Tinsel Tuesday

[trissie]

L.Ann, we used to do tinsel, but then got a cat, so now we don't do tinsel
gma, I think kittykatt has some very good ideas about filing! When I attack a pile, I first sort it into subpiles - like, "car", "health", "employment", "house" and of course "trash" and "shred", and then once I have a decent amount in a pile, I will deal with that pile. It takes so much less time if you are dealing with just one kind of documents, because they usually go into the same file. And the unsorted rest goes into envelopes till later time (I can't keep things in piles when not working on them).
kittykatt, my first job was a secretary at a law firm! I've learnt the systems of both physical and electronic filing from the best. It's just the "getting to do it" that is a problem

TaDas
- morning routine
- grocery run
- pick up turkey
- pharmacy
- print photos
- put groceries away
- cook lunch
- midday routine
- load of colors runnning

ToDos
- 1 hour on food preps
- 30 on laundry
- afternoon routine

Braindump
routines
- evening routine
food
- dinner
organization
- update land contract
- rework contract with DS14's therapist
- have kids check and empty backpacks (no forgotten food found on Jan 4)
- DBD's speech therapy
- 15 on filing
cleaning
- clean kitchen
- clean living room
- clean office
- clean downstairs bathroom and hallways
- spiff up twins' room
- spiff up DBD's room
- spiff up DS13's room
- spiff up master bedroom
- spiff up master bathroom
laundry
- load of darks
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading
Christmas preps
- potato salad
- Christmas braided bread
- stuffing and stuffing rolls
- decorate gingerbread cookies - even after yesterday's decorating session, there's still more to go!
- check gift list, print vouchers, last minute wrapping?
- more Christmas baking if anything seems interesting? another batch of beehives?

[helia]

Wow, tinsel used to be real silver? That's neat! I wear silver jewelry - not gold - because of my skin tone, and I do have to clean it regularly.

Kitty, we have a traditional physical filing cabinet. We put the files we use the most often in the top drawer; when it is pulled out, we can see all the file categories. The bottom is storage for things like resumes, important documents (birth certificates,etc.) that we rarely need. Dh is probably BO, so he helps with that. He claims I save and file more receipts, etc. than necessary.
Trissie, my e-filing skills need some help. LOL! That was a really thoughtful gift idea of DBD's.
That's very kind of you to bring plates to your friend, Gma. Lots of filing advice here!
Good morning L Ann!

Having a slow morning - though I need to hurry up now because I need to be otd in about 50 minutes for a haircut. This salon is in the same shopping area as the yarn store; I'd like to bring my new pattern and buy some yarn while I'm there.

Yesterday: I ordered the seafood for the paella and did a little grocery shopping. The chimney sweep and pest control guys were here; I ended up talking to the chimney sweep for quite some time, not much to the pest control guy who has caught 3 more flying squirrels on our roof and in our attic. I did payroll - preps, meeting, teaching, grading, updating grade website. And I got a decent meal on the table for us + RH.

Today: I have a haircut appointment at 10 a.m. Then, we're hosting dinner for 7 adults at 6, I think. Dd30 is grilling pork for the main. We're making the sides. Other goals for the day: jog outside, buy yarn, clean the living areas, clean the main bathroom, perhaps get clean sheets on our bed, and make progress with Memorial thank yous. And payroll - end of session tasks. Perhaps updating the exam record. . . Garbage and recycling go to the curb tonight.

Later:
- back exercises
- s2s and self care
- squeegee and wipe shower
- 10 haircut

Later:
- yarn store
- some qt
- make the bed
- resurrect toodle-do
- grocery list + order from Kroger
- lunch
- Memorial thank yous progress
- start wrapping gifts - aim for 3
- tidy living areas
- dust living areas
- do I need to vacuum or is the roomba keeping up OK? (Check corners.)
- clean main bathroom
- roast potatoes and broccoli
- set up table for 7 adults + 1 baby
- 6 - ? host dd30's friends L and A + baby; dd30 and dd27 will be here too
- after dinner clean up
- duolingo
- update health apps
- garbage and recycling to the curb
- read
- start new knitting projects?

TaDas!
- up; weighed self - same very high #
- coffee
- email deletions + weather website -high of 47 today!
- kitchen reclaimed

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Tue 10 - 11 haircut/ 6- ? host dinner for dd30's friend L + family - dd30 is making the main
Wed 9:30 breakfast with Cs to plan SK/ Cmas Eve service? / shoes night 1/ Dinner: TBD
Thu Anglican church service? / Cmas dinner for 5?/ light the candles and read stories/ shoes night 2
Fri date with dh?/ shoes night 3
Sat PACK/ K arrives? / shoes night 4
Sun SINTER KLAAS - breakfast and planning session/ write poems all day/ evening - celebrate SK!

