Organizing Blog

Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 7

11/22/2017

Congratulations! You've made it to Thanksgiving Eve. I hope this has been your most organized Thanksgiving yet. Just one more day of preparation before the big day!

Wednesday

Prepare side dishes in advance. So many side dishes can be made ahead the day before Thanksgiving. This will save you time in food preparation and washing dishes tomorrow. Consider making your bread dough and pies today. Stuffing can be made in advance as well and even mashed potatoes. I love the Pioneer Woman make-ahead mashed potatoes recipe here. So yummy!
Cleaning touch-ups. Your house is clean, but give those bathrooms one last check to make sure they are clean and stocked with toilet paper, soap, and clean towels. Do a quick pick-up around the house so you're not stashing clutter in the closet as the doorbell is ringing tomorrow.
Set the table. You've had a productive week and a busy day of cooking and cleaning, now it's time to make things pretty. Set everything up for tomorrow's feast and enjoy the feeling of being prepared.

Thursday

The big day is here! The preparations are done. Consult your cooking schedule and finish those delicious foods! Grab a glass of wine or good old sweet tea and enjoy your guests. Remember your blessings and forget the rest. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 6

11/21/2017

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We're getting close now. I hope you're feeling energized and prepared. This is going to be a great Thanksgiving!

Tuesday

Shopping Trip #2. Grab that 2nd shopping list and head to the store.
Wash linens. You'll need plenty of kitchen towels and washcloths for all those dirty dishes to come. Make sure they're all clean and ready to go. Also wash your bathroom towels if needed so guests have a fresh towel to dry their hands. If your tablecloths or cloth napkins need washing or a fluff in the dryer, add those as well. And don't forget your potholders. These often get overlooked, but not this year!

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Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 5

11/20/2017

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It's Thanksgiving week! You've got 3 more days to prepare so make them count.

Monday

Plan seating, oven schedule, and serving dishes. Hopefully by now you know who will be joining you for the feast. Take some time to plan out the seating arrangement and what dishes and table linens you'll need. If you need to bring in extra tables and chairs, get them out and wipe them down if needed. Also look at your menu and make a schedule of what dishes need to use the oven, for how long, and at what temperature. You can even put the empty bakeware in the cold oven to see what will fit together. While you've got those dishes out, determine what food will go in what dish and write the name on a post it note inside the dish.
Clean the house. Don't put this off until the last minute. There will be plenty more to do in the coming days so having this off your checklist will make the rest of the week much easier.

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Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 4

11/19/2017

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Let's spend today catching up on anything not done yet and getting a jump on the food prep and cooking. I hope you're feeling more prepared than ever!

Sunday

Start preparing foods and ingredients. Make ahead any foods or ingredients that can be done in advance. Some things that can be done are: make pie crusts and cranberry sauce, measure spices, make breadcrumbs for stuffing, and chop vegetables.
Catch up or Jump Ahead. If you got behind on any of the previous tasks, now is your time to catch up. If you still have more time, start cleaning the house - it's coming up next!

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Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 3

11/18/2017

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The weekend is here. Let's use this time to prepare for Thursday. Here's your checklist for the day.

Saturday

Check stock of on-hand items. You don't want to run out of toilet paper when you have a house full of guests. Use the handy printable below to make sure you don't come up short on the big day. Add anything else you need to your shopping list #1.
Shopping Trip #1. Grab that list and head to the store. Try to go early if you can to beat the crowds and get what you need before everyone else.

household_staples_checklist.pdf
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File Type:	pdf

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Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 2

11/17/2017

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The countdown is on. This time next week you'll be enjoying the leftovers. But first, you have a few things to check off your list for today.

Friday

Clean out the refrigerator. You're going to need lots of space in there in the coming days so it's best to make room ahead of time. This will also free up your leftover containers for Thanksgiving leftovers.
Thaw the turkey. Now that you have all that refrigerator space, it's time to put the turkey in there. You'll need to allow at least 24 hours per 4 lbs. of turkey.

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Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 1

11/16/2017

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Thanksgiving is now one week away. Are you ready? If hosting the big day is leaving you feeling overwhelmed, then you're about to feel a whole lot better. I'll walk you step by step through each day leading up to Thanksgiving. Just follow along and everything will be taken care of!

Thursday before Thanksgiving

Finalize your guest list and menu. Find out who is coming and what they plan to bring. Write out the menu grouped by appetizers, main dish, side dishes, desserts, and drinks to make sure that you have everything covered and no duplicates. Make a note of who is bringing what next to each dish.
Make 2 shopping lists. Gather your recipes and determine what ingredients you need to purchase. The second list is only for those items that must be bought last minute to be fresh for the big day. Everything else goes on list 1.

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How to Organize Costumes

10/31/2017

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Happy Halloween! Today's tip is all about costumes! I know your little monsters are going to be all dressed up and adorable tonight, but have you thought about what to do with those costumes come tomorrow?

Of course, you can go on Pinterest and decide to repurpose an old TV cabinet into the most adorable dress-up "closet" ever imagined, but are your little ones really going to put that fairy dress or superhero costume back on the hanger when they're done?

How about a giant basket? Oh, right. They're going to just dump the ENTIRE basket every time they look for something.

And what about the accessories? Masks, gloves, belts, hats, capes, purses, oh my! They will need a home too.

I have the solution!

Buy a curtain rod (or, better yet, use that extra one you have hidden in the back of the closet).
Get those little rings that come with hooks and clips to clip the curtains on. I got mine at Ikea, but you can find them almost anywhere that sells curtain rods.
Now you can use those clips or buy plastic clothespins with holes from the dollar store (they're easier for little hands to open and close) and slide the clothespins onto the hook instead of the clip.
Hang it all up on the wall and clip up every single costume and accessory.

The clips can handle it all.
The kids can see it all without taking it all out.
It's easy to put back.
It's even cute (especially because it's getting put back instead of all over the floor!).

Want to give it a try? I'd love to hear how it works out for you!

Happy Halloween!

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Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 7

Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 6

Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 5

Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 4

Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 3

Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 2

Thanksgiving Checklist - Day 1

How to Organize Costumes

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