The Elf Blog

Christmas Countdown -- 7 Weeks!

Christmas Eve is only seven weeks away and Thanksgiving is only three weeks away!  That means it's time to kick the preparations into high gear.

Here are this week's tasks:

• Begin developing your task schedule for the holiday season.  Put it right on your master calendar.  Write in dates for baking, decorating, writing cards, shopping, cooking, wrapping, crafting, etc.  Keep in mind that some tasks may need to be spread over several days.  For example, some doughs need time to rise, crafts need time to dry, etc.
• Identify areas in your house for various holiday activities: wrapping, gift storage, baking supplies, Thanksgiving staging, card writing.  If possible, keep these areas set until the task is completed.  If everything you need to work on cards is easily at hand, you can take 5 or 10 minutes to write a few notes, address some cards, etc. 
• If you have any presents that must ship overseas, you needs to buy them this week so they can ship before November 15th.

If you are hosting Thanksgiving, here are your tasks:

• Finalize your menu.
• Begin staging the dinner, getting china, serving pieces, table linens, etc. ready and gathered in a single accessible place.
• Create a detailed schedule for your preparation.  Place everything as early in the schedule as possible to reduce stress.  You can shop for non-perishables as early as this weekend.  You can polish silver and iron table linens now.  You can set the table the Monday before Thanksgiving.  Only leave to Thanksgiving morning those things that cannot be done in advance.  The best thing you can bring to the table is yourself, relaxed.
• If you like fresh turkeys, order yours now for pickup during Thanksgiving week.  If you use a frozen turkey, you can buy it when you'd like.  Also get a large plastic bucket and make room in the fridge so you can brine it.

From here on out, we'll be working hard to prepare.  Remember the goal: To look up on Christmas Eve and realize that everything is prepared and you have nothing to do except enjoy.

Rainy Weekend

It's going to be a rainy weekend here in the Northeast.  That makes it a great weekend to work on indoor projects.

I'll be crunching to finish the bulk of a work-related project before I leave for my next business trip.  If you don't have a work project to finish, here are some things you might choose to do:

• Read that stack of magazines you've been meaning to get to (best accompanied by a cup of tea).
• Clean out a closet or drawer.
• Make a pot of homemade soup, low in sodium and full of lovely veggies.
• Work on a craft project.
• Update a perpetual computer calendar with birthdays and anniversaries.
• Tackle the mending or hand laundry pile.
• Make a lasagna or stewand freeze in single meal containers for quick weeknight meals.
• Write a letter.
• Snuggle your dog or cat (not recommended for pet goldfish).
• Finish a photo album.
• Cheer for the Yankees (OK, that's what I'll be doing).
• Bake cookies.

What do you do on rainy weekends?

Holiday Weekend

For some folks, this is a three day weekend.  (I'm making it a 5-day weeekend with a little voyage to New England.)  Use the time well:

• Decorate for Halloween.
• Make Halloween costumes or crafts.
• Get outside and enjoy the autumn air.
• Go apple or pumpkin picking.
• Hit Columbus Day sales to get a jump on your Christmas shopping.
• Bake an apple crisp or make a hearty stew.

Enjoy this fabulous fall weekend.  I'll see you again on Tuesday!

Thanksgiving Planning

Thanksgiving is 8 weeks from today!  While it's too early to whip up the green bean casserole and pumpkin pie, there are some things you can do:

• Decide where you will celebrate.  If necessary, make travel plans to get there.
• If you will be hosting, decide on the guest list and issue invitations.
• Double-check your stock of china, table linens, and serving dishes.  See if anything needs to be cleaned or replaced.  (You may be able to find some good deals at Columbus Day sales.)
• Pull out that recipe file you tucked away last year: the one of side dishes, appetizers, desserts, and ways to use leftovers.  Decide which ones you'd like to try this year. 
• If you will be hosting overnight guests, I recommend deciding on some breakfast and easy dinner options.  If you'll be shopping on Black Friday, you don't want to do major cooking when you get home.  You'll want something you can toss in a slow cooker in the pre-dawn hours or something that comes together very fast.
• Take a look at the rooms you use when entertaining -- guest room, guest bath, dining room, formal living room.  Start decluttering now.  It's not unusual to go months without entertaining in these rooms (especially during the summer when you are more likely to entertain outside) so they can become a repository for all manner of things.  You don't want to be stuffing the turkey with one hand and clearing clutter with the other.  Tidying up now will allow for a more leisurely holiday.

Fall Food

As I've said before, I love autuamn.  It's my very favorite season.  One of the best things about fall is the food.