Mon TRAVEL TO WA to visit ds, F, and baby I
Tue See Ss in WA?

December Brain Dumps
This Week - House
- towel laundry
- can I scrub the tile in our shower?
- clean sheets on bed
- clean main bathroom

This Week - Deskwork
- make appointment with optometrist
- Memorial thank yous
- reach out to JK?

This Week - Christmas prep
- wrap other gifts

This Week - Errands
- get Mom's bags of stuff to the charity
- buy more wrapping paper and labels
- buy more yarn

General Brain Dump
- progress decluttering clothes - wip
- new phone eventually

Mom
- go through bag of Mom's knick knacks

[Harriet]

I remember being taught as a child how to throw the flimsy type of tinsel at a tree, only in small amounts at a time, to get the effect of icicles. If we threw clumps, we made quite a mess of it! Fake icicles, real tree, of course. I believe the adults retrieved the tinsel from the trees back then, just as ornaments were removed and saved ???? Not sure, but I think that was done so that then the tree would be ready for its higher purpose - burial under the piers or boat docks as habitat enhancer for fish population.

Thank you for the glimpse into your filing, Kittykatt.

Gma, I notice that Kittykatt has all low filing boxes, so smart. I have a mistake with part of mine in that some of the boxes are on higher shelves in a closet and that is NOT wise. When you get all orderly, Gma, please come help me with my desk! lol. The constant filing mess.

I must spend the morning on Desk Day, actually, with a conference call added. But then am freed to get my house further along toward our family get-together here tomorrow.

[L.Ann]

1- Little Bit down for a nap
2-walk outside
3-read

Menus
Tuesday-Mexican chicken and rice bowls
Wednesday-family dinner @DD39’s
Thursday-leftover brunch food
Friday-one pot kidney bean and pepper soup
Saturday-black bean burgers
Sunday-Cajun tilapia and roasted veggies


Events
Tuesday-Little Bit 7:40-5, DD32’s birthday, pick up baked goods for Christmas Eve
Wednesday-DD39’s house for dinner and festivities
Thursday-Christmas brunch
Friday-DD32 off
Saturday-
Sunday-

Weekly House Blessing-
Extra stuff-


Accomplishments
-knee and stretching exercises
-breakfast for dog and me
-dress and pick up bedroom
-meds and temp for DD32
-start laundry
-walk outside
-pick up Little Bit
-pick up bakery items
-breakfast for Little Bit
-reboot laundry
-errands-library, cvs
-dinner preprep

[helia]

It's 1:30. I've had lunch and I'm getting back at it.

Christmas Eve dinner is still a mystery. Who will be here? We need something quick or in a crockpot because we might go to a 5-6:30 pm service 1/2 an hour drive away. However, dh and I are getting old and cranky; neither of us wants to cook Christmas Eve. We're both already tired of cooking for other people. We've done that 3 nights so far (for 8 people on Saturday, 7 people on Sunday, 3 on Monday) and we're cooking sides and hosting 7 adults + 1 baby tonight. However, we need to cook for and host other people for. . . 5? more nights. Plus a crepe breakfast tomorrow morning for 8 -- but dh and dd27 are making the crepes. Hmm.... I need to go to WF tomorrow anyway to pick up the seafood for the Christmas paella. If worst come to worst, I could pick up something then.

L Ann, enjoy your walk! We have sunshine today - do you?
Harriet, I hope your desk day is successful and prep for your family get together tomorrow goes well!

Next:
- update list and make Kroger order
- back exercises
- Mem. thank yous progress

Later:
- some qt
- make the bed
- resurrect toodle-do
- grocery list + order from Kroger
- lunch
- Memorial thank yous progress
- start wrapping gifts - aim for 3
- tidy living areas
- dust living areas
- do I need to vacuum or is the roomba keeping up OK? (Check corners.)
- clean main bathroom
- roast potatoes and broccoli
- set up table for 7 adults + 1 baby
- 6 - ? host dd30's friends L and A + baby; dd30 and dd27 will be here too
- after dinner clean up
- duolingo
- update health apps
- garbage and recycling to the curb
- read
- start new knitting project?

