Houseworks + Holidays

American Thanksgiving reminds us to be grateful for our bounty--and in most homes, that blessing is most clearly seen in the larder. Refrigerator, freezer and pantry hold a wealth of foodstuffs--and with holidays ahead, these food storage areas will be called into front-row service.

This week, we'll declutter, organize and clean food storage areas. Whether you have a single shelf and refrigerator-top freezer unit or dedicated areas for pantry and freezer storage, it's time to bring order to the larder.

Holiday prep chores run in harmony this week. We'll inventory the freezer and pantry, take advantage of seasonal sales to stock up, and build frozen assets to see us through December's busy evenings.

Food Storage Week Assignments

It's Halloween week! Along with the trick-or-treaters comes a new pace to the season. Thanksgiving is on the horizon, so we turn our attention to the public space in our home: the living room or great room.

In holiday prep, we'll celebrate Halloween, then tuck its decorations away, replacing them with Thanksgiving themes. We'll complete Christmas cards and buy holiday stamps, and start saving mailing boxes so that we can recycle them to send gifts.

Finally, we'll prepare for Time Change Sunday with a household safety check.

Public Space Week Assignments

If the children are to be nestled, all snug in their beds, it's time to get things straight in the linen closet! This week in the Houseworks Holiday Plan, we'll focus on the linen closet and bathrooms.

We'll declutter, organize and clean these areas, then do a quick linen check. Will we have enough sheets and towels? What's the state of the tablecloth? Is the household stocked for winter colds and holiday guests?

With the deadline for mailing overseas gifts at hand, we'll get ready to wrap with a wrap and mail center. An account at usps.com lets us print mailing labels, buy postage and arrange for carrier pickup ... online!

Bed and Bath Week

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.

House Room Week Assignments

It's a retreat, a haven, a place of rest:  the master bedroom. During the busy holiday season, the master bedroom can be an inviting oasis of calm in the midst of Christmas commotion.

During Me and Mine Week at the Houseworks Holiday Plan, we'll declutter, organize and clean the master bedroom.  Our goal:  to create a refreshing space for reflection and rejuvenation.

In holiday prep, we'll focus on Christmas cards, set up a gift closet or gift box, and schedule some personal "me" time into the holiday season.

Me and Mine Week