House & Holidays Plan and Other Christmas plans - 2025 edition

[trissie]

Holiday Grand Plan Week 2: Living Room

https://holidaygrandplan.com/02-living-room/

HOLIDAY PREP
In the kitchen:
- Buy extra flour, sugar, shortening, etc.
- Make one extra meal for the freezer labeled HOLIDAY MEAL. This should be large enough to feed the family plus two people.
Browse Week:
- Develop ideas for gifts, decorations.
- Order Christmas cards and address labels.
- For your friends of other religions take the time to find out what their major holiday is and look for an appropriate card to send to them at that time.
- Divide gift responsibilities with other family members.
Ask these questions:
- Do I see Christmas time primarily as a time for entertaining friends and renewing long lost acquaintances or as a time for family?
- How much emphasis do our Christmas activities place on the spiritual side of Christmas?
- How involved is my family in the Christmas preparation?
- What activities are particularly important to our family at Christmas? To myself?
- Why do we observe the traditions we do in our house?
- How important is an elaborately decorated house, homemade gifts or food, to my feelings about Christmas?
- What would my ideal Christmas be like?

CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: LIVING ROOM

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

[trissie]

wishful thinking - I am not even properly started in the office!

Week 2 - master bedroom
- clean door
- clean lights (ceiling and bedside lamps)
- clean windows (including curtain rods)
- wash and rehang curtains
- detailed vacuuming
- clean baseboards
- clean convector
- wash mattress covers
- polish bed
- polish nightstands
- polish wardrobe valet
- polish sewing table
- polish shelf above sewing table
- clean/reorganize clothes closet
- clean/reorganize sewing table and shelf above it
- clean/reorganize nightstands
- clean/reorganize under bed drawer
- clean/reorganize right side of hidden storage
- clean/reorganize left side of hidden storage

[L.Ann]

Cleaning October and November
-spare bedroom
-DD32’s room
-my room
-hall
-kitchen
-dining room
-living room

Decorations
-tree
-bins from shed

Gifts
Christmas
Brother, sister in law, sister, brother in law
DD32, DD38, DD41
DD38’s DH, DD41’s DH
Little Bit, DGD12, DGD6, DGS6, DGS11

Birthdays
DD38-handprint card w/flamingo
DD41
DGD12
DGD6
DGS6
DD32-12/19 hotel weekend w/ICE

Christmas cards, Christmas stamps, mail gifts, wrap gifts
Christmas shopping plans
Christmas activities-
Shutterfly thing-make card, DD32 2024 book, Little Bit 2024 book, calendar for DD38-made card and ordered 30- need 20 more when next deal

[FrenchFlybebe]

Thanks everyone for sharing lists and links.
Special thanks to trissie for faithfully starting this thread and posting weekly, it's such a helpful reminder that we can plan things and prepare in advance...

I'm trying to re-create my list, mostly from memory as I've been looking everywhere and on the SHE forums but couldn't find a list I'm almost certain I posted last year.

What are our plans ?
Visiting my parents ?
Visiting InLaws ?
When, how... decide days, book hotels.

Ideas for all + budget
Start spreadsheet tab, using previous years tabs.
DS10 : ideas found, presents ordered, presents wrapped
DS7 : ideas found, presents ordered, presents wrapped
MrNG : ideas found, presents ordered, presents wrapped
DNephews L-- C-- A-- DNieces C-- P--
Gifts for teachers, gift for music teacher, sports teacher, Secret Santa at payroll
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 - 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.

[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 WIO
Deep clean bedroom WIP
Declutter spare room/ office
Deep clean spare room/ office
Declutter kitchen
Deep clean kitchen

Prune roses 9 done, 17 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)

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 souch 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)
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
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? MD has offered to make simple centre pieces for table
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 )
Bite sized mince pies?
How / when do we publicise it?


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...
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[L.Ann]

Worked mostly on birthdays this week.

