House & Holidays Plan and Other Christmas plans - 2025 edition

[trissie]

House & Holidays Plan Week 14: Storage Space Week

https://organizedhome.com/christmas/hou ... orage-week

This Week's Focus: Storage Space
With decorations the focus of this week, we'll give our storage spaces a good overhaul as we pull out boxed holiday decorations.
And now that December's here, we'll begin to consider family traditions and service projects.

This Week's Household Checklist
- Organize storage areas. Ransacking a crowded attic is nobody's idea of a good holiday time. This week, organize household storage areas as you bring forth holiday decorations. Whether it's attic, garage, closet or shed, take time to tidy up household storage.
- Assess decor storage needs. Getting out holiday decorations, it's easy to see where the household is falling short. Make note of any needed storage containers, and add them to the shopping list. When you see them on sale, buy! Inexpensive storage organizers can help keep clutter from creeping into corners--and a neat storage area will make it easier to return decorations to their year-round home at the season's end.

This Week's Holiday Prep Checklist
- Shop Cyber-Monday sales. "Black Friday" has exploded into a five-day shopping event--and all those sales can be confusing! Keep track with a printable holiday sales planner to complete your holiday shopping at bargain prices.
- Status check. This week, review where you stand with holiday prep. Crafts projects and homemade gifts should be finished soon; check for any missing catalog or online orders. Will everything arrive in time?
- Begin family Advent observances. Advent begins on Sunday; begin family observances now.
- Invite a Magic Elf to visit. Will a magic elf visit your home this year? Check out this simple, sweet family tradition.
- Continue holiday decorating. Take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving lull to bring out holiday decor and artificial Christmas trees. Families who prefer a live tree will want to wait a bit, to ensure that the tree will be fresh and green for Christmas.
- Finish gift shopping. It's time! Complete gift shopping this week.
- Wrap gifts as they are purchased. Every little bit helps, so wrap ahead where possible--you'll avoid a long, rushed session of "get-it-done" gift wrapping!
- Package send-away gifts for mailing. Mail deadlines loom! Be ready to mail send-away gifts by the end of the week.
- Mail domestic gifts. Just say "no!" to lines at the post office; visit USPS.Com to purchase postage, print shipping labels and arrange for carrier pick-up with the Click-n-Ship program--all from the convenience of home!
- Order the Christmas ham, roast or poultry. Your meat market will thank you for ordering before the rush!

all the printables and more reading material can be found at the website linked above.

[trissie]

Holiday Grand Plan Week 14: Holiday Decor

https://holidaygrandplan.com/14-holiday-decor-week/

HOLIDAY PREP
- Decorate house and yard for holidays.
- Have a craft day for children.
- Prepare all packages for mailing and mail this week and next. Mail all overseas cards.
- Plan a caroling evening or other social family evenings.
- Procure and water the Christmas tree!
- Order turkey.
- Are we having the company Christmas party? See checklist.
- Read The Polar Express aloud to kids.

CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND STORAGE

all the printables and more reading material can be found at the website linked above.

[trissie]

Week 14 - common areas
- clean/declutter shoe rack
- clean/declutter shelf in hallway
- clean main entrance door
- clean inside doors
- clean lights
- clean convectors
- scrub floor - entrance
- scrub floor - hallway
- scrub floor - staircase
- scrub floor - d. bathroom
- detailed vacuuming - upstairs hallway
- scrub shower stall
- clean wall tiling in d. bathroom
- clean window in d. bathroom

[L.Ann]

Cleaning October and November
-spare bedroom
-DD32’s room
-my room
-hall
-kitchen
-dining room done except for scrubbing the floor
-living room
-bathroom

Decorations
-tree
-bins from shed-3 bins put up

Gifts
Christmas
Brother, sister in law, sister, brother in law
DD32(half done), DD39(half done), DD41
DD39’s DH, DD41’s DH
Grandkids
2gifts for gift exchange

Birthdays
DD38-handprint card w/flamingo, DD32 got her gift, two cards
DD41
DGD12
DGD6-DD32 got her gift and I got mine, got card
DGS6-DD32 got her gift and I got mine, got cars
DD32-12/19 hotel weekend w/ICE and Holidaze cirque tickets

