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.

Eco-Fireplace

Last week I decided to have our first fire in our fireplace since we acquired one in July. For the first two hours, everything was going smoothly. The wood was crackling away, smoke was going up the chimney, and all was well and cozy.

And then the smoke started coming back down the chimney. I know, I know, check the flue... I did and it was open. It's been a week and I can still faintly smell the smoke. So rather than risk a repeat (that was a LOT of laundry to do!), I decided to opt for a cheaper, less-smelly, eco-friendly fireplace solution. This trick is far from original, and I think Martha Stewart started it, but I'm not sure.

The candles I got from Ikea for $10, and will probably last most of the fireplace-using season. Way cheaper than buying wood! Better for the earth, less smelly, less dangerous, and just as cozy.

If you don't have a fireplace, you could still create a fireplace-like effect by designating a certain counter or table as the candle area. I suggest putting a plate or tray down, as these candles will drip beautifully. Just be safe, and make sure your pets are smart enough to stay away.

Bridesmaid Dress, Meet Bedsheets

Ok, the fabric was never an actual bridesmaid dress. But once I finished the bedskirt, it did feel a little like a bridal party had exploded under my bed. I picked the color because I thought it would compliment the soft tan of the fitted sheet. I think the flash of the camera makes the fabric seem a little more... maid of honor... because the real-life color of the fabric is not so inclined to throw you a bachelorette party.

I used a twin topsheet from my college days as the under-part holding the skirt together under the mattress (you can't see that part). Then I hemmed, gathered and pinned the would-be bridesmaid dress to the old sheet. Every time I laid any fabric on the ground, my kitten would attack it, making it quite difficult to finish the project. But I think little cat approves, as she now has even more to conceal her when she's hiding from me at medicine time.

DIY:

• Lay the sheet on top of your mattress. Cut it to fit the size of the mattress exactly. You do not need to leave extra for seams. In fact, you shouldn't, or the edge of the sheet will be visible around the edge of the mattress.
• Cut the 3 yards of fabric you've selected for the skirt into three or four strips lengthwise. Make sure these strips are wide enough to cover the box-spring or area between the frame and the floor, plus an extra 2 inches for seems and gathers.
• Hem one side of each of the four strips.
• Double-baste the strips on the opposite side of the hem in preparation for gathering.
• Sew the strips together to make one looong strip. Make sure all the hems are facing the same direction.
• Gather the double-basted side of the sewn-together strips until the gathered edge is about half as long as the strip was before you gathered it.
• Pin the gathered side to the sheet. Each strip should cover one edge of the sheet, with the seams meeting at the corners. You may have to adjust your gathering to make it fit better. Sew in place, making sure the gathered fabric doesn't make any funny loops or bumps or unwanted scrunches.
• All done! Trim all those threads and slip it under the mattress.

 

Cost: Three yards of shiny, shiny gown material, plus an old sheet from college. $20, depending on how expensive the fabric is. I once made a bedskirt using an old sheet and some beautiful sheer fabric I found in the remnant pile at the fabric store for $4. Woohoo!