Prepare for an Organized Thanksgiving Now

It’s hard to believe it’s November already, and Thanksgiving is just 3 weeks away! It’s definitely time to start organizing for the holidays. If you are hosting the Thanksgiving feast this year, it’s time to make a plan and start putting it in motion.

Start by designating a specific notebook for all of your notes, or find a party planner to help guide you. (Try our Recipe Organizer and Party Planner!) Create a plan for every aspect of the day, if possible, such as Invites/RVPS, Menu, Shopping, Seating, Timetable, Decorations, and House Cleaning.

Once you have everything down on paper, you’ll have a better idea of how much time it will take you to complete all of these tasks. Here are a few tips to help you save time:

• Prioritize your cleaning. If you’re kids rooms don’t get dusted and vacuumed before the big day, it won’t matter all that much, since there likely to get a little messy again anyway. But if you’re worried about mopping your kitchen floors or dusting your china hutch, start working on those projects. If you do a deeper cleaning early, you can just touch up areas of your house a day or two before company arrives.
• Keep decorations simple. Your family and friends are coming for the food and fellowship, and your table will probably be too full of food to accommodate a huge centerpiece. Fall accents around your home will make a nice touch, but too many decorations will look cluttered and get in the way.
• Prepare food ahead of time. You may not be able to cook the turkey until your party, but you can certainly make some of your side dishes and desserts ahead of time. You’ll probably need to rotate through pots, pans, bowls, and casserole dishes anyway, so by preparing in advance, you’ll free up those kitchen tools.
• On the other hand, you can let your guests share the cooking and baking duties and ask them to bring their favorite Thanksgiving dishes. This can eliminate some of the chaos in your kitchen and maybe even give your meal more variety.
• Set your table the day before. This way, you can ensure you have enough dishes, silverware, glasses, and napkins for each guest. This is a great job for the kids, so make sure to involve them in the planning and cleaning!

If you’d like a day-by-day planning guide to help you prepare, check out this one at http://entertaining.about.com/cs/thanksgiving/a/thanksgivcount.htm.