House & Holidays Plan Week 4: Close to Home Week

Here come the small fry!  This week in the House and Holidays Plan, our hearts are close to home as we tackle the children's rooms.  

Empty nest or child-free family?  Use this week to deal with any bonus rooms or areas in our home--or take a free week!

This is also the week we bring a little bit of reality to our dreams of a holiday house, with the Seasonal Spruce-Up exercise.  Designed to get our head out of the clouds and our pocketbooks firmly anchored, the exercise cuts through Furniture Flyer Fog and brings sanity to preparing the house for the season.

Finally, in holiday prep, we'll start on stocking stuffers, plan Halloween costumes, and begin working on Christmas cards or letters this week.

This Week's Focus: Kid's Room or Bonus Room

With school in full swing, what better time to turn attention to children's bedrooms? Clearing clutter, assessing wardrobes and creating space for holiday gifts will mean a calmer, more centered life for your little one.

No children in the household? Use this week to work on a bonus area or room in your home ... or just play catch-up (or hooky!)

In holiday prep, we'll address the "state of the house" with a home spruce-up exercise. It's designed to help you identify realistic and attainable home improvement goals around the house as you prepare for Christmas. 

And don't miss the last clearance sales in the back-to-school aisle! Heavily discounted craft supplies, gadgets and school goodies make great stocking stuffers! 

This Week's Household Checklist

• Declutter, clean and organize children's rooms. A pre-season toy declutter makes room for gifts to come--and with fall's cooler weather at hand, children will need space for indoor play and homework. Once the room is decluttered and cleaned, work with your child to create efficient storage for pared-down possessions.
• No children in your household? Tackle any bonus room or area this week--or take the week off!

This Week's Holiday Prep Checklist

• Seasonal Spruce-Up exercise. Complete the seasonal spruce-up exercise to plan any pre-holiday home improvements. It'll help you make a realistic list of home improvement chores to complete before the holiday season gets underway.
• Declutter children's toys. Work with your child to reduce clutter in the toy closet.  Assessing the remaining toys will help you make good choices as you shop for gifts--or give Christmas gift recommendations to Nana and Grandma!
• Begin collecting stocking stuffers. Print a stocking stuffers inventory to remind you about stocking gifts on hand.
• Hit the back-to-school clearance sales. After-season sales are a great source for stocking stuffers and crafts supplies.  Check your wrap and mail checklist, too; don't forget to load up on tape, mailing supplies and scissors at bargain prices!
• Consult the kids and decide on Halloween costumes. Schedule any sewing sessions in good time to be completed by October 10. Halloween is closer than you think!
• Think ahead to family Advent celebrations. Look for creative ways to make the season come alive at the library or on the Web.  Order any day-by-day materials or Advent calendars now.
• Start working on Christmas cards or letters. Divide the Christmas card list into five sections. Complete one section this week.  Goal:  to be finished writing, signing and addressing cards by November 15.
• Take note of birthdays and anniversaries. While addressing Christmas cards and hunting for gift ideas, it's natural for thoughts of loved ones to come to mind. Add a Birthdays and Anniversaries Calendar to the House and Holidays Planner. As you write cards, note your loved one's special days. It'll remind you to send cards and letters throughout the year!