Cleaning October and November
-spare bedroom
-DD32’s room
-my room
-hall
-kitchen
-dining room
-living room

Decorations
-tree
-bins from shed

Gifts
Christmas
Brother, sister in law, sister, brother in law
DD32, DD38, DD41
DD38’s DH, DD41’s DH
Little Bit, DGD12, DGD6, DGS6, DGS11

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
Christmas shopping plans
Christmas activities-
Shutterfly thing-make card, DD32 2024 book, Little Bit 2024 book, calendar for DD38

[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 WIO
Deep clean bedroom WIP
Declutter spare room/ office
Deep clean spare room/ office
Declutter kitchen
Deep clean kitchen

Prune roses 10 done, 16 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)

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 souch 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)
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
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? MD has offered to make simple centre pieces for table
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 )
Bite sized mince pies?
How / when do we publicise it? Ask D to print poster advertising the event


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...
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[trissie]

House & Holidays Plan Week 3: Me and Mine Week

https://organizedhome.com/chrismas/hous ... -mine-week

This Week's Focus: Master Bedroom and Personal Spaces
Rest, renewal and relaxation soothe the spirit and charge the soul. What's the state of your personal haven? This week, we'll declutter, clean and organize the master bedroom. Goal: to create a soothing sanctuary free from stacks and piles.
An organized clothes closet makes life easier day-by-day, and never more than during the busy holiday season. Sorting out clothing and removing clutter from the clothes closet sends the family into Fall with a spring in their step!

This Week's Household Checklist
- Declutter, clean and organize the Master Bedroom. It's a place for rest and renewal ... if you can find the space! Tackle clutter in the master bedroom this week. Use the STOP clutter method to sort the stacks and piles. Once you've cleared the items that don't belong, clean your newly-reclaimed private space. Use the "dry room" cleaning method to deep-clean the master bedroom in record time!
- Decorate your restorative space. Make the most of your private sanctuary! Add decorative touches--candles, scent diffusers, flowers--to make the master bedroom a pleasant place to recharge your batteries and renew your spirit.
- Tackle the clothes closet. With cooler weather on the way, a seasonal clothes closet declutter is in order. Make room for holiday finery as you sort and toss summer's stained garments.

This Week's Holiday Prep Checklist
- Inventory holiday cards, gift wrap, and mailing supplies. Make sure you know what you have before you buy--and shop at home first! A printable Wrap and Mail Checklist makes it easy to know what to add to the shopping list.
- Make a Christmas card list. Pull out the address book or database, and make a Christmas card list. Protect your wallet: prune the list, and give thought to ways to reduce the cost of sending holiday greetings.
- Use a computer address book for Christmas cards. Harness the power of computer technology. If your card list is still kept on paper, convert it to a computerized form. You'll thank yourself in years to come!
- Print address labels for Christmas cards. If using address labels for your cards or letters, print them now. You'll be ready to write, sign and seal!
- Order, buy or print Christmas cards or letters. If you'll be buying cards this year, order them now--particularly if you'll be using the popular photo cards. Will you need a family photo session? Schedule it today to avoid the November rush!
- Plan personal pampering sessions, and add them to December's calendar. "If Mama's not happy, nobody's happy"; your mood affects the whole family. If you find the season stressful, plan now for some personal pampering sessions. A massage, a retreat, or even a gathering with girlfriends can be a welcome break in a busy month.
- Set aside a gift closet or create a gift box; inventory any previously-purchased gifts. The secret of organized (and frugal) gift-givers? A gift closet or gift box. If you haven't already, set aside a specific place in your home to hold all bought-ahead gifts. A gift closet inventory will let you know what you have while shopping or making out a gift list, so print one for your Christmas planner notebook.

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

[trissie]

Holiday Grand Plan Week 3: Entryway/Foyer

https://holidaygrandplan.com/03-entry-foyer-week/

HOLIDAY PREP
- Make one batch of Holiday Goodies.
- Make one extra meal for freezer again labeled HOLIDAY MEAL.
- Buy two canned food items from Menus (get 2 of each item, one to use and one to donate to food drive).
- Keep 2 boxes in a pantry area or storage place to put these in so that they are not used in everyday cooking - make sure to label them so that when food drives start your holiday supply stays intact and the food drive gets the food purchased for it.
- Buy all supplies for homemade gifts. Package each project with directions and other information in zipper food storage bag and place in a basket or box in craft/sewing area.
- Buy film, camera batteries, blank videotapes. Hide them; write yourself a note.

CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: ENTRYWAY/FOYER

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

[trissie]

Week 3 - DBD's room
- clean door
- clean lights
- clean windows (including curtain rods)
- wash and rehang curtains
- detailed vacuuming
- clean baseboards
- clean convector
- wash mattress covers
- polish dresser
- polish bookcase
- clean/reorganize dresser
- clean/reorganize bookcase
- clean/reorganize under bed drawers
- clean/reorganize toy storage stand
- clean/organize toy kitchen
- wash stuffed animals
- wash farm animals
- wash dishes and pots from toy kitchen
- declutter toys
- sort through LEGOs