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★˛˚˛*˛°.˛*˛°˛.*★˚˛*˛°.˛*˛°˛*★ Holiday *★* 。*˛.
˛★_██_*.。*../ ♥ \ .˛* .˛。.˛.*.★* Season Is *★ 。*
˛. (´• ̮•)*.°。*/♫.♫\*˛.* ˛_Π_____. ♥ On Its Way ♥ ˛* ˛*
.°( . • . ) ˛°˛/• '♫ ' •\.˛*/______/~＼*. ˛*.。˛* ˛.*。
* (...'•'.. )°*˛°╬╬╬╬╬˛°｜田田 ｜門｜╬╬╬╬╬*˚ .˛ ...
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We're going to have to acknowledge the calendar! It is pointing the way! Halloween is all over the stores, even though it is still 8 weeks away, and we know all the holidays will sneak up on us, so it's fun to sneak up on them first!
Thanks to blessed for two months up to now of "Summer Prep for the Holidays" thread beside this one.
And thanks to trissie because WOW, in the Fun and Games forum, we have some great resources this year, too, which is news to me, including CEO's resources being available in clickable links, which are such a delight. Our links here went dark in 2023, after CEO's 2022 lovely letter of goodbye.
For the holidays, of course, CEO's own writings and her site were a repository of knowledge and planning for so long. She eventually hosted a total of 3 holiday planning schedules on her site, the oldest being the venerable Holiday Grand Plan, written by Katie Leckey, to which CEO gave a welcome home.
The others were
The House and Holiday Plan, formerly known as The Houseworks Holiday Plan, and
The Christmas Countdown, specifically for Christmas planning in just 6 weeks.
Let us know either your own plans or the plans that you are using, and any progress you are making! And if you have other references for us, do let us know.
We're interested in "how big" your holidays will be this year - in what way are you, perhaps, cutting back, OR in what ways are you going gangbusters into your favorite heartwarming, ~~~ scary ~~~, tummy-filling or partying calendar goal?
Don't forget that if you choose to create handmade gifts and/or decor, that right beside this thread, the Art, Craft and Needlework thread posters definitely want to hear about your creativity!
To refer to this site's previous posts for thoughts, reminders, ideas, menus, we're blessed to still be able to do that through previous Holiday Planning threads. 2022 through 2024 are here "stickied". Just scroll down the Creative Home forum topics to find 2021 (page 3 of The Creative Home, for instance), 2020, 2019, 2018, etc.
Excited for this thread opening!
I have been stocking the freezer with things to cook in the fall.
Too hot to cook now but I luv the anticipation!
I need to update my HGP planner.
Fall decor has been sorted and is out in the basement
I'm waiting a bit before putting it out.
Talked with a bee keeper while fueling he puts hives on the reservation
gives them honey for the food bank at the tribe.
I shared how I make prayer shawls and hot pads & dish cloths for the food baskets.
Nancy, what a nice opportunity you had to chat about your prayer shawls, etc., with someone who does something so different, yet also hands-on and giving.
blessed, looks like trissie will have the two plans' "Weeks" copied there each week for an easy glance/overview of what's happening in each.
It is very optimistic to know I've got the chance again to use the HGP or H-and-H plan if so inclined. I never was as intent on these as others are, but appreciated the general ideas often, such as the wisdom of a date by which to stop making homemade gifts to avoid feeling personal pressure close to the actual calendar dates.
I believe - not positive but seems so for me - that the printables in the two plans are no longer just one click away from printing, but now are always downloads. Not quite as instantly helpful but still great. It is possible that I am remembering CEO's general homemaking printables being so convenient, rather than the holiday ones? There is always the possibility that I have something mis-remembered... ..
trissie said this a.m. that just in case those links go down, she is willing to email someone printables, btw.
For Halloween, I still love my gnome costume bits and may just stick with that one more year, just in case anyone of the grands still comes - hmmm... .. Baking for Halloween is up in the air, not sure about that. I hope I have the mo-jo for it, but better not promise.
Fall (or any) Wall Decor continues to be a puzzle through the house because of plaster walls and HRH's fear of cracks starting from holes. We didn't realize that going along with the painters' insistence of paint that is not just "flat paint" but easier to clean (sounds good, right?) would mean that some hanging options don't hang on, so I've got to keep thinking about this. Quilt ladder?
Preparations for holidays that are important enough to start now
What are the priorities?
Cards - do we want to create our own? Decide early enough and stick with it.
Continuing work on handmade gifts specifically aimed at Christmas, or at least small handmade package-decoration-ornaments, small items to tuck into envelopes. Glad to have a start already.
Just a minor comment - the interlinks on the organized home website don't work. The printables are in each week's entry, easy to click and print, but you have to know the adress of the week's entry, as there's no way to access it otherwise. Luckily, I do have those saved and they will be appearing week by week at viewtopic.php?t=9304
I havent' been able to concentrate on the holidays yet - the young man who said would help with the lights hasn't shown up for 2 weekends but I need cash for a bit and will call him in October. If he doesn't help then I will do it myself.
I got the fall decor out in the rec. room to go up this week or at least some of it.
Figure out how to secure not real pumpkins b/c winds blow them around & off the steps.
I have a banner with stacked pumpkins in the design.
A cup with pumpkins on it in fall colors I brought upstairs already.
A stuff bag of orange fabric I made up in previous years.
Have been sweeping cobwebs away and cleaning up the deck patio and front porch area and it's looking better.
Patio furniture is all put away except for two pieces.
Some wire ribbon in fall colors.
Our youngest grandson (second youngest of all) has announced that he does want to wear a costume and trick-or-treat this year again. He's going to be some semi-scary character from a game.
So, Halloween is ON for us for one more year, at least. Whether he can convince his older brothers to join him is up for debate. Two did last year.
My sewing machine is humming most days, finishing the half-dozen nicest small gifts of ornaments I'll be hiding away until December for giving at our family get-together.
Can't believe I'm this far ahead with ONE thing, lol.
I'd like to do another multiple small-gift project and assembly-line if possible.
There are NO Creative Efficiency Police but in various holiday planning we've chatted about here, October has been "recommended" as a month for getting our greeting cards ready if we are doing those. The idea being that Halloween night is a good night for sitting with stamps and labels and getting those into a stack.
So, here's a basic question I'm asking -
am I going to take the time to be creative with greeting cards OR
am I going to grab something at the local pharmacy and simplify OR
am I going to forego cards again?
Hmmm... ..
It's Guest Room Week in House and Holidays Plan. I am not allowed house guests yet, so that's not on my radar but if you are entertaining to that extent, have a wonderful time! It's a blessing.
It's Master Bath Week in Holiday Grand Plan - how are you doing? My progress so far:
deep clean of tub
hard scrub of rubber mat, then into washing machine - looks like new!
purchased new washcloths to go with the bath towels
threw away some old washcloths
And if you have other references for us, do let us know.
but in various holiday planning we've chatted about here, October has been "recommended" as a month for getting our greeting cards ready if we are doing those. The idea being that Halloween night is a good night for sitting with stamps and labels and getting those into a stack.