The Bard said it best in his play "Twelfth Night"
"If music be the food of love, play on"
Let's skew his meaning a bit and see just where the love of food and the love of music takes us.
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Tuesday, November 1, 2016
And the Countdown Begins
I don't know about the rest of you but November 1 begins my countdown to the holiday season. This year we are having the entire family here for an extended Thanksgiving visit, so I am having to get my rear in super gear earlier than normal. Son1 and his family will be here the 19th and Son3 and guest arrive the 22nd. I have a million things to do before they get here, along with a few obligations along the way, so I have decided to start me a weekly list, post it here and see if the fear of public humiliation will keep me in check. (Probably not since I have a really thick hide, but hope springs eternal) So I implore anyone who reads this to please hold me accountable to my list. Left to my own devices, I will find any and all reasons to half ass my plans.
I am listing this as a weekly adventure rather than daily. Mom is my wildcard, so I try very hard not to make this a daily thing since my day can change at the drop of a hat based on her needs/wants/demands.
This week:
1.Create a bedroom for Pip from my former officework in progress, but over half finished 2. Wash sheets and towels for guest room.
3. Vacuum ceilings, wall corners, and crown moulding in foyer, l.r. and d.r.
4. Wash all woodwork in the foyer, dining room, living room
5. Quick shine hardwood floors in foyer/lr and dr
6. Wash windows in foyer/lr and dr
7. Deep clean laundry room/studio (I don't want to even begin this)
8. Deep clean pool bath
9. Deep clean dressing room
10. Re-arrange freezer foods to make room for a turkey or 2
11. Deep clean butlers pantry
12. Deep clean all kitchen cabinets, drawers and shelves
13. Clean oven (Understand the oven is self cleaning but I forget to do it)
14. Deep clean refrigerator
15. Wash all woodwork in breakfast nook
16. Wash breakfast nook windows 17. Vacuum ceilings, corners and crown moulding in den
18. Clean den woodwork
19. Wash den windows
20. Wash breakfast room chandelier globes
21. Clean drawers and shelves breakfast room sideboard.
22. Create some Thanksgiving art
Extras if I get to them, if not carry over to week 2
1. Wax cabinet fronts and doors
2. Re-do kitchen table top
3. Shampoo den carpet
4. Take breakfast nook rug outside and wash it
5. Get a few Thanksgiving decorations in place
Week 2:
1. Clean music room
2. Deep clean guest room bathroom
3. Deep clean Son3's bathroom
4. Gussie up the deck and screened porch
5. Deep clean Master bedroom
6. Deep clean Master bath
7. Wash summer comforter and put away
8. Air winter comforter and shams and put on bed
9. Whatever else I think of this week to add to this list
This makes me tired, because I really don't want to do all this! I need a maid named Hazel who lives in the house, cooks, cleans and calls me Missy. Since that is not happening I need to crank up some loud fast music, get off the computer and get crackin'.
Lol. If you happen to find that maid named Hazel, please send her my way when she's done at your house. ;) I think making a list is a great idea. I am a list person- I make detailed lists for almost everything. I have been thinking of taking a cue from you and making a to-do list for the holidays but it feels a little overwhelming at the moment. I really like how you have it broken down into weeks. That makes it seem more flexible to our busy days and likely a more attainable goal. Thanks for sharing! :)
If I assign chores to days and somethings happens to change the flow of the day, I give up. This way I have a little flexibility, but I really do want to et this stuff crossed off my list and move on to the fun planning.
I'm tired just reading your list! We have 2 kids coming for Christmas and they really don't care about how clean the house is so at best I will scrub up and vacuum before they come. I finish shopping by the end of November as well as decorating the house. December is kept for movie watching and cookie making. I don't bother with dusting after I decorate, as come January 1 everything gets a good clean after Christmas gets put away. Maybe you are trying to do too much?
Hmmmm! I am pretty sure the house gets the white glove test at least once when everyone visits. I try and have everything at its best when they get here, then things devolve rapidly. I spend zero time cleaning once they arrive, except for mandatory items like washing the dishes and general straightening. (Mainly so I won't trip over things) I keep December free and clear except for fun stuff. I generally decorate the house the Saturday after Thanksgiving and then I am through.