Christmas cards, Christmas stamps, mail gifts, wrap gifts-cards and stamps bought, cards ready to mail
Christmas shopping plans
Christmas activities-Tuba Christmas@1 12/13, Little Bit overnight 12/13, pictures w/mini cows 11/22, hospice Clydesdale event 12/14, family pictures 11/28, ICE and out to dinner with family 11/28, brunch with Santa 12/14@10:30
Shutterfly thing-make card, DD32 2025 book, Little Bit 2024 book, calendar for DD38, Little Bit 2025 book, Little Bit 2024 school book
[/quote]

[Kittykatt]

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 wip
Deep clean kitchen wip

Prune roses 26 done

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) WIP
DH stocking WIP
DF E
Birthday gift and 100th card for DF E (her birthday is the beginning of January)
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?) This year I have bought the Big Mix tins of chocolates from M&S for everyone
List gifts I still need to buy - marshmallows for DH's stocking
DH is supposed to be buying for his family
Wrap gifts wip
Cards:
Do I need to buy more? Found nice cards for local friends at garden centre
Update card list
Check addresses and get DH to print out address labels
Write cards - after the fuss last year, I've designed our card and had it printed (Snapfish!) All DH will have to do is stuff it in the envelope along with the newsletter (no writing required!!!) And worst comes to worst, I'll be able to quickly.do them for him (I'm not telling him this, as I really do think he should send cards to his relatives, but I don't want the elderly ones especially to miss out. So...)
Are we doing a newsletter this year? DH has announced he will do it

Food:
Ring butcher and order Christmas meat
Delivery on 1/10 as they are closing for good the end of this week. Fortunately it should all fit in the freezer!)
Veg and fruit - are we having a veg box? Veg box ordered for 23/12
Christmas “goodies” – cheeses, biscuits for cheese,(Jacobs crackers from Waitrose )sweet biscuits,(M&S for tins of shortbread, Waitrose for chocolate 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? Yes !

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!) Not this year, Matilda has started jumping up onto the china display cabinet where I usually put the Nativity set!!!!
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) I think we're doing something for the residents of the Y instead? I've signed up to do a shoebox (needs to be done and at church by 14/12)

2/12 Women’s group meditation - S and S are organising it.

4/12 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). Caterers booked! :
Find phone number for caterers (in the end I used their "Contact us" form, which was so much simpler)
Write everything down in a logical order :
Full address of the church, name and email address for the treasurer, Date: 4th December
Time, 11 am-12 pm (they have hourly slots)
Which menu I want to order with all the add-ons (simple buffet with bite sized cakes and fruit platter)
Order for 20 guests (Remember at least a couple need to be GF) Ended up with 26 Remember to liaise with caterers again a week before
Two Sundays before the lunch, close the list, as the caterers need to know updated numbers
Explain that the treasurer has the "chequebook" for the church (she actually does everything online) and ask them to send the invoice there.
MD has suggested we make it a ticketed event, so liaise with D (parish administrator over design of tickets )
Ask D to print tickets and posters
Number tickets and keep a list of names!
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? Chocolates on bowls on tables? MD has offered to make simple centre pieces for table
Email MD with final details a week beforehand
MD has also offered members of the social.committee to help set up /clear away
Remember we need a separate table for GF food
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 ) Jugs of water on tables and tea/ coffee from the urns
Bite sized mince pies? - from Morrisons? Sainsbury's
How / when do we publicise it? Ask D to print poster advertising the event
Tickets and poster now printed!
Started selling tickets after church today


Carol service at church? Am I reading? ( does the catering committee want me to do the mulled wine?) Probably no to all of this!
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? Bethlehem Mass again this year

Date to visit DBIL and family? (Probably early January) DH asked would I mind missing it, as he's been invited to spend the weekend there! Checked that DSisil knows about this, (as she will be doing all the hard work of looking after guests), and discovered she was the one who actually invited him. So that's a win - win for everyone.( Remember to be extra gracious when DBIL visits for the W/E jist before Christmas, as I no longer have to trail all the way up to his house in the new year.)

