An Organized Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is meant to be a time of remembrance, family and thanks, not a holiday of stress and chaos!!

Okay I have to admit I have never cooked a Thanksgiving dinner!!! I once had it at my house but my Mother-in-Law did most of the work…I just did the cleaning, and the rolls, which yes I am good at both those, (but that’s about it!!) So I wanted to give you some great advice for this special occasion so I found an article by Marcia Garcia and she gave 9 great steps to help make Thanksgiving a little less stressful!!

1. LEAVE COOKING AND CLEANING BEHIND. These days, many people opt to go out for Thanksgiving, instead of cooking and cleaning at home. If you’re an extremely busy person, this may also work for you. If you don’t want to miss the feeling of being at home, perhaps you might have the main course at a restaurant, and later have pie at home. In addition, lots of supermarkets and restaurants offer fully cooked Thanksgiving dinners. You simply pick everything up and place it on your table ready to be served, and if you must add a personal touch, make one special dish of your own.

2. PREPARE FOR TRAVELING. If you’re traveling this Thanksgiving, be sure to make your packing list well ahead of time. Check items off as you’re putting them into your luggage. Bring this list with you and use it to repack when you’re ready to return home. By the way, I usually suggest that you travel a few days before Thanksgiving and come back a few days after the Thanksgiving rush. Otherwise, you’re going to spend a lot of time in airports, on the road, in line, etc.

3. LET'S TALK TURKEY. First, determine how much room you have in your freezer and refrigerator, and how many people you will be serving. Then, order your turkey. If you need more storage space, perhaps a neighbor or relative can help you out. Rather than defrosting a frozen turkey in water on Thanksgiving Day, defrost it a few days ahead in your refrigerator instead. This saves tons of time!

4. INVITE GUESTS IN A SNAP. If you haven’t already sent out invitations, you may consider simply calling possible guests instead. You won’t have to spend a ton of time writing and mailing, and you usually get an RSVP immediately.

5. CHECK YOUR INVENTORY. Check your supply of chairs, tables, dishes, glasses, pots, pans, serving plates and utensils. Arrange to buy, rent or borrow anything you don’t have.

6. PLAN YOUR MEAL. Plan your meal from appetizers to dessert on a piece of paper. Make a list of all ingredients needed. Bring your list when you go shopping and check items off as you put them in your cart.

7. COOK AHEAD. Make any meals that you can well ahead of time, and freeze them. On Thanksgiving Day, just defrost heat and serve. You will save tons of time, plus you’ll be able to join in the festivities without being stuck in the kitchen.

8. GET READY THE NIGHT BEFORE. You’ll be happy you took care of a few things the night before. Set the table. Get the good silverware out of storage. Lay out your wardrobe--and your kids’ wardrobes.

9. DON’T FORGET THE IMPORTANT STUFF. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to be thankful for health, family, friends and all that life has to offer. Some people choose to say a prayer. Others prefer to simply have a moment of silence before dinner and football. Still others like to make time to read a Thanksgiving Story or a poem. Make a list of the things you want to do to make the day a special one and reference your list so you don’t forget them.

Homework: Have a Great and Organized Thanksgiving weekend!! Come back on Monday for some more great and helpful tips!!

Is your Jewelry in a tangled mess???

When you go into your closet to put your jewelry on do you have to take 5-10 minutes to untangle your necklaces?? It is so annoying and wastes time (which is very precious and what we need more of.)

Let’s organize all your jewelry…Here are 4 tips to get you started!!!

1. Separate all your jewelry into categories. Rings, necklaces, bracelets, ear rings, watch, etc.

2. For necklaces, I bought an inexpensive men's tie rack (under 3 dollars at Wal-Mart or Target) I hang it in my closet where I hang my necklaces and bracelets on the hooks of the rack.

3. I use Ice Trays to store my earrings, rings and watches in. Each tray holds 16 pair so they are stacked and easy to locate without having to go through your jewelry box each morning.

4. Make sure each piece of jewelry has a HOME.

Clean as you go!! PART 3

Okay ready for the last 5 steps???

11. Tidy the TV area and family room each day/night -- general home organization mantra: Don't leave any room like a cyclone hit it.

12. Kids' toys can go easily into a cute basket or bin. Newspapers in a pile or better yet, the recycling bin. Make use of baskets and bins -- they work wonders for containing clutter, and they look great. This includes a nice stair basket that can be kept at the bottom of the stairs holding stuff and take upstairs once in the day; next morning, take it downstairs.

13. Put the TV remote back in its designated place. If you don't have a designated place -- establish one. Everyone will be happier when you practice this home organization tip!

14. That goes for the car & house keys -- establish a place and return them every time you come into the house. Huge time saver!

15. Spot clean the carpet as soon as you notice a spot or spill something. Keep your favorite carpet cleaner on each level of your home, so that going up or down the stairs does not deter you. Seriously, this can make your house look so much better so easily by not having random stains all over your carpeting.

