QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Are your kitchen sponges or dish scrubbers old and yucky looking? Need to replace them?
- Need to go grocery shopping for the week? I highly recommend doing it before Wednesday afternoon. Avoid stores on Wednesday and Thursday if you can help it. They’re so very crowded, and this doesn’t lead to you living a lovely life!
- Fill up with gas if needed, so if you have to go out for errands later this week you won’t have to stop for gas.
- Do you have a fireplace? Have wood on hand for festive fires for this week? You might especially want to lay in a supply of firewood if you have company coming over.
- Speaking of keeping warm, your guests might not be used to the temperature you keep your home. If you keep it cold, be sure there are plenty of blankets, warm socks and clean slippers to offer. Or be generous and accomodating – turn the heat up a degree or two for your guests who would prefer it. There’s nothing worse than spending the night as a guest in a chilly home.
- Doing ok on coffee and tea to serve guests and to keep yourself caffeinated while you cook this week?
- Need to write any Thanksgiving cards to mail out soon?
- Visit the bank or post office tomorrow or Wednesday, before the holiday, if needed.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Thanksgiving Prep
Thanksgiving is three days away. Let’s use this time to pack (if you’re traveling), cook, bake, clean the house, write holiday cards, spend time talking about gratitude with your children, read books together, have a game night with your family, sort the pantry, go shopping, or do other pre-holiday things you might need or want to get done.
If you’re traveling a long distance, you might want to pack your suitcases now, plan snacks and activities for your children, get your hostess gift ready, call your pet-sitter, and phone your hostess to confirm arrangements. Don’t forget to pack your charged up camera and charger or batteries for it, and don’t forget a cell phone charger too! Do you have your thank-you card addressed and stamped (so you can write and mail it immediately when you get home after your trip?)
If you’re going to someone’s house nearby, you need to figure out what you’re wearing, buy ingredients for and prepare the dish you’re bringing, and buy (then wrap) your hostess gift. Have you RSVPed to your host’s invitation? Prepared a thank-you note? Planned what you are going to do with your wonderfully travel-free extra days off of work?
If you’re hosting, you probably have a lot of cleaning and grocery shopping to do. Do your bathrooms need tidying? Guest room ready for overnight guests (or people who had a bit too much Thanksgiving wine?) Do you have plastic containers to send leftovers home in? Dining table ready to go? Fridge cleaned out to make room for the groceries you’ll shop for this week? Background music picked out and ready to go? Does your home smell clean and festive?
Don’t forget to build yourself in a little “sit down and relax” time. Whether you spend some quiet time in a hot bath, a rocking chair, a cafe you snuck away to for 45 minutes, or on your couch idly flipping through magazines, give yourself permission to neglect a task or two in order to get yourself some peace.
LOVELY BLOGS: Eat, Drink, Love
Stephanie’s blog of lovely things to eat. She tries, when possible, to include low fat recipes as well as recipes without a lot of sugar, but she also believes (as do I) that sometimes you just have to splurge a little! Recent recipes include Apple Cranberry Stuffing; low fat broccoli gratin; and a yummy looking Apple Pumpkintini.
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Egg Custard Pie (The Bitten Word)
Gingerbread Granola (Dinner Series)
Mom’s Macaroni and Cheese (The Faux Martha)
No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Mini Trifle (Just Add Cheese)
Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping (Will Cook for Friends)
Lori
What do you do for a hostess gift for people who don't drink (so, no bottle of wine)? I'm never sure what to bring. We're having our meal at my mother's house, and it's never occurred to me to bring her something. But who deserves a hostess gift more than a mom? 🙂 I think she'd really appreciate it, but they don't drink wine.
Carrie
A box of chocolates, or if you know the person well (like you would your mom) a scented candle on the more expensive side (ie, not from Target) or bath gel/lotion etc.
And you make a good point, it's not good to bring wine unless you're sure the person is a drinker, or they're not a recovering alcoholic etc.