Baby Steps Home Challenge ~ 11/14 - 11/20

[Llee]

Good morning! I'm just doing this for Amii for a bit, while she's in recovery mode. She's set this up to be in a weekly format, which seems to be working quite well!

We're focusing not only on daily activities, but getting ready for the holidays.

Daily Activities:

• 5 minute challenge participation (ideally, this should help you with little tasks - most days there is a thread here on GCM and every time you see it come up, you are supposed to go do something that takes about 5 minutes - for some, this becomes too distracting b/c they stray to other areas on GCM and end up spending too much time. So, you can do your own version, or the one here - you choose)
  
• Laundry (this can be sorting, folding, putting away, actually doing a load or several, or just making sure that clothes are put where they go - hung up, in the laundry, in the drawer - the idea being that you don't wind up with overwhelming piles of laundry that you are trying to do all at one time - and some days, hey, you might not have anything to do here )
  
• Your new habit (optional)
  
• Return 10 things to their appropriate homes (enlist your kids' help as appropriate; this is probably a good Monday and Tuesday activity for anything that gets pulled out and not put back during the weekend activities )
  
• 20-minute kitchen recovery (this is to help get dishes out of the sink, off the counters and to help with basic tidiness so *you* feel comfortable when you come into the kitchen - wiping down the stove and counters, making the kitchen next meal ready)
• Bathroom catch up / tidying (mostly getting the towels off the floor / sink, putting out fresh ones if needed, checking toilet paper and quick clearing / wipe down of the sink area and counters; not more than 15 minutes in here)
• Living space tidying (this is geared toward a once or twice daily clean up of toys and such - getting anything that is tossed on a surface that belongs in another room out and in the right space)
• Clutter Buster (this is basically choosing a hot spot where you tend to pile things up and sifting through it and getting it gone - this might combine easily with Returning 10 things to the place they belong - for me it's the corner of my dining room table )
  
• Two Do List (this is whatever you have to do today, but you only choose the two most important - not a list of 10 or 15 things - it can be anything you want - time with God, time with your children, time for you, making a phone call, paying bills, going out for groceries, etc., etc., etc. If you finish these things, you can come back and post a second Two Do List if you want to / find it helps)
• Daily Kiddo Challenge - Spend some age-appropriate focused time with your children today - read a story or two, sing some songs, play on the floor, do an art project, hang out and talk - connect with your little one(s) and share what you all did here
• Daily God Challenge - give God the best part of your day; may you be blessed by your daily time with Him
• Daily Me Challenge - a little ME time; give yourself a 15-minute break with permission to do *whatever* you want so you feel a bit renewed and refreshed.
• Menu Challenge - What are you having for lunch and supper?

Holiday Prep for this week:

• Know who is coming
• Know where events are going to be
• Make a list of food to be prepped/served
• Buy/make at least one Christmas gift.
  

OR

• Make list of who is getting a gift. Extra if you can write out what gift you're giving to them. You don't need to share your list with us, especially since this is a public board. But do you have a list?

Remember, this is a week-long process, so don't feel like you have to do all the holiday prep stuff today.

[greenjellysnakes]

Bright and early Monday morning here and I'm feeling ready to be a bit more productive this week than I was last week. Despite all good intentions, my kitchen cleaning still hasn't gotten past basic maintenance. So that's one of my goals for this week, to get that deep cleaning done. I think I'll try and do two or three steps each day and tackle it over the whole week.

The holiday prep is so timely! I've started sewing, in attempts to do a completely handmade Christmas, and I'm trying to decide if I've still got time to do everything, or if not, what I'll be buying instead.

My Two Do List for today...
1) Kitchen clean up steps 2-4 (since I do step 1 every day anyway!)
2) Topstitch 3 capes, and sew velcro on all 6 capes

I can't do the sewing till my kids are in bed tonight, since some of the capes are for them for Christmas, so if I update my list before the sewing is done, that's why.

For now, kids need breakfast, and my tea is calling to me!

[filmgirl2911]

thanks, Loralee for stepping in

I'm glad for the holiday prep edition / addition

of course, I still need to clear out a bunch of stuff to make room for celebrating

please, please, please me this week anyone and everyone so that I can uncover some surfaces here

[Quiteria]

subbing

[filmgirl2911]

kitchen recovery done (for now - is this an all-day affair for anyone else?)

working on filing: setting up new files / cleaning out old ones / organizing so that I can *finally* get that stack of papers off the dining room table. It's me versus the papers today and my money's on me this time

[Llee]

Tammy, how did the sewing go?

Judith, sounds like you've got a good start on the day. :rock on with the papers!!! And yes, the kitchen is an ALL-DAY affair here too.

The dishes are loaded and the dishwasher is going. There's a load in the dryer adn one read to go in the washer. I think. Unless dh transferred them over.