TaDas!
- up; weighed self - same very high #
- coffee
- email deletions + weather website -high of 47 today!
- kitchen reclaimed
- s2s and self care
- squeegee and wipe shower
- 10 haircut
- kitchen shop in same building - ran into dh; bought another gift for M and for AA
- went to yarn store -- ran into dh again ROFLOL! I wonder if he was shopping for me?
- home; lunch
- texts - trying to figure out what we're doing for dinner tomorrow night; dd30 isn't responding. Something simple, especially if we go to a church service 5-6:30. Dh and I are already getting tired cooking for other people. Where's our Christmas spirit? LOL!

[Gma]

Helia, I am constantly amazed at how many people you host for meals. I'm sure it gets tiring, but apparently you and your dh are both amazing cooks and gracious hosts. You probably have a reputation like my parents had.
Sending you the energy you need to get through the next several days.

[helia]

Thanks Gma. Honestly, I don't feel so gracious right now. We'll be cooking for everyone while we're in WA as well. I'll need a few weeks after Christmas without much hosting or cooking - or doing anything - to recover. . . This is why I'm not a huge fan of how we do Christmas. . . In early January, it will be our turn to host CG2 as well as CG1 and dh will want to host Tuesday dinner as well. Dh is very helpful. He does a LOT of the cooking, and he is a good cook. I'm mediocre.

I've decided that I will make a red lentil curry soup for Christmas Eve, over rice with roasted squash as a side. I will skip the 5 o'clock service that is a 2.5 hour commitment (4:30 - 7 minimum) as it requires an hour in the car to get there and back. If dh takes RH, and I have the house to myself for 2.5 hours, I will cook tomorrow night and be happy! Dh's original solution was to tell everyone that they were on their own for dinner. I didn't feel that was right with RH as our guest.

Next:
- some qt
- back exercises
- dress to jog

Done:
- figured out something for Christmas Eve
- after lunch clean up done -- except I left RH's dishes exactly where he left them on the counter above the dw He's been here every Christmas for the last 6-7 years for 2-3.5 weeks at a time, so I think it's reasonable to expect him to clean up his dishes.
- made a Kroger order

[Peaches1000]

Good afternoon!

Next:
-Check email
-Update Toodledo
-Check bank accts/Amex
-Declutter/organize/clean - 10 min

Extras:
-Tasks - (fup Mom)(unload dishes)(Toodledo tasks)
-Declutter/organize/clean - 10 min
-Files/Med Info/Papers/Emails - 10 min

Routine:
-Gather dirty laundry/sort
-Laundry #1 to washer
-Laundry #1 to dryer
-Laundry #1 hang/fold
-Put away laundry

-Cat - brush/food/water/litter
-Vacuum something
-6pm Eat
-Close blinds
-Open & sort mail/file
-Prep for next day (clothes/calendar)

Done:
-Bedroom - pupa
-Dress/ready
-Foyer Bath - pupa/restock
-Fresh food for kitty
-Open blinds/get water
-Grocery delivery/put away most
-Medicine/vitamins
-Catch up DS
-This & that

[Kittykatt]

Hello, everyone!

L.Ann and Trissie, we are a tinsel-free household also! ( We're also ribbon-free, as Jude especially is somehow drawn to it!)

Harriet, when I was little, I remember plastic translucent icicles on the tree.(I'm guessing my parents bought them when they were first married, as they were popular in the 1950s.) They had a little hook on the top to loop over a branch, and were mostly clear, but somehow I remember some pink ones as well??!!! And, yes, you're right, all the decorations were carefully wrapped in tissue paper and stored in labelled boxes until the following Christmas.

Helia, I don't know how you do all the entertaining you do so regularly. Quite right to leave RH's plate - he most know where the dishwasher is. Did you get any wool for your next knitting project?

Gma, thank you for your kind words. I needed something for my filing where everything was visible and it's easy to use, even for an amateur like me!

Hi, Peaches!

Ive been reasonably productive today. Downstairs is clean and tidy and I've done some more meal prep for tomorrow and Christmas day. I didn't get to the car as the cordless hoover needed recharging and it was starting to get dark. But tomorrow is supposed to be dry, so I can catch up on outdoor jobs then.

[Kittykatt]

To do:

Appointments:
Tuesday: Riverford veg box delivery
DH?? I think he wants to go into town
At home for me - clean downstairs
Take beef out of freezer
Ham to soak
Can I start veg prep for Christmas Day meal?
Make sugar syrup for fruit salad
9pm final touches to Waitrose order
Hoover car? (Weather permitting!)
Sort out end of my garden? (weather permitting!)

