House & Holidays Plan and Other Christmas plans - 2026 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

[Kittykatt]

So, it's Monday and DH has left for work, so I have uninterrupted time to plan.

This week:
On the cleaning side: I'm planning to take the duvet for its annual trip to the launderette.

Garden: prune more roses? Autumn tidy. I need to concentrate on this before the weather turns

Food: our old butcher has retired. I've looked at his "replacement " and another butcher online - not sure. I've looked at what Waitrose offered - again, not sure ( some of the reviews were not good). I have to accept I'm not going to get a direct replacement for our old butcher.
Can I try the local farm shop on Friday when I'm out and about?
There's also Dart's Farm (expensive but good quality)
M&S - start stocking up on tins of chocolates, as I think they're in stock again? Check when I'm in town Thursday/Friday. (Check use by date) And hide them in a safe place!

[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
Deep clean kitchen

Prune roses 3 done 19 Left

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
Birthday gift and card for DF E (her birthday is the beginning of January)
Dnextdoorneighbour C
DH’s family: 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” –Last year I have bought the Big Mix tins of chocolates from M&S for everyone
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 - am I going to design our own card again? They were a big hit last year (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?

Food:
Decide on Christmas meat. Am I going to try a replacement butcher, or try Waitrose? (If I start looking now, I may be able to get the beef and ham on offer?)
Veg and fruit - are we having a veg box?
Christmas “goodies” – cheeses, biscuits for cheese,(Jacobs crackers from Waitrose )sweet biscuits,(M&S for tins of shortbread, tins of chocolates , 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?

Decorations:
Tree
Wreath for front door
Lights round porch - maybe not as we had this house painted this year - extra lights on wreath instead?
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)

Women’s group meditation

3/12 Parish Christmas lunch. I'm organising this again . Booked for 03/12 at the back of the church. Need to book caterers soon? Or are we going to have a bring and share lunch this time?
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: 3rd December
Time, 11 am-12 pm (they have hourly slots)
Which menu I want to order with all the add-ons . This year, go for more elaborate menu and buy /make cakes?
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. Or send to DM the administrator?
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? Ask MD if she would make simple centre pieces for table again
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 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


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?

Date to visit DBIL and family? Will DH goes for a few days on his own again?

To be continued...

[/quote]

[Kittykatt]

The hall is done. It's a small start, but 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 3 done 19 Left

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
Birthday gift and card for DF E (her birthday is the beginning of January)
Dnextdoorneighbour C
DH’s family: 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” –Last year I have bought the Big Mix tins of chocolates from M&S for everyone
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 - am I going to design our own card again? They were a big hit last year (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?

Food:
Decide on Christmas meat. Am I going to try a replacement butcher, or try Waitrose? (If I start looking now, I may be able to get the beef and ham on offer?)
Veg and fruit - are we having a veg box?
Christmas “goodies” – cheeses, biscuits for cheese,(Jacobs crackers from Waitrose )sweet biscuits,(M&S for tins of shortbread, tins of chocolates , 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?

Decorations:
Tree
Wreath for front door
Lights round porch - maybe not as we had this house painted this year - extra lights on wreath instead?
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)

Women’s group meditation

3/12 Parish Christmas lunch. I'm organising this again . Booked for 03/12 at the back of the church. Need to book caterers soon? Or are we going to have a bring and share lunch this time?
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: 3rd December
Time, 11 am-12 pm (they have hourly slots)
Which menu I want to order with all the add-ons . This year, go for more elaborate menu and buy /make cakes?
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. Or send to DM the administrator?
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? Ask MD if she would make simple centre pieces for table again
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 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


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?

Date to visit DBIL and family? Will DH goes for a few days on his own again?

To be continued...

[/quote]
[/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
Deep clean kitchen

Prune roses 4 done 18 Left

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
Birthday gift and card for DF E (her birthday is the beginning of January)
Dnextdoorneighbour C
DH’s family: 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” –Last year I have bought the Big Mix tins of chocolates from M&S for everyone
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 - am I going to design our own card again? They were a big hit last year (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?

Food:
Decide on Christmas meat. Am I going to try a replacement butcher, or try Waitrose? (If I start looking now, I may be able to get the beef and ham on offer?) Got both from local farm shop!
Veg and fruit - are we having a veg box?
Christmas “goodies” – cheeses, biscuits for cheese,(Jacobs crackers from Waitrose )sweet biscuits,(M&S for tins of shortbread, tins of chocolates , 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?

Decorations:
Tree
Wreath for front door
Lights round porch - maybe not as we had this house painted this year - extra lights on wreath instead?
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)

Women’s group meditation

3/12 Parish Christmas lunch. I'm organising this again . Booked for 03/12 at the back of the church. Need to book caterers soon? Or are we going to have a bring and share lunch this time?
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: 3rd December
Time, 11 am-12 pm (they have hourly slots)
Which menu I want to order with all the add-ons . This year, go for more elaborate menu and buy /make cakes?
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. Or send to DM the administrator?
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? Ask MD if she would make simple centre pieces for table again
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 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


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?

Date to visit DBIL and family? Will DH goes for a few days on his own again?

To be continued...

[/quote]
[/quote]
[/quote]

[trissie]

House & Holidays Plan Week 3: Me and 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.

[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/reorganize crafts cabinet
- clean/organize toy kitchen
- wash stuffed animals
- wash farm animals
- wash dishes and pots from toy kitchen
- declutter toys
- sort through LEGOs

[L.Ann]

Thanks for the start and the link Trissie! I am going to start with last year’s plan and update as I go.

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
DD33-iPad????, DD40, DD42
DD38’s DH, DD41’s DH
Little Bit-American girl doll cafe?, DGD13, DGD7-Barbie camping tent, DGS7-kids cooking subscription?, DGS12

Birthdays
DD39-DD33 has something, I need something small
Dsoninlaw-
DD42- I have something and brought it to Utah, DD33 needs something
DGD13-
DGD7-bought gifts in Utah
DGS7-bought gifts in Utah
DD33- bought Les Mis tickets

Christmas cards-made, Christmas stamps, mail gifts, wrap gifts
Christmas shopping plans
Christmas activities-
Shutterfly thing-make card, DD32 2025 book, Little Bit 2025book, calendar for DD40