Listen up, all you turkeys! You don’t want to wait until the last minute to get organized for Thanksgiving this year.  The holidays are stressful enough without waiting until the day before to prepare…especially if you are hosting dinner at your house. Let us help you get everything organized now, so you can enjoy that pumpkin pie and glass (maybe bottle?) of wine on Thanksgiving Day.

Here are some tips you can use to prepare your home (and yourself) for next week.

1. The Dinner

Start off by planning your menu. What are you going to serve? Are there any traditional dishes you just HAVE to include? What should your guests bring?

Avoid the stress and narrow down exactly what you are going to be serving by making a list of items. Once you have your list, delegate those items to your guests for them to provide. This way, you aren’t stuck doing all the cooking, your guests will know exactly what to bring, and you will be able to keep track of the amount of food items in your kitchen.

Tip: ask your guests to bring oven-ready dishes. That way, you don’t overbook the oven. This could push back your dinner-eating time and cause some “hangry-ness” throughout your household. (hangry = hungry + angry… which in other words, is not good!)

Once you have your meal planned, head to the grocery store ASAP! Most food items disappear rather quickly during the week of Thanksgiving. By getting organized now, you can make sure you have everything you need in order to put together an amazing meal. Need help? Check out our post to help you plan your Turkey Day Cooking Timeline.

2. The Kitchen

For some reason, everyone hangs out in the kitchen on Thanksgiving. It could be the intoxicating smell of the food, or maybe it’s just the commonplace for everyone to “help” cook dinner. In any case, it’s important that you deep-clean your kitchen before your guests arrive.

Try doing this a day or two before Thanksgiving. You can use this as an excuse to clean out old kitchen drawers, dump expired food from your fridge (to make room for the leftovers), and even plan out what silverware you are going to use beforehand.

It’s important also to make sure you have all the tools you need in order to serve your dinner. This includes carving knifes, turkey platters, even a gravy dish. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you are serving your turkey on a plastic plate (remember, presentation is everything!)

3. The Table

When I was growing up, my mother came up with a great way to keep my brother and I out of the kitchen during Thanksgiving. She assigned us the task of setting the Thanksgiving table.

It was an all-day affair for us. We would learn fancy ways to fold napkins; use our calligraphy skills to design name cards for our guests; we would even create hand turkeys for the table.  If you have young children, this is a great task that they will take pride in and focus on while you are busy in the kitchen. It is also something my brother and I still do to this day and it is a nice tradition that the both of us share. Once your kids are done setting the table, just give it a once over, set down the food, and you’re good to go!

4. The Other Rooms

Let’s be real… guests are going to go through your bathroom cabinets no matter what. Take this time to clean out your medicine cabinet and your bathroom drawers. Place fresh hand towels near the sink, scrub the toilet and clean out any grout on the tile.

If your guests are staying with you, make sure to provide clean sheets, pillowcases, and bathing towels. The idea is to make sure your guests feel as comfortableas possible while providing a great Thanksgiving Day experience.

You will also want to give the rest of the house a once over. Vacuum the rooms, put away any clutter, and make sure to light some candles. Your guests will be impressed…trust us!

If just the thought of preparing for Thanksgiving has you on edge, reach out to Me in Order. We can help you organize your home before the big day as well as decorate. We are here to help!

Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you have a great holiday with your family!