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Christmas Planning

by with 4 Comments Christmas

Christmas Cleaning & Organising schedules

As much as we love the build up to Christmas it can be also be a little over whelming and feel like one big TO DO LIST. I have put together a few simple planners to help you stay organised and keep you on top of not only the Christmas prep but your housework too.

i just love the pre Christmas clean and when you follow my simple schedules break it down, shop right and buy practical gifts it all comes together.

My simple calendar will guide you through the organising, planning and cleaning that you will need to get your home sparkling clean.

Download your free copy

Preparing to welcome guests during the festive season means time to pay extra attention to the home, from the rooms and objects we touch the most, to all the corners and crevices that are often forgotten.

I have put together my 7 down Christmas count down, a few daily tasks to do to keep you extra organised on the lead up to the big day

To download a copy click here

Christmas Meal Planning planner

My Christmas meal planner is here to help you plan the key Christmas meals between Christmas and New Year and budget.

Christmas Menu Planner Printable

Christmas Shopping Planner

Keep track of who you have bought for and how you have spent

Christmas Presents Printable

I hope these little printable’s help you with your Christmas planning and organising.

As always a huge THANK YOU for your on going support.


Lynsey x

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas

week 4

Queen of Clean does Christmas week 4

by with No Comment Christmas

Christmas is getting close. The decorations are up in shops, festive music is being played and the Christmas TV adverts have well and truly started. I just can’t wait to see what John Lewis bring to us this year.
My favourite so far has to be the bear and the hare. It was such a beautiful advert. Moz the Monster went down well with my son last year but mainly because the PJ’s were glow in the dark.

This week tasks for your Christmas preparations are:

Order you meats – If you are hosting Christmas dinner this year get those meat orders in.  Don’t forget to order your chipolatas and bacon too for your pigs in blankets.  If you order and pay early its one less thing to worry about.  Local farm shops do some great offers on your Christmas meats too and sometimes can even deliver.
Christmas Crackers – Get these in this week loads of great choices on the high street.  But remember to make sure they match your Christmas table theme and always have a few spares in case you end up with some unexpected guests.
Christmas party outfits – I am sure many of us have packed December diaries but that means a few Christmas outfits for you and your family and
don’t forget those Christmas jumpers too.
Christmas Jumper day is December 14th this year.
These items do sell out quick so being prepared and buying something you actual like is important. Very,have some gorgeous Christmas party dresses lots of glitter and sequins so head over and take a look at their party wear selection. CLICK HERE
 
Red Knit 3D Reindeer Christmas Jumper
Love this cute jumper its only £14.99 and has a 3D nose. CLICK HERE
Don’t forget your accessories too lots of pretty sparkly bags around along with sparkly earrings.  If you treat the kids to Christmas Eve PJ’s it may be worth you looking at getting these now too before all the sizes sell out. Tesco have fab Grinch ones, looks like I will be off to see this movie very soon, I was never a fan of the original one! and  New Look have a great choice for teenagers.
Don’t forget the shoes!!
Travel – If your travelling by train for Christmas get those tickets booked now, prices for Christmas week will be reasonable at the moment but if you leave it much longer you will find they will start to double or even triple!
Advent Calendars – There must be a calendar for almost anything these days! I have been treated to the one from YOU magazine Martin Lewis did a feature on it. Personally I don’t really agree with them I think a simple chocolate is enough but Rob insisted.  But if you are looking for a specialist calendar, whether it be from Lego, smiggle, benefit get these now.
I always donate advert calendars to a local children’s charity for families that can’t afford these luxuries. It’s always good to be mindful at Christmas as not everyone enjoys this time of the year. If you can donate a gift box or an advent calendar to a local charity I know these items are very much appreciated and don’t forget woman’s aid are always on the look out for unused toiletries.

Don’t forget the Christmas cleaning Calendar starts very soon, get your copy now to help you stay super organised this year CLICK HERE

Thank you for following my Christmas Challenge

Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

 

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week 3

Christmas Count Down Week 3

by with No Comment Christmas

Welcome to week 3 on how to be organised for Christmas.  I hope you are enjoying the ideas so far. My Christmas shopping is starting to take shape now and my hiding place is getting rather full but I am not ready to start the wrapping just yet. I need to be a little more in the festive mood to begin the wrapping with a good Christmas film on the TV and a glass of fizz.

Gift Wrap

Now is the time to get out and purchase gift wrap, bottle bags and tags.  There is such a huge choice when it comes to gift wrapping but in the past I have found that some of the nicer patterns do sell out fast.  So if your having a theme which runs right through to your gift wrapping then this is the week to go out and find the right paper for you.  Don’t forget the bottle bags and the matching tags.