To be continued...
[/quote]

[Kittykatt]

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 wip
Deep clean kitchen wip

Prune roses 26 done

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) WIP
DH stocking WIP
DF E
Birthday gift and 100th card for DF E (her birthday is the beginning of January)
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?) This year I have bought the Big Mix tins of chocolates from M&S for everyone
List gifts I still need to buy - marshmallows for DH's stocking
DH is supposed to be buying for his family
Wrap gifts wip
Cards:
Do I need to buy more? Found nice cards for local friends at garden centre
Update card list
Check addresses and get DH to print out address labels
Write cards - after the fuss last year, I've designed our card and had it printed (Snapfish!) All DH will have to do is stuff it in the envelope along with the newsletter (no writing required!!!) And worst comes to worst, I'll be able to quickly.do them for him (I'm not telling him this, as I really do think he should send cards to his relatives, but I don't want the elderly ones especially to miss out. So...)
Are we doing a newsletter this year? DH has announced he will do it

Food:
Ring butcher and order Christmas meat
Delivery on 1/10 as they are closing for good the end of this week. Fortunately it should all fit in the freezer!)
Veg and fruit - are we having a veg box? Veg box ordered for 23/12
Christmas “goodies” – cheeses, biscuits for cheese,(Jacobs crackers from Waitrose )sweet biscuits,(M&S for tins of shortbread, Waitrose for chocolate 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? Yes !

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!) Not this year, Matilda has started jumping up onto the china display cabinet where I usually put the Nativity set!!!!
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) I think we're doing something for the residents of the Y instead? I've signed up to do a shoebox (needs to be done and at church by 14/12)

2/12 Women’s group meditation - S and S are organising it.

4/12 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). Caterers booked! :
Find phone number for caterers (in the end I used their "Contact us" form, which was so much simpler)
Write everything down in a logical order :
Full address of the church, name and email address for the treasurer, Date: 4th December
Time, 11 am-12 pm (they have hourly slots)
Which menu I want to order with all the add-ons (simple buffet with bite sized cakes and fruit platter)
Order for 20 guests (Remember at least a couple need to be GF) Ended up with 26 Remember to liaise with caterers again a week before
Two Sundays before the lunch, close the list, as the caterers need to know updated numbers
Explain that the treasurer has the "chequebook" for the church (she actually does everything online) and ask them to send the invoice there.
MD has suggested we make it a ticketed event, so liaise with D (parish administrator over design of tickets )
Ask D to print tickets and posters
Number tickets and keep a list of names!
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? Chocolates on bowls on tables? MD has offered to make simple centre pieces for table
Email MD with final details a week beforehand
MD has also offered members of the social.committee to help set up /clear away
Remember we need a separate table for GF food
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 ) Jugs of water on tables and tea/ coffee from the urns
Bite sized mince pies? - from Morrisons? Sainsbury's
How / when do we publicise it? Ask D to print poster advertising the event
Tickets and poster now printed!
Started selling tickets after church today


Carol service at church? Am I reading? ( does the catering committee want me to do the mulled wine?) Probably no to all of this!
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? Bethlehem Mass again this year

Date to visit DBIL and family? (Probably early January) DH asked would I mind missing it, as he's been invited to spend the weekend there! Checked that DSisil knows about this, (as she will be doing all the hard work of looking after guests), and discovered she was the one who actually invited him. So that's a win - win for everyone.( Remember to be extra gracious when DBIL visits for the W/E jist before Christmas, as I no longer have to trail all the way up to his house in the new year.)

To be continued...
[/quote]
[/quote]

[FrenchFlybebe]

Time to work on the lists ! My last message here was in September...

What are our plans ?
We stay home for Christmas and New Year. I work most days, taking the 24th Dec and 26 off, 25th is off for everyone.
Maybe my parents will visit early in January.

Ideas for all + budget
Start spreadsheet tab, using previous years tabs.-> MrNG created a new type of spreadsheet for this year, doesn't work as well for me (I included other information, and decoration budget and wrapping budget and card mailing budget) but this way he can help with presents idea and buying and keeping track, so that's ok. I added a column yesterday to type where the presents are hidden, in the house.

