Wow, time is flying, December is getting closer and closer and Christmas will be here in a blink of an eye. If you’ve been following along with this Organized for Christmas series then you are on top of things this year, whoot! Here’s what we’ve accomplished so far.
Task #1: Set up gift planner app and budget
Task #2: Find and organize gift storage space
Task #3: Set up a holiday planner
Task #4: Giftster Wish List app
Task #5: Christmas cards
This week we will be focusing on getting our houses deep cleaned and organized. I wanted to schedule it in prior to the Thanksgiving holiday in the US so your house can be ready for any guests you may be expecting.
Assignment #6: Cleaning & Organizing
Well you knew we had to get to this one eventually right? Haven’t you all been anxiously waiting for this task? Haha, don’t worry, we are going to get it done now and then we won’t have to stress about it later. So this week we are going to do a deep clean and some clutter control to get our homes ready and inviting for the holidays.
I think this one task alone will make us the least stressed in the long run and will make a world of difference to being able to sit and relax and enjoy the season. Once the deep clean and tidy is out of the way then it will be just about the daily maintenance. Just imagine how wonderful it will be not to have to panic if company should just drop by. And you aren’t going to do all the work yourself, no way lady. If you’ve got kids, you’ve got worker bees, thank goodness for that! Many of the tasks on the free printable I’m sharing below are ones kids can do. If they aren’t use to doing regular chores then you might get some resistance from them but it’s never too late to get them helping out. Bride them if you have to, ha! Food always works with my kids…dinner out anyway? Who wants to mess up a clean kitchen after a long day of cleaning anyway 🙂
So whether you attack the list in one day on the weekend or do a little bit each day over the entire week, it’s all good. Start with those spaces that company will see the most, your living room, dining room and kitchen. Don’t worry about cleaning out the garage at this point because really? Nobody cares what your garage looks like.
I also think it’s easier to work room by room so that I can feel good about what I’ve accomplished which will hopefully inspire me to keep going. That’s the plan anyway 🙂 You do whatever works for you though to get the job done.
Now go put on some tunes and bust a move. Here’s my Christmas Spotify playlist if you want to really get into the holiday spirit as you work.
We’ve got this, let’s go!
This Week’s To Do List
Print off a cleaning checklist:
Here’s a house cleaning checklist that will help.
Also don’t forget the guest room! If you’ve got guests coming to stay you’ll want to arrange wherever they are going to sleep.
15 Essentials for a Really Cozy Guest Room
Hold a family meeting:
Get the family together and divvy up the cleaning chores because girl you didn’t make the mess on your own so you shouldn’t be cleaning it up on your own either. Unless of course you live alone, then it’s all you, sorry. Oh and if your kids are really little and no help at all, I’m sorry about that too. Try bribing yourself with chocolate or a new Reindeer Christmas sweater. That’s what I want!
Next put initials of the person responsible beside each task and give them a deadline to get it done. And dangle the bribe, seriously whatever it takes 🙂 After the holidays there will be plenty of time to get them on the cleaning bandwagon as part of a regular schedule. Right?
Clean & Organize:
Dive in. Check. Check. Check. It will feel great when it’s done, I promise!
Updates: Now is also a great time to declutter your holiday decor. Check out my HUGE holiday decor purge of 2018.
You might also like the PUPA Movement for decluttering. Read all about it HERE to learn a fun method to help you Pick it Up and Put It Away!!
Don’t panic:
It’s a lot to get done in a week so if all else fails, gather everything up and shove it into a closet and shut the door (aka Monica from Friends style). Ha! Don’t you go and tell anyone I told you this either, I’ll totally deny it lol.
Hire a housekeeper:
If you get your clutter under control but then run out of time to do the cleaning, you could always hire someone to come in for a couple of hours to help you with that. Get them to do the heavy stuff for you…bathrooms and floors for instance. Might be the best $50 you ever spent!
Create a nice smelling home:
Finally a great smelling home makes a huge difference as well. Here are 5 1-minutes ways to make your home smell fresh.
Do what you can and remember your home doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. Taking the time now to do a few extra cleaning and organizing tasks will leave you feeling a lot calmer and a lot less stressed come December. You’ll be able to sit back with a warm cozy blanket, the fire going, a delicious beverage in your hand and some lovely Christmas carols softly playing in the background. Ahhh we can all dream can’t we? 🙂
Have a great week!
Seana Turner says
I love a nice smelling home. It seems like such a small thing, but it really can make a difference. Sometimes I just light a scented candle to create a cozy atmosphere in the kitchen, or drop lemon pieces into the garbage disposal.