Christmas Cards

I am finding I am get less and less cards these days and more festive messages through social media.  But I still love Christmas cards and find they are a tradition that should stick. A card can mean a lot to some people.  Purchase your cards and make sure you buy enough.  For the children work out how many children are in their classes and get your child to join in by putting together a list of the names so they have a list ready for when they come to write their cards.  Also put together a list of who you are sending cards too and check international posting dates. Always have a few spares in case you receive cards from people that you haven’t planned to give one too. Its always nice to show acknowledgement.

Don’t forget to buy your postage stamps and check you have updated your address book.

Make kitchen Space

The Christmas foods are now in the shops inciting us to buy.  It great to pick up a few bits every week to help with budgeting. Clear out a kitchen cupboard ready for Christmas foods such as chocolates, nuts and snacks

Take stock of your pantry and baking staples. Add flour, spices, and sugar to your shopping list, as needed ready for that Christmas baking.

Freezer de-clutter

Now that you have made the kitchen cupboard space its time to start thinking about freezer space too.  Give you freezer a good de-clutter. The freezer is a cold and desolate place that’s home to forgotten, icy food its time to remove all unusable food, and salvage the rest. Maybe spend a week eating what you actually have in their rather than adding to it so you have a clear space ready for those frozen party nibbles.

Getting head of the cleaning

Plan some time into your schedule to take a day of work to give your home a really good deep clean before the decorations start to go up. Also you may want to consider professional cleaning services too like having your carpets and windows cleaned all ready for the festive season.

For those of you that don’t like to think about Christmas too soon my Christmas planning and cleaning calendar starts on November 25th

Hope these small weekly steps are helping to give you a more organised Christmas.

Thanks for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

 

week 1

Queen of Clean does Christmas week 1

by with No Comment Christmas

Do you want to beat the rush this Christmas and be super organised?

If you do then you must stay tuned and follow the Queen of Clean does Christmas.

Welcome to week 1 we are now on our 10 week Christmas countdown. I really can’t believe it’s nearly that time of year again.   Some of you may have already started planning and preparing your Christmas which is amazing.

I love Christmas it’s a very magical time of the year and as much as I love to be organised I don’t like to start too soon, I always like to live in the moment and not wish my life away too much. I very sadly had a friend that passed away a few years ago in the October one thing she used to comment on was why they started Christmas so quickly in the shops when for some people it was very hard to see.  She knew she wouldn’t see that Christmas and I know it hurt her so very much.

So let the countdown begin and may your Christmas be super organised.

Week one

Set a budget

Family budgets can change yearly so it’s always important to plan your budget for food, presents, decorations, outfits and social events. To keep organised with you present buying download my Present buying printable this way you can set your budget and list what you have brought.

Start buying those gifts

As of now I will start to pick up a few bits each week and I will list what I have brought using my Present buying printable that I will carefully have hidden in my diary.  There have been years where I have brought items and had no idea who the gift was for. Always with the children I like to make sure I am spending an equal amount of money. Plan a shopping day with friends or family.

Find a hiding place

Choose your hiding places wisely and clear a space. I tend to clear out one of my clothes drawers in the bedroom and this always gets me started.  There are plenty of hiding places in your home if you think about it. My tops places listed here

Book tickets

If you planning a family outing to the local pantomime, or a visit to see father Christmas then get this tickets booked now.

Social planning

Start talking to family members and friends and set aside dates aside time to see people.  You don’t want to double book do you?

Week one done thank you so much for reading and I hope this inspires you to be organised this year.

Lots of Love
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

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5 Top Tips for a Sparkling Clean Christmas

by with No Comment Christmas

I really don’t know where this year has gone, We moved into this house November 2016 and its literally been the quckest year I can remember.  Or maybe I am just getting old and they do say the years start to fly by as you get older.

It’s a really good idea to prepare for Christmas in advance. I find that if you split your house into sections and plan to tackle one section a week this is a good way to start. For example.  The children’s bedrooms can be week one and so on.

Make sure you declutter as you go.  Clear out wardrobes, cupboards,check underneath beds and in drawers.  If you haven’t used it recently and it has no real purpose then it really needs to go. We have just done a big charity shop run and we sorted through all of Jakes toys and everyone’s clothes. We are far from a rich family but we are fortunate enough that we don’t need anything. I always encourage my children to want to give to charity so that another child can benefit from well looked after toys and clothes.

There are 5 things you can do in advance to make sure your home is sparkling clean this christmas.

Clean your carpets

If your fortunate enough to own a Carpet Cleaner give them a really good clean and move as much of the furniture as you can. Carpets really do deal with an awful lot from the moment they are installed.  Don’t panic if you don’t own a carpet cleaner many local Companies will probably be offering a few Christmas cleaning packages for the festive season so look one up or there is also the option off hiring one or borrowing one of a friend.

