Time for HGP

It's that time of year again. Nope, not the Back To School thing I love love love, I'm talking about the dreaded HGP (Holiday Grand Plan to the non-initiated) While I dread starting the thing, I need to do it for my own sanity come December (and no comments about how that's a losing battle already OK!) Basically it has you starting now so that you can break up the whole holiday thing into "manageable" pieces. Works like a charm if you actually follow the program :-)

This is the list week and therefore one of the easiest. Lets see I need to make these lists:

1. Gifts
   
1. I have zero money to spend this year :-( so
1. Family
1. Kiddos - $50 each
2. DH - 25$
3. other family - $5 - $10
2. Friends - Christmas cards
3. School - $5 for teacher
4. Angel Tree - I will have to give this up this year :-( I'll see about volunteering instead.
   
2. Christmas card list.
1. DONE - Computerized last year and nobody has moved so no updates necessary!
   
3. Visits
   
1. None - see below
   
4. Parties
1. I hope that MIL #1 will allow us to host the party this year. So much easier on us since we are the group that has to lug all of the kiddos stuff home.
   
5. Menus
1. that's for DH to decide - I love a man who cooks!
   
6. Goodies for Sharing/Gifts.
1. hmmmm
   
7. Meals for freezing ahead.
1. Again this is one for DH.
   
8. Long-term shopping list.
1. Zero $$ means no extras bought this year. We will have to do with what we have.

So that does it for the lists. Just need to sit down and decide what cookies to make this year and finish #6. Of couse I also have to print out a bunch of forms to put in my notebook but other than that ....

Our room for this week is: the Front porch. Mine's not looking too bad. Need some weeding to be done and get rid of an old broken hose and I'm all set. Of course - I DON"T WANNA WAHHHHHH! it's too dang hot hot there! Here's what I have to deal with (11:30 AM and already over 90):