Apples are in season, so fresh apple cider is available.  Plus, what's better than a cold crisp apple  Baked apples, apple pie, and apple crisp are yummy as well. Squash is in season too and roasted squash is a favorite of mine.  Plus, there are wonderful fall vegetables like turnips, parsnips, and brussel sprouts.

Long fall evenings also lend themselves to hearty soups and stews. There's nothing like tucking into chili or beef stew or corn chowder or squash soup on a chilly night.  Accompanied by fresh-baked bread, it's even better.

Fall foods even make your house smell wonderful.  To me, fall food is the essence of comfort.

What food says fall to you?

Christmas Countdown -- Three Months To Go

Christmas Eve is three months from today.  That means it's time to kick the Christmas countdown into high gear. 

Within the next month, you need to complete the following tasks:

• Make your holiday travel arrangements.
• If you are throwing a party, let folks know to save the date.
• Update your Christmas card address list.
• Build your Christmas gift list.  You don't have to start shopping yet, but you should at least decide who you'll be shopping for.
• If you plan to make gifts or decorations, purchase all craft supplies and start work, if possible.
• Pull out your holiday recipe file and start narrowing down the ones you want to try.
• Make room in the cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer for the holiday surplus.
• Finalize your holiday budget and make sure you know where the money is coming from.  If you don't have enough saved, you need to reduce the budget.
• Stop buying things you don't absolutely need.  Put them on your Christmas list instead.

the sooner you start, the higher the chances that three months from today, you'll be cosily esconced in a chair, drinking hot cocoa, eating homemade cookies, and watching a Christmas movie -- not making a mad dash through the mall only to come home to defrost the turkey with a hair dryer before pulling an all-nighter to finish crafts and wrapping.

T Minus 10

Thanksgiving is only ten weeks away.  Within the next two weeks, it's important that you do the following:

• Finalize any travel plans, buying tickets and making hotel reservations if necessary.
• Request time off from work if you'll need it for travel or preparations.
• Of you are hosting, make your master schedule for cleaning, shopping, table-setting, and cooking.
• If you'll have overnight guests, decide on the sleeping accomodations and begin de-cluttering the guest room.
• Go through your recipe folders to come up with a basic menu -- for the holiday itself and for the surrounding days.  If necessary, test any new recipes you plan to try.
• Begin making space in cabinets, fridge, and freezer.

Use It Up

Most of us have too much stuff -- and we keep acquiring more.  This pattern wastes resources and money and creates clutter.

So now it's time to use things up.  Eat the food already in your pantry and freezer before you buy more.  (Yes, I know there's a big sale.  You know that this is not the last sale that will ever happen, don't you?)  Try to make sure that at least 2 or 3 meals a week are primarily from your pantry goods.*

*You get a pass on this if your pantry is already lean or if most of what's there in preserved summer produce.  You'll want those gems for the winter.

But using it up isn't limited to food.  Use up all those partial bottles of shampoo and the bath salts and the makeup.  Light the candles you've been saving (For what?  The Great Candle Shortage of 2010?)  Look in the back of your closet and, at least once a week, wear something you haven't worn in ages (season permitting).  If it doesn't fit anymore, donate it.

What do you have taking up space in the house that you should be using up?

Planning for Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset next Friday.  If you celebrate, now is the time to make your final plans:

• Invite your guests to celebrate the new year.  If you will be a guest, pick up a host/hostess gift.
• Since you are likely to be in services for much of the evening and, since Rosh Hashanah is a sabbath this year, it makes sense to order your meal from a favorite restaurant.  that way, you won't have to deal with the difficulties if preparation.  If you decide to order, place your order no later than Sunday.
• Rosh Hashanh begins the Days of Awe.  Block out significant blocks of time on your schedule for reflection and quiet.  The best parties in the world won't bring the awe to these days.  The awe is present.  Give yourself the space to find it.

Update on the "Moths"

You may recall that months ago, I posted about the moths in my pantry.   Despite valiant effort, I haven't been able to get rid of them.  So yesterday, I called in the professionals.

The first thing I learned is that I don't have moths at all.  I have grain weevils.  (Like that's an imprivement.)  It's very easy to bring them home from the store in any sort of grain product (including cereal, pasta, and rice) or sugar.  It's almost impossible to find them until they start flying around -- and then the problem is already well-established.

My exterminator sprayed, to limit their reproduction.  He also recommended that I go through all the grain products in the house and put each item in a plastic bag.  If, in the next few weeks, something is flying in there, that bag goes right into the trash.  If not, the product should be safe to use.

Furthermore, he recommended that, when I bring any grain product home from the store, I immediately place it in a plastic bag or container before storage.  If that product does carry insects, you'll know it in a week or so and they won't spread.

I'm still facing a few more weeks before my problem is solved, but it seems like there's light (and no bugs!) at the end of the tunnel.