My list makes me feel inadequate! Things are so out of order and just plain creepy looking. I was thankful for Halloween so I could buy a little time instead of cleaning the huge spider webs off my outside windows. I probably need to do it now though
Wax the cabinet doors and fronts? These cabinets have been here since 1977 and have never been waxed and look great. I guess I need to rethink that...lol. I love a list, too. pparsimony
Oh, Anne, I had to laugh- when my daughter was looking at names for my granddaughter before her birth, she really liked Hazel and of course, I had to tell her about the only Hazel I had heard of LOL. Baby girl got another name! I was thinking you should hire a cleaning service and can then concentrate on cooking and baking which I am sure you are GREAT at. Give them your list!
I do have someone I can call to help but $$$ would fly out the window. Right now I think I had rather use that money creating fun and memories while they are here. Pip is already talking about what she gets to do when she gets here
You've got this! It sounds so though. I'm crossing fingers that I have both older kids plus an extra at Christmas. Whole families is hard to pull off when they live far away so enjoy the time first and foremost. No one will care but you though if a job is missed.
I can miss a job here or there, but I really do need to get most of them done. It is very hard to pull off, especially since Son1 has essentially 2 complete families on the west coast he has to consider during the holidays also.
Can I add my list to yours? I will not shame you if you don't finish both. ;p My list is growing too. I would also like to have all of the Christmas shopping done soon. It's mostly gift cards at this point so a trip to the grocery store should about finish it. I'm hoping that Jewel will have a deal where if you buy $100 in gift cards you get a $25 coupon off your next shopping trip. Last year, they didn't do it but I still hold out hope.
What I want to know is why I let it get this bad so I have to make a crappy list to begin with. If I could I would put a keyed lock on the laundry room door just to keep prying eyes away from it.
Wow, great list. I haven't been able to pin my family down on their plans. I do think there will just be a few of us for Thanksgiving. Christmas -- I just don't know.
We try to get together for at least on of the holidays each year, but sometimes it doesn't work. This year it's Thanksgiving. I just hope I get everything done!
Your list are both overwhelming and impressive to read. We're just one day at a time here. Even without a list, the days just seem to fill themselves. Good luck.
I need luck and a lot of scrubbing. When I started looking really closely I was kind of horrified at the grime I had "grown" since the last deep cleaning. It says a lot about my ability to completely ignore a certain amount of grahdoo.
I might save some of those cleaning items until after Thanksgiving! Spread out the pain - I am a firm believer that FAMILY doesn't notice the state of one's house!
I have only sons and I know they don't notice, but with the addition of another female to the family noticing is definitely going to happen. I needed to do it anyway, but I have noticed my nice clean white woodwork already has black dog fur on it. At least it is clean and will vacuum off, but still, really?
Hey y'all thanks for leaving a comment. They are much appreciated. I read them all and do my best to respond to them, except for trolls, spam, and AI. I delete those suckers forever.
Good luck with this.....
ReplyDeleteI had this one...."Wax cabinet fronts and doors" on my Oct. To-Do List.
Guess what didn't get done? lol
The cabinets may get waxed or might just get a thorough wiping down/ cleaning, but they really do need a little wax job.
DeleteLol. If you happen to find that maid named Hazel, please send her my way when she's done at your house. ;)
ReplyDeleteI think making a list is a great idea. I am a list person- I make detailed lists for almost everything. I have been thinking of taking a cue from you and making a to-do list for the holidays but it feels a little overwhelming at the moment. I really like how you have it broken down into weeks. That makes it seem more flexible to our busy days and likely a more attainable goal.
Thanks for sharing! :)
If I assign chores to days and somethings happens to change the flow of the day, I give up. This way I have a little flexibility, but I really do want to et this stuff crossed off my list and move on to the fun planning.
DeleteI'm tired just reading your list! We have 2 kids coming for Christmas and they really don't care about how clean the house is so at best I will scrub up and vacuum before they come. I finish shopping by the end of November as well as decorating the house. December is kept for movie watching and cookie making. I don't bother with dusting after I decorate, as come January 1 everything gets a good clean after Christmas gets put away. Maybe you are trying to do too much?
