We’re almost one week out from Thanksgiving Day!
To be prepared for the upcoming weekend preparations, it’s time to start clearing and cleaning! Begin by imagining what the day of Thanksgiving will be like. Your guests will arrive at different times, bearing dishes, gifts or beverages. Now is the time to plan for their arrivals. If you’ve delegated folks to bring a side dish or dessert item for dinner, it’s best to have a landing place where they can be safely put out of the way from your work area. If some guests bring wine or other beverages, designate where they can place their bottles — a cooler, ice bucket or extra fridge space in the garage. Inevitably, without a plan for where things go, your guests will awkwardly hand you something just as your hands are stained from peeling and slicing beets. Or, better yet, they find a place to set down their special bottle of wine hoping you find it… which you do, the Saturday after Thanksgiving when you’re putting the house back together.
Start with clearing space. Every surface area has the potential to serve as a landing pad for pot-luck dishes, hostess gifts, floral arrangements or bottles of wine. Remove as much clutter from your dining room sideboards, side counter tops in your kitchen and make as much room as possible. Put the decorative jars and baskets away. Put. Them. Away. Leave out one vase in case someone arrives with flowers. We promise: someone will arrive with flowers.
Clear out space in your fridge and freezer. If your cousin Patty says she’s bringing apple pie for dessert, you can count on someone wanting to bring ice cream. Save yourself the hassle and make room in the freezer now.
Clear out the clutter. Piles of magazines, miscellaneous mail, or unfinished projects have no place in the kitchen, dining room or family room during Thanksgiving Day Prep.
Once you’ve cleared as much work space as possible, it’s time to clean. You’ll be surprised at how efficient and organized you’ll be if you start with a clean kitchen and dining room. And, if it makes you feel any better… we are doing the exact same thing this week at our houses!
Dear Martini 