and put the basics in my trolley.) Just need to add any seasonal items, and be careful not to get carried away! Remember fruit for fruit salad, also parsnips, carrots and sprouts (unless I decide on a veg box)
Am I having a Christmas veg box?

Decorations:
Tree
Wreath for front door
Lights round porch
Lights on kitchen windowsill
Wooden Nativity scene (this depends on whether Matilda tries to chew it!)
Church organ musical box, gingerbread house tin and Christmas tree tin (on top shelf of sitting room bookcase?)
Christmas card holders over kitchen door
Hang Christmas count down ornament? (Or will this make my life too stressful? )

Events:
Christmas shoebox for Moldova - check what suitable gifts I have already (I'm assuming our church is doing this again this year)

Women’s group meditation and meal (is this going ahead, as the lady who usually organises this now extremely unwell.) I could offer to *help* organise it, but not do the whole thing. I know my limits, and I'm already doing parish Christmas lunch.

Parish Christmas lunch. I'm organising this for the first time this year Booked for 04/12 at the back of the church. Need to book caterers soon? ( I'm keeping it really simple this year, so just a buffet). Sign up sheet at the back of church +ask people to indicate if they are vegetarian /gluten free. Work out costs per head. Also need tablecloths, crackers (DF PM has lots of Xmas napkins she will provide) fairy lights on font, paper chains? Tea and coffee from the urns, soft drinks? (No alcohol as we would need an Events Licence, and I'm not going down that route )

Carol service at church? Am I reading? ( does the catering committee want me to do the mulled wine?)
Christmas services: are we having a Bethlehem Mass at 9 pm on Christmas Eve again? (It was a lot more popular that midnight mass, especially now people are getting older!!!), will I be asked to read?

Date to visit DBIL and family? (Probably early January)

To be continued...

[blessedw2]

thank you for sharing d kitty Kat!!! d harriet does this thread! I just need to get started earlier this year.

I think I will do the same: your list is great!

[blessedw2]

purchased 2 white elephant gifts.
I have another that needs pictures of my d brother in laws.

[blessedw2]

according to holiday grand plan - September 1 is the front porch - but I have to work on it earlier