The To-Do List: November

Greetings cyberland!

I have been working on a project for some time now. I have been creating a list of tasks, one for each day, for the entire year, to help keep your home happy, clean, and delicious. It's a combination of lists I took from Lifeorganizers.com, Real Simple, and my own personal experience as I learn to keep a household in tip-top shape. Granted, this list is designed for singles or couples, as it doesn't include any tasks related to kids. I'm not there yet!

I intend to post each month's list on the first day of the month. Please, feel free to use, and send me your feedback on what was most (and least) helpful about each list. Something major missing? Tell me about it!

• 1 Make a holiday budget. Set a ballpark figure for how much you can spend on gifts—it will help you stay grounded when the shopping gets frenzied.
• 2 It’s time to pack away summer clothes and bring out the winter wardrobe.
• 3 Wash your recently unpacked winter clothes and pack them into drawers for use.
• 4 Get rid of your Halloween candy. There will be plenty of sweets in the coming months.
• 5 Make a master gift list. You may not have every detail filled in, but at least make sure you list everyone you’ll need to buy for, and think about what they’d like. That way you can pick up things as you see them, rather than running to the mall at the last minute.
• 6 Start shopping in earnest. Yes, you may already be picking things up here and there, but the more you buy ahead, the better—especially if you’ll be mailing gifts. If you have big-ticket items (like electronics) that go on sale the day after Thanksgiving, you may want to brave the crowds on Black Friday—you could save substantially.
• 7 Today is Hug a Bear Day. Check with your local fire department if they hand out teddy bears to children in distress. Make a donation. It’s proven that this helps children recover from traumatic instances quicker.
• 8 Eating enough vegetables can be tough. Make a new veggie dish tonight.
• 9 Pack something different for lunch. Your lunch doesn’t need to be as boring as the brown bag it came in.
• 10 Exercise in addition to Calcium helps build stronger bones. Get both today.
• 11 Clean the glass on your framed items today.
• 12 Add your favorite winter warming drinks to this week’s grocery list. Tip: If you find yourself hungry after dinner, sipping on a hot drink can lessen those lingering hunger pangs.
• 13 Cold weather is a common excuse to stay indoors. Keep in shape this winter by rooting out your favorite exercise DVDs.
•  14 Put your winter flannel sheeting to the bed. Don’t have any? It’s worth it!
• 15 Review your energy usage on PG&E.com. Take steps to reduce your usage.
• 16 De-clutter the amount of email lists you subscribe to. Do you use them, need them, or like them? Do you even get a chance to read them? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘no’ it might be time to unsubscribe.
• 17 Try a new hearty soup recipe.
• 18 Do your Thanksgiving shopping early this year to avoid the rush. Order your Turkey.
• 19 Change your furnace filters if you have them.
• 20 Take a picture for your holiday cards and order prints.
• 21 Buy your 2011 Calendar or planner refills.
• 22 Examine all handrails, footings, supports and staircases for stability. Wet and chilly days often make people prone to slipping and grabbing onto a handrail for support.
•  23 Vacuum your dryer vent today.
•  24 Clean rain gutters and downspouts of leaves and debris..
•  25 Clean your stovetop in just five minutes.  Make sure the stovetop is cool. Remove the grates and the knobs (with an electric range, also take off the drip pans). Drop them into a few inches of hot, soapy water in the sink.
• 26 Cook a couple’s meal and talk about what you are thankful for this year.
• 27 Winter safety tip: go through your home today to ensure that electrical cords are not being covered by heavy carpets, curtains or bedding as overheated cords can become a fire hazard.
• 28 Clean your car’s exterior lights today.
• 29 Check the weather stripping around your windows and doors in order to prevent cold air and bugs from entering your home and warm air escaping.
• 30 Winter thermostat tip: if your home uses multiple thermostats for different zones in your home, adjust temperatures for the way in which the room is used. The bedrooms are cooler while the bath and living rooms warmer.
• 31 This month’s flower is the Chrysanthemum. Easy to grow with a preference for full or partial sun. They are often hardy enough to survive winter in most regions. If you live in a northerly climate – a thick layer of mulch should be applied over the plant once the leaves have died off.