House Room Week

By Cynthia Ewer
Editor, Organized Christmas
Author, Houseworks: How to Live Clean, Green and Organized at Home

Hospitality is a core value of the Christmas holiday season, so this week, we prepare for houseguests, focusing on the guest room.

No guest room? Take aim on the multi-function area that houses sleepover guests; otherwise, it's another bonus room week!

Our holiday prep focus turns to decor, as we begin planning seasonal decorations. A decor declutter clears surfaces in time to decorate for autumn.

Finally, we'll schedule houseguests and build a little "pamper basket" to welcome them, as we begin writing Christmas cards or signing holiday letters.

This Week's Focus: Guest Room or Bonus Room

Reading Assignments from Houseworks:

Housekeeping Skill Set: Clean - pages 49-71
Clean fast, clean smart, clean scheduled: all you need to know to make short work of cleaning house.

Inspiration from the Web:

This Week's Houseworks Checklist

Declutter, clean and organize guest areas. Whether your household has a dedicated guest room or a simple fold-out sofabed, declutter, organize and clean the area you use to host guests.

No guest room or guest space? Take a bonus week, tackling another area of the household.

This Week's Holiday Prep Checklist

Begin planning holiday decor. Check magazines, library books and the Web for decor inspirations. Use a room-by-room decor planner form to coordinate decor plans.
Inventory holiday decorations. Make a quick inspection and determine what you have to work with. Will you need to replace or upgrade decor items? Make a note on the decor inventory form
Declutter before you decorate. Do your visual field a favor with a quick decor declutter. A clean sweep now makes holiday decorations all the more impressive!
Decorate for autumn. Choose "generic" decor items. Nearer to Halloween, add a few Halloween items which can be removed easily after the holiday.
Schedule houseguest stays. Check in with family--will you host houseguests this year?
Make a guest room "pamper basket". Guests feel welcome when the guest room or guest area boasts a simple basket of toiletries and personal care supplies. Add a coffeemaker and beverage supplies for a "bed and breakfast" touch.
Divide the Christmas card list into five sections. Complete one section this week. Goal: to be finished writing, signing and addressing cards by November 1.