Clean the Oven

You may be like me and clean the oven pretty much after every usage but if you not and it has a build up of dirt and grim then its time to get your oven clean on. There are some fantastic oven cleaning products on the markets so you can quite easily do its yourself but always take care and use good cleaning gloves.

Clean the Fridge 

Have a really good fridge clean, take all the items out and the shelves. Soak the shelves in warm soapy water and clean all the sides using a good antibacterial fridge cleaner.  Check all sell by dates on the food and wash over jars and bottles so everything you are putting back into the fridge is very clean. Add in a fridge deodoriser to help keep it smelling fresh and make sure you leave enough space for all the extra Christmas food.

Clean the silverware

If you are doing Christmas Day at your house then make sure you have plenty of cutely and its sparking clean. Most of us have a nice set of cutlery or dining set that only makes an appearance on special occasions. So get this prepared.  Just wash in warm soapy water, towel dry and if your silver has become slightly tarnished use a metal cleaner and buff to dry.  You can also try this amazing silver polishing gloves. I have these and use them all the time I must have my silver as shiny as I can get it.

Organise and clean the Christmas Decorations

Christmas decorations spend a long time living in dusty confined spaces until they are brought out again but how many of us actually think about cleaning them.  You would have seen me a few years on Obsessive compulsive Cleaners bleaching my baubles and still to this day I am stopped in the street and asked If I really do this and YES of Course I do.  But you don’t have to be as full on as me. A quick wipe over with a damp cloth will be enough. Make sure you test the lights before you put them on the tree and plan your christmas theme making sure it matches well with the room you are displaying your tree in. If threads on baubles are looking bear and the odd decoration is looking a little tatty then hide at the back or better still don’t hang at all.Over the years my children have made me various tree hanging decorations so we have a special tree on the middle floor for all their bits and pieces and they get to decorate this just the way they wish.

I have designed a christmas cleaning and organising calendar that starts on November 25th it gives you a daily task to do to help keep you organised on the lead up to christmas.  Click here to get yours.

As always thank you for taking the time to read my blog post and i hope this advice has been helpful. Please feel free to comment below with any ideas that you would like to share.

Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

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Getting Guest ready this Christmas

by with No Comment Christmas

At Christmas time visitors can make the festive season all the more stressful, but a few simple steps will help ease the pain.

Guest preparation is the key at Christmas time. Always make sure you are as organised as you can be so you can relax and enjoy special time with your friends and family. Think of your visitors, there is nothing worse than ignoring them because you preparing food in the kitchen or tidying up and in turn they are sat twiddling their thumbs in the lounge.

Make sure if you have guests coming over for a meal that you are fully prepped. (ie) The table is set, extra chairs have been brought in, food is nearly ready, drinks are ready for pouring and you are ready.  No dashing off too quickly get changed or apply your makeup!

I really enjoy playing host and will spend weeks getting organised. It’s so important that your guests feel welcome. If you have invited friends or family to stay then think about offering them privacy and a few home comforts.  Have the guest room ready or a dedicated area to accommodate them.

Always have a few spare generic Christmas presents wrapped up under the tree in case a gift is given to you but you didn’t buy them one.  You do not want to get yourself in an embarrassing situation.

The Guest room 

Having a space that guests can make their own allows for a much easier stress free visit. Your spare room may also be a bit of a dumping ground passing off as a home office, or a place where you dry your clothes so this is a good chance for you to have a quick declutter and organise. If this room isn’t used much you may not have the radiators switched on so get these switched on ready and warm the room.

Allow your guest some storage space, make room for their bags and a space for them to hang their clothes. Leave them a few spare hangers.

Leave a set of clean towels at the end of the bed.

Leave them a set of mini toiletries

If you have a family staying in the room invest in a few airbeds so a family can all stay together.

20 Minute Mad Guest Dash

We can also have unexpected visitors where little notice is given, Here are some of my top tips for getting you guest ready within 20 minutes.

Start with the Entrance Hall 

Start by clearing the entrance to your home so guests don’t fall over shoes and coats when they walk in and make sure your door mat is clean by giving it a shake and sweep any dirt away. Open the windows to let air through the house and to get rid of any smells.

Next the Kitchen

Next, clean the kitchen. Put any dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher and make sure your tea towels are clean. Another quick, simple tip to make your kitchen appear cleaner is by spraying some air freshener and emptying the bin. Spray a damp microfibre cloth with all-purpose spray and use it to wipe over kitchen surfaces and brush crumbs onto the floor. Once you’ve finished, speed-vacuum yourself out of the room starting in the furthest corner. Vorwerks wet and dry duo clean is great at cleaning kitchen floors as it vacuums and mops at the same time, saving you plenty of time. Genius idea!