DS10 : ideas found, more or less presents ordered, presents wrapped
DS7. .: ideas found, more or less, presents ordered : one bought only presents wrapped
MrNG : ideas found still one missing, presents ordered, presents wrapped
DNephews L-- C-- A--
DNieces . . C-- P--
Gifts for teachers
gift for music teacher , sports teacher ?
Secret Santa at payroll (ordered, waiting for delivery) + wrap
Goal : Ideas gathered early in November, all presents to be ordered by end of November. (Usually 80% of presents are)

Decorations and accessories
Buy things for the Advent calendars (kids usually ask for chocolate)
Advent calendars out, filled, Advent calendars ready
Decorate inside / decorate outside / decorate entrance veranda

Menus : Meals for Christmas Eve, for Christmas
Meals for NYE, Meals for NY's day

Birthdays : in December
MrNG = present(s), cake
DS10 (he will turn 10) - will he want to invite friends for a party ? Party prep, activities, decorate, little presents for guests - He won't invite friends, there were fights / disagreements with good friends, maybe in Spring? - DS9's birthday family celebration : present(s), cake

Traditions :
Sow wheat (Blé de Noel), decorate the wooden tree together , write letters to Santa

Cleaning lists : in my house, no sense in cleaning in September when Christmas is in December.
I intend to work by Zones in Nov and Dec.

[helia]

Jumping in here to post a brain dump.

Gifts that need to be mailed:
- dniece
- Ks in Texas - mail after they return from Italy? - bought 1
- Ds + family? Or bring with us?
- baby I - several small things already

Local Gifts:
- housemate M- bought
- AA - bought
- Dh
- DD30
- DD27 - bought 1 big gift
- S
- R
- J12yo
- RZ (here for the holidays)
- candy canes for students - last day
- Church: Angel tree gifts
- SHOE gifts (I pulled J12yo) 12.23 12.24. 12.25. 12.26

Baking
- try making GF gingerbread men at some point!
- letter cookies with dd27 on 12/27

RandomToDos
- order seafood for seafood paella
- get a tree
- decorate the tree
- book an escape room

Houseguest
- 12/18 room ready for RZ (here 12/18 - 12/29

Our own travel
- rent a car
- book flights

Christmas dinner - 12.25
- 8 people?
- paella, bread, salad, dessert: up to dd27
- read stories around the tree

Sinter Klaas - 12/ 27
- 9 people
- S will make pannekoeken; I will make a salad; dd27 and I will make the letter cookies
- morning meeting - plan out funny gifts
- write poems - 3? (I think 3 will be on our poem team - RZ, R, and myself -- and J12yo will probably do her parents)

Schedule:
12.18 RZ arrives; have a guest room and a clean bathroom ready/ Dh returns from trip to Mexico
12.22 payroll: my last day of work in person
12.23 payroll: grades due/ first night of shoes
12.24 Family Dinner?/ Christmas Eve service @ ___/ Shoes #2
12.25 Christmas dinner- paella, salad, bread, special dessert/ light the tree and read stories/ Shoes #3
12.26 Maybe - escape room? / Shoes #4
12.27 SINTER KLAAS! = special breakfast - poffertjes and boiled eggs/ write poems and create surprise gifts all day/ dinner for 9 - pannekoeken, salad, Dutch letter cookies/ SK - give gag gifts and read poems/ SK - open gifts
12.29 FLY to WA/ RZ leaves this day too
12.30 - 1.1 in WA
1.2 FLY HOME

[Kittykatt]

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 wip
Deep clean kitchen wip

Prune roses 26 done

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) WIP
DH stocking WIP
DF E
Birthday gift and 100th card for DF E (her birthday is the beginning of January)
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?) This year I have bought the Big Mix tins of chocolates from M&S for everyone
List gifts I still need to buy - marshmallows for DH's stocking
DH is supposed to be buying for his family
Wrap gifts wip
Cards:
Do I need to buy more? Found nice cards for local friends at garden centre
Update card list
Check addresses and get DH to print out address labels
Write cards - after the fuss last year, I've designed our card and had it printed (Snapfish!) All DH will have to do is stuff it in the envelope along with the newsletter (no writing required!!!) And worst comes to worst, I'll be able to quickly.do them for him (I'm not telling him this, as I really do think he should send cards to his relatives, but I don't want the elderly ones especially to miss out. So...)
Are we doing a newsletter this year? DH has announced he will do it

Food:
Ring butcher and order Christmas meat
Delivery on 1/10 as they are closing for good the end of this week. Fortunately it should all fit in the freezer!)
Veg and fruit - are we having a veg box? Veg box ordered for 23/12
Christmas “goodies” – cheeses, biscuits for cheese,(Jacobs crackers from Waitrose )sweet biscuits,(M&S for tins of shortbread, Waitrose for chocolate 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? Yes !

