Wednesday, November 14, 2012
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, hopefully your holiday preparations have already begun. Just in case you need a boost before your home is full of your family and out-of-town guests, here a few things you can do this weekend to get ready for turkey day!
· Give your house an all-over cleaning. Don't waste time with hidden areas and deep clutter; focus on the places your guests will most likely travel, like the entryway, bathrooms, the dining room and the living room.
· Tidy up the front porch, check porch lighting and add a few fresh potted plants or a wreath on the door.
· Clean out the fridge and freezer. You’ll need enough room in your refrigerator to store all those tasty leftovers. For tips on how to clean out your refrigerator, check out this post from our partners at Milestone Realty Consultants.
· Review the menu and gather all the recipes in one spot. Make a list of all the ingredients you’ll need to purchase.
· Shop for and begin cooking dishes that can be made ahead and frozen, like pie dough. If you are buying a frozen turkey, make sure you buy it ahead of time so it has time to thaw in the fridge. If you need ideas for tasty treats that can be made ahead of time, check out Real Simple’s list here.
· Set your dinner table. Iron out the wrinkles on your table cloths (if you’re using any) and set up your table decorations. Find decoration ideas on our Pinterest page! Use sticky notes to set up the layout of where you want each dish to be placed.
· Write the cooking plan (oven temperatures and cooking times) on a whiteboard or tape it to the wall, somewhere that you and your helpers can easily check it. You won't have added stress of people coming up to you and asking how long something has to cook for--it's already written down for them!
Do you have any other Thanksgiving preparations?