I got dh's school stuff done (state-mandated vax reports on students). I have all by 3 of the handwashed items done. The others will get done with what is on the counter currently, dries.

There's a batch of oatmeal cookie dough in the , ready to go. I just need to get clothes put away and i'll feel even better about life.

Okay.

Thanksgiving. ILs here. Menu planned.
Christmas. At ILs. Traditional menu. I'm taking my Bosch this year, as we're staying for awhile with MIL and I want to bake.

Dh and I shouldn't be giving each other gifts this year---maybe $10 at the most, if we do. Who knows what to get him?

DD1--dollhouse
DD2--no clue. Any suggestions as to what to give to a daughter who has all her sister's toys?

Dh's students--mostly bought. Will make some cookies to go along with it.

Extended family--need to pull out holiday cartons and see what we've bought throughout the year.

[greenjellysnakes]

Judith - YES! I feel like I'm forever cleaning up in the kitchen. No sooner do I finish then there's another meal or snack to be prepared How did you go with the papers?

Loralee - sounds like you've had a productive day! I have no helpful gift suggestions for your little one I'm afraid. I'm still not sure what to do for my little guy either, he just doesn't really need much

Well, I got the topstitching done on my capes, and velcro sewn on one. I'll finish the other five tonight, shouldn't take too long at all.

I'll be back later to post my holiday plans... my kids are melting down right now

[Peridot]

Hi!

I took the kids to the dollar tree for prizes because they let me give them haircuts last night.

Then we went to the library and spent the rest of the afternoon there.

It's 5:30pm and full dark.

anyway, I consider it a successfull day.

I am now going to sit in my chair and knit or read.

[Llee]

I hope your reading is going well.

Both girls actually took naps today.

Everyone's been fed and I have a church board meeting to go tonight. Should probably get the girls dressed for it, eh?

[Llee]

I'm all caught up on my online stuff. Dancing is napping, Dressy is eating brunch (she got up near 10). I'm about to tackle the dungeon, er kitchen. I need to unload the dishwasher and reload it. Oh, and put away the girls' clothes. And when Dancing wakes up, we'll go outside and rake.

Judith, consider this your surface poke!

[filmgirl2911]

slow and steady, slow and steady

cleaned out the files yesterday and started filing the "to be filed" pile. still working on the to be filed but the pile is smaller. of course, now the to be shredded pile is getting bigger

need to load the dishwasher. my sweet chica (2.8 y.o.) is napping and sweet potato (7.5 months) is exploring the floors (and reminding me that they need some vacuuming and sweeping )

thanks for the Loralee!

[Peridot]

I forgot to say that yesterday I sorted the summer clothes out of Minim's dresser and replaced them with the appropriate season's clothes. That involved quite a bit of folding.


I did not get any knitting or reading done....but that'd be another thread entirely so....

I am sick, and so are the tiny tots. But I got food and meds and herbal tea into everyone, including Vit D drops! I mixed it into their yogurt.

Maximus dotted himself all over with his yogurt so I had to run a tubby. And since it's a physical impossibility to give ONE person a bath....Minimus got bathed as well.

Went to the grocery store for meds and Vits, and some chicken. Came home without the Magnesium, cough syrup and chicken. It really is NOT my fault, Minimus fell asleep in the little 'car' protion of the cart, and so I did half my shopping with a sleeping 30 lb toddler on my hip/shoulder. Did I mention that my ankle is getting stronger? It is- I have a really sexy black brace for it- the height of fashion really.


I ate lunch, boys drank milk, and are now haveing movie time. ANd I have my foot up.

I hope to tackle the sinks full of dishes yet today. Then when DH comes home I need a shower, wash my jeans, and prepare a devotional for coffee night tonight.

[Thankfulforgrace]

Ok, I just subbed and will try to keep up. And in the spirit of cleaning the house, I will now get off the computer and do the dishes. Again. For what seems the 10th time today

[Llee]

Woo hoo Judith and Peridot! You're getting good stuff done.

Welcome Heather! And the list at top is for the week, so take your time and prioritize.

I got all the dishes put away and the non-dishwasher done and yet, somehow, I still have a lot of dishes in the sink. Odd.

I made M&M cookies to take to our rep tomorrow at the capitol. We're working on getting a bill passed and it comes up for veto tomorrow.

And the girls and I did a lot of dancing and running around and watching our Cedarmont and Baby Praise vids.

And I got in God time today too. nothing on the holiday list though

[prov31craftymom]

I think I'll play for a little while. I have a lot of catching up to do.

As for the holidays, my parents and grandparents are coming here for Thanksgiving. And I'm not sure what we're doing for Christmas. Lists are made though, and I know what I'm getting for everyone.

Now off to clean.