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!) Not this year, Matilda has started jumping up onto the china display cabinet where I usually put the Nativity set!!!!
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) I think we're doing something for the residents of the Y instead? I've signed up to do a shoebox (needs to be done and at church by 14/12)

2/12 Women’s group meditation - S and S are organising it.

4/12 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). Caterers booked! :
Find phone number for caterers (in the end I used their "Contact us" form, which was so much simpler)
Write everything down in a logical order :
Full address of the church, name and email address for the treasurer, Date: 4th December
Time, 11 am-12 pm (they have hourly slots)
Which menu I want to order with all the add-ons (simple buffet with bite sized cakes and fruit platter)
Order for 20 guests (Remember at least a couple need to be GF) Ended up with 26 Remember to liaise with caterers again a week before
Two Sundays before the lunch, close the list, as the caterers need to know updated numbers
Explain that the treasurer has the "chequebook" for the church (she actually does everything online) and ask them to send the invoice there.
MD has suggested we make it a ticketed event, so liaise with D (parish administrator over design of tickets )
Ask D to print tickets and posters
Number tickets and keep a list of names!
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? Chocolates on bowls on tables? MD has offered to make simple centre pieces for table
Email MD with final details a week beforehand
MD has also offered members of the social.committee to help set up /clear away
Remember we need a separate table for GF food
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 ) Jugs of water on tables and tea/ coffee from the urns
Bite sized mince pies? - from Morrisons? Sainsbury's
How / when do we publicise it? Ask D to print poster advertising the event
Tickets and poster now printed!
Started selling tickets after church today


Carol service at church? Am I reading? ( does the catering committee want me to do the mulled wine?) Probably no to all of this!
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? Bethlehem Mass again this year

Date to visit DBIL and family? (Probably early January) DH asked would I mind missing it, as he's been invited to spend the weekend there! Checked that DSisil knows about this, (as she will be doing all the hard work of looking after guests), and discovered she was the one who actually invited him. So that's a win - win for everyone.( Remember to be extra gracious when DBIL visits for the W/E jist before Christmas, as I no longer have to trail all the way up to his house in the new year.)

To be continued...
[/quote]
[/quote]

[trissie]

House & Holidays Plan Week 15: Final Clean Week

This Week's Focus: https://organizedhome.com/christmas/hou ... clean-week
One last push toward a clean home is our household focus on this busy week. We'll be busy completing gift shopping, mailing Christmas cards and finishing holiday decorating.

This Week's Household Checklist
- Do a final pre-holiday whole-house clean. Sure, we've tackled household areas week-by-week and the deep-cleaning is done--but this week, it's time to polish up our work with a final whole-house clean. Play cleaning service this week, and give every room a top-clean session of dusting, vacuuming and final touch-up. You'll bring the entire house to a holiday-ready state. Time to celebrate!

This Week's Holiday Prep Checklist
- Wrap party! Hold an informal "wrap party" brunch or evening for friends. Work on wrapping packages together. At the end of the party, swap leftover supplies for a fresh look next year.
- Eat from the freezer. Use stockpiled freezer meals on busy nights.
- Plan Christmas menus. Make a simple menu plan for Christmas week. Delegation is easier if you have an idea of what's for breakfast ... or lunch, or dinner.
- Update address book. As holiday letters and Christmas cards arrive, update the address book with any changes.
- Mail Christmas cards or holiday letters.
- Complete gift wrapping.
- Buy Christmas trees and/or fresh greens.
- Check cameras and camcorders Be ready to capture the moment. Will you need to buy film, batteries, cassettes or storage media? Add any needed items to the shopping list.
- Make an under-tree "emergency box". Use a gift-wrapped box with removable lid. Placed under the tree, it holds extra bulbs, fuses, ornament hooks and batteries.

all the printables and more reading material can be found at the website linked above.