People always migrate to the Lounge

The living room is another area of your home where guests are likely to spend a lot of time. Tidy away any clutter in your living room such as books and magazines, and if you have a pet, quickly rub your furniture with a damp rubber glove to remove pet hair. Spray your sofas with a fabric refresher and turn your cushions over instead of vacuuming them to save time. Dim the lights and use lamps where possible to hide any dirt and hair on the carpets.

Your Bathroom must be clean

The bathroom is an area in your home where your guests will spend time alone and will make judgements about how clean it is! If you only have a few minutes to get your bathroom ready grab some fresh clean bathroom towels, and if you lucky enough to have a Sonic Scrubber grab this too as this is perfect for tackling any hard limescale areas.

1. Grab a clean cloth and a good bathroom cleaner and  wipe down the sink, the toilet seat and underneath the base of the toilet. Keep some handy cleaning wipes under the bathroom sink so you can just grab one quickly when in and out of the bathroom yourself.

2. Scrub the inside of the toilet and add some toilet bleach.

3. Leave the window slightly open

4. Light a strong pleasant scented candle.

5. Replenish Toilet paper.

Lastly, if there’s a room in your home that you don’t want guests to enter, simply closing the door will make them less likely to go in.

I really hope this post has been of some help to you and don’t forget I have a few FREE Christmas printables available and an organisation calendar. Just take a look here.

Thanks for reading and wishing you all a stress free organised Christmas. 

Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxox

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Christmas stocking gift ideas

by with No Comment Christmas

I always struggle filling up my children’s stocking.  Its not always easy looking for small gifts that easily fit.  I went on a Christmas Stocking mission last year and this is what I have come up, hopefully this will help give you a few more ideas. Putting together the stockings at Christmas is one of my favourite Christmas activities.

  • Scratch card
  • Gift cards
  • Lego min figure
  • Plasticine pack
  • Hair bobbles
  • Hair clips
  • Match box car
  • Pen
  • Pencil
  • Rubber
  • Money
  • Key ring
  • Socks
  • Tattoo
  • Stickers
  • Glow sticks
  • Card game
  • Glitter
  • Badge
  • Nail polish
  • Funky tooth brush
  • Bouncy Ball
  • Marbles
  • Christmas earrings
  • Nerf Bullets
  • Chocolate
  • sweets
  • Candy Cane
  • Book mark
  • Bag decoration
  • Small action figure
Free Printable click to download for a more organised Christmas

Hope this has given you some stocking inspiration don’t forget my Christmas Calendar countdown is now available.

Happy Christmas Planning

Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxox

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Christmas present hiding

by with 3 Comments Christmas

Hiding Christmas presents is something I have to think about every year. I like to be super organised and start my Christmas shopping early, the summer sales can be great for picking up bargains but my issue is where do I hide them?

I always have to think of clever ideas where no one in my family will be quick to look. I also have to remember where the hiding spots are.

Being organised is always the key with Christmas.

I am sure some of us as children we went off looking for Christmas presents, you may even as gone as far finding them and then opened up your presents to see what was inside and then quickly stuck it back together again. Naughty Naughty!

I have come up with a list of places that you can potentially use as hiding places. But make sure you keep a list of what you have brought, who you have brought for and where you have hidden the present.  Print of my free printable to help you keep track of your Christmas shopping.

I have been known to hide presents to well and then I can’t actually find them when it comes to wrapping them up! Not a good move.

My top hiding places are

  • Garage or shed – Hide them in empty boxes or thick bin bags.
  • Laundry Basket – Hide items in a disused pillow case and then leave this at the bottom of the ironing pile.  I mean in my house I tend to be the only one who does any ironing so the chances of anyone looking here are very slim.
  • Suitcase – The holiday suitcases have been put away and are no longer in use so this is the perfect place to hide items
  • Family – Use the family for delivers and to hide items, they may have a spare room where you can leave items that no one will see. This is good for larger presents such as bikes.
  • Car boot – If you have a boot tidy in the back on your car this is another great hiding spot but always ensure you lock your car.
  • Empty shoe boxes – You may have a few of these in the bottom of your wardrobe so empty out the shoes and fill the boxes with presents.
  • Loft – Perfect place that children will struggle to get into.
  • Plastic Tupperware tub – We all have quite a few of these in the kitchen cupboards, keep a few empty and use these to hold small gifts.
  • Filing cabinet – If you have a home office the filing cabinet is a great place as this can also be locked.
  • Ottoman – Mine is full of bedding and towels so I can hide items in between.
  • Underwear drawer – This is a personal space where no one should go so hide a few items in here.
  • In books – Gift cards, iTunes vouchers can easily be hidden within a book

I hope I have given you a few ideas to make your Christmas present hiding a little more stressful.

If you have any hiding places then please feel free to share below, it always great to help each other out and then I can add them on for next year.

Happy Christmas Shopping

Lynsey Queen of clean xoxox