November 2010 Home Organizing Checklist

Here is your November 2010 Home Organizing checklist.

____ Nov 1 Inventory your serving pieces for holiday gatherings. For those you might need but don’t have, consider looking into renting them. Some items, like punch bowls, can be borrowed from friends, family or even your church. This way you aren’t caught off guard when you need an item.

____ Nov 2 Inventory your winter needs: salt for the walkway, shovels, etc. Stock up as needed.

____ Nov 3 Take your décor items off the walls and/or shelves and give them a good washing. Having a set day to do that every month, or quarterly, ensures they get cleaned on a regular basis. If you change out your décor seasonally, that’s a good time to wash both what you put up and what you take down.

____ Nov 4 Take out your holiday décor and decide what you want to actually put out and what you want to donate. Put the donation items in your trunk if you drop items off yourself, or, call and arrange for a charity pickup.

____ Nov 5 Having a family get-together over Thanksgiving? Now is the time to set your menu. Are your guests bringing dishes to pass? Assign dishes to avoid 6 bowls of green bean casserole.

____ Nov 6 Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to bed. Daylight Savings Time ends at 2:00AM tomorrow and we all love that 'extra hour,' don’t we?

____ Nov 7 Take time today to plan out your week. Try grouping all of your errands for one day, and arrange them by starting at the furthest out and working back towards home. Enlist your family members to help take care of these things where they can.

____ Nov 8 Find an address for a VA hospital and send thank you cards to some of the veterans who are patients to thank them for the sacrifices they made. If you mail them today, they will arrive by Veterans Day on the 11th.

____ Nov 9 Schedule an oil change and checkup for your car to make sure it is ready for winter. Have your tires checked too.

____ Nov 10 Toss throw rugs into the washer and dryer. If you have some with rubber backings that you don’t want to toss into the dryer with heat, use the air only setting. It will take a bit longer, but your rubber backing will remain intact.

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____ Nov 11 If you haven’t already, give your patio/deck furniture a cleaning and then stow it away for the winter. If you’re fortunate enough to live in an area where you can leave it outside and use it most of the winter, all you need to do is give it a good cleaning.

____ Nov 12 Do you send Christmas cards? Give your list a going over to make sure that you have correct and complete addresses for all you send cards to. Once you have confirmed that all are correct, start printing out your mailing labels or addressing envelopes.

____ Nov 13 Carpets in need of cleaning? Rent a steam cleaner or hire someone to do it for you.

____ Nov 14 Go through your clothes and decide on your outfits for the week. Put outfits together for each day of the week, including accessories. This will save you time every morning in the coming week.

____ Nov 15 Clean out the fridge. You can do it all today if you have time, or start today with one shelf. Pull everything out, wipe down the shelf, clean off the jars, etc that you’ll be putting back in, and toss any outdated or questionable food. If you only have time for one shelf, schedule the rest on your calendar--one shelf each day til it’s all done.

____ Nov 16 Start now getting gift ideas for Christmas. If you already have ideas, start shopping or finishing up your crafts now. You’ll be so much more relaxed than if you wait.

____ Nov 17 Pick a drawer in your kitchen and declutter and organize it. Donate duplicate items and toss broken items into the trash.

____ Nov 18 One week until Thanksgiving! Start your baking now and put the finished product into the freezer. One less thing to worry about next week.

____ Nov 19 Family coming in from out of town? Take time to check over guest linens and make sure you have a sufficient supply and that they are in good condition. Replace worn items and stock up on travel sized toiletries to supplement what guests might forget.

____ Nov 20 Hire help to give your home a good deep cleaning before the week gets too busy. You can hire a couple of teens or splurge on a cleaning service.

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____ Nov 21 Finalize your menu for the week and especially for Thursday. Plan your shopping for early in the week to avoid the large crowds and to make sure you have a good selection.

____ Nov 22 Go through your table linens. Any tablecloths that are badly stained (beyond repair) can be cut down and sewn into napkins. Replace worn items.

____ Nov 23 Go for a manicure and pedicure. You’ll appreciate the 'me' time in all the hustle and bustle of of the season. It will do you a world of good.

____ Nov 24 Do as much of your holiday cooking as you can today and just reheat tomorrow. Give the house a quick once- over while things are baking and/or cooking.

____ Nov 25 Happy Thanksgiving! Give thanks for all of your blessings and enjoy the day with your family. No chores today!

____ Nov 26 Are you braving Black Friday crowds? Go with a list and a game plan. Bring along a granola bar or trail mix and bottled water for energy to fuel your shopping. If you’re staying home, finish your holiday shopping online.

____ Nov 27 Start adding your personal messages to your Christmas cards. If you do some every evening while watching TV, you’ll have them all ready to mail in no time.

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____ Nov 28 Try at least one new recipe that has no turkey in it. It will be a nice break from all the turkey leftovers.

____ Nov 29 Are you traveling during Christmas? Go ahead and start making your reservations if you haven’t already. Finalize your plans.

____ Nov 30 Check with your power company to see if they do free energy audits. Knowing what needs to be re-caulked or insulated can save you money through the heating season.

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by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now! FREE Idea-Pak and E-zine filled with tips, ideas, articles and more to help you organize your home, your office and your life at the Get Organized Now! Web site!