Wednesday: Christmas Eve
9-10 am Waitrose delivery
PA groceries
Dr appointment for DH - give him a list of anything Waitrose didn't have so he can pick it up for me from somewhere
Clean kitchen
Prep veg etc for Christmas lunch
Make fruit salad
Work out timings for beef
Hoover car? (If not done yesterday!)
Sort out garden? (If not already done!)
Cook supper - start red cabbage early in low oven
Laxapet for Jude and Matilda
7pm (earlier if possible) Christmas Eve supper -baked ham, mashed potato, carrots, broad beans, red cabbage, parsley sauce
9 pm Bethlehem Mass

Thursday: Christmas Day
Stockings first thing
Ask DH to lay table
Ensure bathroom is clean and tidy
Run a quick duster and hoover round hall and sitting room
Cook lunch - use timings in my book.
12 noon Dnextdoorneighbour C arrives
1pm lunch - roast beef, roast potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips, gravy , Brussels sprouts, Yorkshire puddings, fresh fruit salad, cream
Take my apron off and relax!

Friday: Boxing Day
Possibly some time sorting out my garden (weather permitting!)
Leftovers to eat

Saturday:
At home ??
Leftovers to eat
Text DF E?

Sunday:
Church 9.30 am
Visit DFE for coffee?
We'll still be eating left overs so probably cold cut for lunch
Laxapet Jude and Matilda
Set up new Waitrose delivery

Future dates to note:
7/1 order inhalers
6/1 Freddie - Solensia 8.30 am
8/1 Jude weight check 2 pm

Outstanding deliveries:

Extras:
Email J - do this MONDAY
Email NW when I have a reply from RP
Had to email RP again
Check and send above
Put pictures back WIP
Order new orthotics - wait until ankle settles
Can I do 15 minutes of decluttering in the bedroom each day?
Digital decluttering- Google Photos for 2024 and 2025
Pick up my footprints
House tasks: Replace the bit of mortar that's fallen out of the edge of the roof (I think its called the verge? Can this wait until next year when we get the house painted when a roof ladder will be in place?) I need for it to stop raining before I ask anyone to come and look!
Verge and ridge tiles on garage roof
Sort out cabinet that wobbles - does the back need some sort of bracing ? MJ will.sort it out in the new year
Take up and hem those thick winter curtains for the kitchen
Book eye test for me
Sort prints and put in albums (this will probably be an activity to do on wet days!) WIP I am now working on 2025
Think about setting up Guardianship for F,J and M - looked on Cats' Protection, I need their microchip numbers, approximate DOB, colour and markings and useful information about them. Bookmark link with local recommended solicitors (also ask DF CW?)
Change health centres to the one nearest us? We're going to do this in January

To do:
Early morning:
Cuddles and treats on the bed with Matilda, Jude and Freddie
Cup of tea
QT
Lightbox session
Make bed
Shower / wash hair/ moisturiser and sunblock/ clean and floss teeth
DH launched
Physio exercises and back exercises
Proprioceptors exercises X1 x2 x3
S/S bathroom
Get dressed
Breakfast and meds / supplements - me
DRINK WATER #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8
Check bank account
Go for my walk

Garden:
15 minutes in tiny front garden
15 minutes in back garden

Cats:
Cats’ breakfast and meds / supplements
Fresh water in cat bowls
Scoop cat trays
Check Jude’s bowl
Check Matilda's bowl
Walk Freddie
Lap time with Jude, Freddie and Matilda
Play with Jude, Freddie and Matilda
Head rubs with Jude, Freddie and Matilda
Cats' supper

House:
Rubbish down to wheelie bins
Kitchen clean up
Unload DW
Reload DW
Run DW when full
Unload DW
PUPA downstairs
Quick dust sitting room
Quick hoover downstairs
PUPA upstairs
Quick dust bedrooms
Quick hoover upstairs
Lunch
Supper
Lay out clothes for tomorrow
Journal three things I am thankful for today
Hand cream

Extra house tasks:

Monday:
Clean bathroom
Clean spare room
Clean bedroom

Tuesday:
Clean hall
Clean sitting room
Clean stairs
Empty hoover before starting work
Wheelie bins back when dustmen have been
Filing paperwork for 15 minutes

Wednesday:
Clean kitchen

Garden extras:
Water pots
Feed pots weekly

Financial:
More work on budget WIP
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