Thanksgiving Without the Chaos: 4 Strategic Ways to Stay Calm & Organized
Thanksgiving should be a time of joy and family celebration. But many times, it ends up being a day for mom to stress out. Now, imagine a day where you’re all organized. You have every detail figured out and you don’t have to rush to get the food cooked. And then, when everyone arrives, you can sit down, enjoy a glass of wine and spend time with friends and family. Let’s talk about how to get the organization details figured out in advance so you can truly enjoy the holiday to the fullest.
Tip #1: Freshen Up the Fridge & Freezer
Before the holiday hosting begins, take the time to clean out, wipe down and reorganize your fridge and freezer. Throw out expired condiments and old leftovers. When your fridge is clean, it will help you take stock of what you have. Take 30 minutes this week to clean out your fridge and freezer. It will give you more space to store meal prep items for the big day and save you money since you’ll know what you have.
Tip #2: Locate the Linens & Specialty Cookware
Don’t wait until the night before to find your Thanksgiving serving platters, specialty carving knives or festive tablecloth. Find all these items now. This will give you time to clean and get them laundered before you need them. There’s nothing worse that pulling out a yellowed tablecloth the morning of Thanksgiving! Also, take this time to consider your menu and plan through what you can make the day ahead. This will give you time to enjoy Thanksgiving day rather than spending the whole day in the kitchen.
Tip #3: Trim the Table Ahead of Time
Having a beautiful tablescape can be fun to create, but stressful if you’re putting it together the morning of. Prepare the full tablescape the night before, including the centerpiece, place cards and wine glasses and make the room off limits for other family members. This is the best way to reduce stress on Thanksgiving morning. And without the time crunch pressure, you can be more creative! As you’re pulling items out, set up a “staging area” either in the dining room or another low-traffic room to keep everything contained until it’s time to set it up.
Tip #4: Set Up a Self-Serve Snack & Drink Station
Even with a ton of planning, you’ll still have cooking to do the day of. Rather than having your guests looking around in the kitchen for appetizers and drinks, set up a self-serve snack and drink station away from the main kitchen work zone. This allows for easy refreshment access while keeping guest from getting in the way of the chef. Also, guests can know where to get refills so they’re not always waiting for you to serve them.
The best strategy for a restful Thanksgiving is do everything you can in advance. The more you prep now, the less you have to do later. Future you will thank you! This opens you up to enjoy the day of connection, not perfection. I wish you a wonderful, stress-free holiday surrounded by your family and friends.
What else can home organization do for your holiday season well-being? I’d love to show you. Reach out today!
