The Holiday Grand Plan
HOLIDAY PREP:
Make the following lists:
- gifts to be given, amount to spend (include family, friends, school, church, etc)
- Christmas card list (computerize it!)
Print list and update it, if needed.
Decide how many cards are needed.
- Visits to make
- Parties/Entertaining
- Menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, other parties
- Goodies for Sharing/Gifts
Decide how much needs to be made and divide it between the weeks from now through Dec. 1.
- Favorite Meals of Family members for freezing ahead
- long-term shopping list divided into:
- canned foods
- perishables for each holiday
- linens and dishes
- decorations, etc.
Get freezer containers for Goodies - at least 12 are needed.
Get freezer containers for Holiday Meals - at least 12 are needed.
Make jam, salsa, pickles etc. for use as last-minute gifts.
MENU PLANNING GUIDE FOR HOLIDAYS
Hors D'Deuvres/Appetizer:
Entree:
Side Dishes:
Salad:
Dessert:
Beverages:
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Living Room (See House Cleaning Grand Plan)
HOLIDAY PREP:
- 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, see Christmas notebook
- 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?
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Entry/Foyer/Catch-up
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 ziplock bag and place in a basket or box in craft/sewing area.
- Buy film, camera batteries, blank videotapes. Hide them; write yourself a note.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Master Bedroom
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)
- Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes.
- Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
- Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts..
- Make list of any table and bathroom linens that need replacing before Holidays and pick up a few each week.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Master Bathroom/Linen Closet
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)
- Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes.
- Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
- Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts..
- Take toys and books that are outgrown, clean them up and prepare them for donation to toy drives.
- Make list of toys and books that children would enjoy and that would fit in their rooms and that would work with what they have. Keep it handy for telling family what they would like.
- Inventory their clothes and have another list of clothing items needed. Measure the children and put measurements on this list.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Kids' Rooms / Play Areas
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).
- Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes.
- Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
- Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts..
- Check smoke detectors and clean them, change batteries if needed.
- Make "goody basket" for guest bath, from samples found in abundance in stores right now.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Guest Rooms/ Additional Upstairs Baths
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).
- Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes.
- Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
- Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts..
Decorate for Halloween.
If you decorate mainly with a fall harvest look, then a few Halloween things can make it for Halloween. After October, replace the Halloween decorations with Thanksgiving things for a minimum of work.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Kitchen
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).
- Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts..
Check Point Week. Evaluate Progress:
If unable to find an item for a person on list contact them or their family for ideas.
If a homemade gift is not going well, set it aside for after Christmas and decide on another gift.
- Buy pumpkin for Halloween.
- Review costume plans with children.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Additional Closets/Pantry
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).
- Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes.
- Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
- Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts..
- Start addressing Christmas cards and writing Christmas letter.
- Find family photo suitable for inclusion with Christmas card.
- Involve the whole family. Do not seal cards yet, keep them in a box in alphabetical order, as you think of things that you want to say to them pull out the card and add a note.
- Send invitations for Thanksgiving.
- Prepare for special needs-extra beds, babies?
- Buy extra batteries (check gifts).
- Order turkey.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Den/Rec or Family Room/Downstairs
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).
- Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes.
- Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
- Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts..
- Polish silver; clean glassware (baking soda & water). Put candleholders in freezer to help remove wax. Alcohol removes stains from candles.
- Take down Halloween decorations. Put up Thanksgiving ones.
- DO NOT shampoo carpet - partying people spill things.
- Clean/clear library/front hall closet so there will be room for guests' coats. Give unwanted coats to charity. Store other stuff in attic in empty luggage.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Garage/Storage
- Make area in garage to chill stuff.
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).
- Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes.
- Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
- Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts.
- Review and revise menus and other plans
- Plan table setting.
- Plan centerpiece, make as much as possible now (or order it from florist).
- Reserve any items needed to be borrowed or rented.
- Get everyones' holiday clothes purchased/cleaned/pressed.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Attic/Storage
HOLIDAY PREP:
- Make one batch of Holiday Goodies.
- Clean refrigerator thoroughly. Make room for leftover.
- 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)
- Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes.
- Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
- Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts.
- Make place cards.
- Make 3x5 card for each serving dish, list what goes in it, garnish, how much before dinner can it go in and serving silverware used with it; tape it to edge of dish.
*Be sure all dishes are clean!
- Borrow or Buy any additional serving dishes needed.
Reusable foil bakeware from party paper place?
- Are linens clean and ready? Unfold and verify that all spots can be hidden by centerpiece.
- Work on centerpiece.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Dining Room/Catch-up
HOLIDAY PREP:
- Deadline Week: If homemade gifts are not done, put them away
after Thanksgiving weekend and go buy something. This is not
a contest, this is life.
- Get everything out for Thanksgiving Dinner and prepare everything that can be done ahead of time. Make sure enough dishes are available.
- Stock bathrooms and first aid kit.
WED. Use one of the Freezer Meals, buy a salad at the store....
FRI or SAT. Have children make/set up Advent Calendar.
- Set up the Creche area and add figures each day as we read from an Advent book. Continue until Jan. 6 when the wisemen come.
Read "Christmas Comes Once More" by Mildred Correll Luckhardt.
- Let kids get out and inspect Christmas decorations; test tree and other lights, replace bulbs.
DEC CALENDAR NOTE: As a family go over DEC. calendar each day. Remember to add things from school and work memos and church bulletins.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Holiday Decorations/Storage
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 evening.
- Procure and water the Christmas tree!
- Order turkey
- Are we having the company Christmas party? See checklist.
- Read The Polar Express aloud to kids.
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Minimum Maintenance
HOLIDAY PREP: Mail rest of packages and all cards.
Plan New Year's Activities
Decorate as needed or desired
- Go skiing.
WEEK 16: Second week of December
DEEP CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: Minimum Maintenance
HOLIDAY PREP: Plan New Year's Activities
Decorate Tree - Make it a PARTY!
Use some of the freezer meals.
- Go skiing
DEEP CLEANING:
I don't think so!
HOLIDAY PREP:
- Enjoy the season!
- Go skiing.
DEEP CLEANING:
- Take down tree. Pack ornaments. Wrap lights around flat rolls of newspaper.
- Write thank-you notes
- Carpets
HOLIDAY PREP:
- Decorate for New Year's Eve party. (gold and white)
That's all folks!