Picking up as you go and cleaning as you go is my all-time best home organization tip and it will save oodles of time in the end, and is completely do-able.

My oldest Bailey turned 15 this week and my youngest Finley turned 4. I think I am having a hard time because I know I am not having any more babies. I am so proud of my two beautiful daughters and am so thankful to have the opportunity to be there MOM!

Have a great organized weekend!! HOMEWORK: Clean your microwave so it shines!!

Clean as you go PART 2!!!

Here are the next 5 steps...

6. Load the dishwasher as you go, so the dishes don't pile up in the sink -- bit by bit, and small steps makes the task so simple.

7. Wipe the kitchen counter and spills as they happen.

8. Clean up the bathroom counter before leaving the bathroom -- put supplies back in the cupboard or in a basket, clothes in the laundry, hang up the towels, wipe up any toothpaste or hair in the sink, restock the toilet paper. These small steps will work wonders at keeping your home organized.

9. If you have several spots on your bathroom mirror, grab the glass cleaner and paper towel stored under the sink and clean it off right then. Keep paper towel and some basic cleaning supplies under each bathrooms sink & kitchen sink. Be sure to put a safety lock on the cabinet if you have young ones.

10. The microwave. Oh boy, don't get me started on the microwave! One of my biggest bug-a-boo's is a dirty microwave. It never has to get or stay dirty -- really! I don't know how many times I've walked up to a microwave to zap something, and it looked like a cesspool. Wipe it clean anytime anything spills in it immediately; then, it won't cake on, and make it harder to clean later -- really very simple and easy! Periodically, you will need to include the turntable into your dishwasher or hand wash it.

Stay tuned for Friday and learn the last 6 steps!!!

Clean as you go!!

The best home organization tip I can give, is pick up and clean as you go. This week I am going to give you tips to help you clean as you go. This will literally save you hours in cleaning. It does involve daily steps in keeping your home organized, but once these principles are put into practice; it will become second nature and your house will be gleaming. Especially if you have a HOME for everything.

There are 15 tips that Julie DeHart from "Keep your Home Cooking," came up with...I love each of them!!!

The first 5 are...

1. Make your bed before you leave the bedroom.
2. Hang up your clothes each day or put in the laundry basket.
3. Try to pick up the kitchen before you leave the house or go to bed -- you will feel so much better when you get up or return home to a clean kitchen -- I promise! Give yourself 10 extra minutes in the morning or evening to make this happen.
4. When the refrigerator starts to empty out before grocery shopping day; wipe the shelves off and when anything spills.
5. After dinner, everyone helps to clear the table and put food in storage or the refrigerator.

Come back on Wednesday to learn the next 5 steps!!!

What do you do with old magazines??

I keep my magazines in my bathroom, because…WELL YOU KNOW, I don’t have to explain myself!!! I go through them once a year and only keep the ones I can’t get online, (which you can usually get most articles online now and days.) I also only keep 12 months worth…so just 12 at a time.

Magazines are easier to fit into a bathroom, however large numbers of magazines can give an even more cluttered look to the often cramped environment of a bathroom. I like to keep all of mine in a basket. There are several types of baskets that you can purchase that have been specifically designed for the use of magazines and newspapers, but you can use any type of basket that is going to fit neatly into your bathroom and its decor.

HOMEWORK: Go through all your magazines and recycle the ones you don’t read or are over 12 months old!!

Have a great and ORGANIZED weekend!!

Expiration Dates

So have you ever opened your fridge and went to pour yourself a glass of milk and looked at the expiration date and it was a day over…WHAT DO YOU DO???????

Well I am CRAZY so I toss it. BUT DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO?

Expiration dates don't mean as much as many people think they do. Most food is still edible after the expiration date but may not taste very good.

Most people are surprised to find out that Stores are not legally required to remove food once the expiration date has passed. Dating is not federally required, except for infant formula and baby food. States have varying laws. Most states require that milk and other perishables be sold before the expiration date.

The major codes are:

• Sell by Don't buy the product after this date. This is the "expiration date."
• Best if used by Flavor or quality is best by this date but the product is still edible thereafter.
• Use by This is the last day that the manufacturer vouches for the product's quality.

So what does this have to do with organizing you ask???

It is important once every 3 months to go through your can foods, cake mixes, Mac and cheese boxes, and other items that have expiration dates on them. When you go through them make a note to yourself to use them within the amount of time, throw them away, or give to a local food shelter.

***NOTE: Check the expiration dates on packages like pancakes and cake mixes that have yeast which over time develop spores. Apparently, the mold that forms in old mixes can be toxic! Throw away ALL OUTDATED pancake mix, brownie mixes, Bisquick, cake & cookie mixes, etc.; you have in your home.