ReplyDeleteHmmmm! I am pretty sure the house gets the white glove test at least once when everyone visits. I try and have everything at its best when they get here, then things devolve rapidly. I spend zero time cleaning once they arrive, except for mandatory items like washing the dishes and general straightening. (Mainly so I won't trip over things)
DeleteI keep December free and clear except for fun stuff. I generally decorate the house the Saturday after Thanksgiving and then I am through.
Can you clone Hazel? Even your list makes me feel inadequate and lazy.
ReplyDeleteAnd I still haven't started my christmas baking. Or shopping. Sigh.
My list makes me feel inadequate! Things are so out of order and just plain creepy looking. I was thankful for Halloween so I could buy a little time instead of cleaning the huge spider webs off my outside windows. I probably need to do it now though
DeleteWax the cabinet doors and fronts? These cabinets have been here since 1977 and have never been waxed and look great. I guess I need to rethink that...lol. I love a list, too.
ReplyDeletepparsimony
Mine look ok, but after they are cleaned and waxed they look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteOh, Anne, I had to laugh- when my daughter was looking at names for my granddaughter before her birth, she really liked Hazel and of course, I had to tell her about the only Hazel I had heard of LOL. Baby girl got another name! I was thinking you should hire a cleaning service and can then concentrate on cooking and baking which I am sure you are GREAT at. Give them your list!
ReplyDeleteI do have someone I can call to help but $$$ would fly out the window. Right now I think I had rather use that money creating fun and memories while they are here. Pip is already talking about what she gets to do when she gets here
DeleteYou've got this! It sounds so though. I'm crossing fingers that I have both older kids plus an extra at Christmas. Whole families is hard to pull off when they live far away so enjoy the time first and foremost. No one will care but you though if a job is missed.
ReplyDeleteI can miss a job here or there, but I really do need to get most of them done. It is very hard to pull off, especially since Son1 has essentially 2 complete families on the west coast he has to consider during the holidays also.
DeleteCan I add my list to yours? I will not shame you if you don't finish both. ;p
ReplyDeleteMy list is growing too. I would also like to have all of the Christmas shopping done soon. It's mostly gift cards at this point so a trip to the grocery store should about finish it. I'm hoping that Jewel will have a deal where if you buy $100 in gift cards you get a $25 coupon off your next shopping trip. Last year, they didn't do it but I still hold out hope.
What I want to know is why I let it get this bad so I have to make a crappy list to begin with. If I could I would put a keyed lock on the laundry room door just to keep prying eyes away from it.
DeleteNow I feel like a failure, I can't beat your list. I don't even want to read it. I might be inspired to do the same thing. Yuck. Double Yuck.
ReplyDeleteIt is my fault. I should have been doing this all last month, except I swear it was October 1st, I blinked and then it was Halloween
DeleteWow, great list. I haven't been able to pin my family down on their plans. I do think there will just be a few of us for Thanksgiving. Christmas -- I just don't know.
ReplyDeleteWe try to get together for at least on of the holidays each year, but sometimes it doesn't work. This year it's Thanksgiving. I just hope I get everything done!
ReplyDeleteYour list are both overwhelming and impressive to read. We're just one day at a time here. Even without a list, the days just seem to fill themselves. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI need luck and a lot of scrubbing. When I started looking really closely I was kind of horrified at the grime I had "grown" since the last deep cleaning. It says a lot about my ability to completely ignore a certain amount of grahdoo.
DeleteHoly crap, that's a lot! You can do it!!! :-) I will be cheering you on. :-)
ReplyDeleteI know I can, but I am not sure I will. The new bedroom thing is looking a little dicey for this week.
DeleteI might save some of those cleaning items until after Thanksgiving! Spread out the pain - I am a firm believer that FAMILY doesn't notice the state of one's house!
ReplyDeleteI have only sons and I know they don't notice, but with the addition of another female to the family noticing is definitely going to happen. I needed to do it anyway, but I have noticed my nice clean white woodwork already has black dog fur on it. At least it is clean and will vacuum off, but still, really?
DeleteThat is a very long list, but look at how much you've already crossed off!
ReplyDeleteYep, but a lot of this is carrying over to next week. I can live with that though.
Delete