It’s a different kind of meal prep.
With a month until the big turkey dinner, the pressure to host a great Thanksgiving is on. Odds are your menu is finalized, but is your home ready to handle all the guests walking through the front door?
Here are 6 simple ways to prep your home for a happy Thanksgiving.
Spruce Up Your Entryway
Thanksgiving home prep tip #1: make a good first impression. If your entryway is decorated but you think your front door is a little lacking, try adding a new coat of paint for a fresh pop of color. Keep the streak going by installing an entry handleset with a matching finish to pull the look together.
Change Textiles and Linens
Changing your kitchen textiles is a no brainer – a festive tablecloth and set of napkins can set the mood. But when you’re welcoming guests into your home, you should go the extra mile to show off your hospitality. Set out quality bath towels and bedsheets for overnight guests.
Get the Kids’ Table Ready
If you have youngsters joining you for Thanksgiving dinner, get a small table and load it with kid-friendly snacks and crafts. Print off a few free Thanksgiving activities to keep the kids entertained for hours.
Stock Up on Food Storage Containers
Whose family isn’t notorious for over-preparing food on Thanksgiving? Divvy it up amongst your guests so you aren’t stuck eating turkey dinners for the next few days. Look for an inexpensive food storage set (i.e. containers you wouldn’t feel bad about not getting back) to send leftovers off.
Do a Deep Clean
One piece of Thanksgiving prep you can’t forget about is the cleaning. With all the movement going on in the kitchen the morning of, spread out your deep cleaning throughout the week. Speaking of deep cleaning, read about the 13 places you’ve probably forgotten to clean.
For the meal, prep your dinnerware a few days in advance with a good wash. Same goes for your fancy silverware – give your forks and knives a soapy dip in the sink to make them sparkle.
Servingware should also be given a deep clean. All platters, bowls, baskets and even the gravy boat should be cleaned the day before. Keep everything covered with linens to make sure they stay clean and dust-free.
Appliance Check-Up
Imagine this: your turkey is perfectly thawed, it’s all dressed up with seasoning and stuffing, and as you’re going to put it in your oven you find that it won’t turn on to preheat. Uh oh.
Prevent last-minute stress by checking your appliances sooner rather than later. Take a look at the heavy hitters (oven, dishwasher and fridge) now before it’s too late! We would even make sure your furnace is in good working order before everyone gets left in the cold on Thanksgiving day.
Prepping your home for Thanksgiving takes a lot of effort. Cut back on the last-minute stress by starting these six projects early. From the moment your guests arrive to the second you send them off, they’ll appreciate the effort you put in to make them feel welcome in your home.
