| It's almost time to get organized for Thanksgiving. | | | | have appropriate cookware and serving utensils |
| Depending on your plans and how you celebrate | | | | and platters to prepare a Thanksgiving |
| the holiday, you may want to start getting | | | | meal.COUNT YOUR GUESTS - How many people |
| organized for Thanksgiving no later than the first | | | | are coming to your house for Thanksgiving |
| week of November. Here are a few tips to get | | | | dinner? Start getting r.s.v.p.'s in early November. |
| organized for Thanksgiving.DECORATE EARLY - If | | | | Figure you'll be serving about one pound to 1.3 |
| you like to get in the spirit of the holiday with | | | | pounds of turkey per guest (based on a whole |
| your home decor items, do that at the start of | | | | turkey). Once you know the number of guests, |
| November. That way you'll have the whole month | | | | you can buy the appropriate size turkey.COUNT |
| to enjoy your seasonal decor items and holiday | | | | YOUR DISHES - Make sure you have enough |
| decorations. And the remainder of the month will | | | | dinner plates and eating utensils to go around. |
| be free for cleaning, cooking, entertaining and | | | | Having an extra set or two of table settings |
| enjoying Thanksgiving.CLEAN YOUR HOME - | | | | won't hurt either--just in case you get an |
| Expecting guests this Thanksgiving? Set a date | | | | unexpected visitor or a plate accidentally |
| with your immediate family members to do a | | | | cracks.PLAN FOR LEFTOVERS - The words |
| thorough housecleaning. That means doing | | | | Thanksgiving and leftovers go together. You |
| windows and shampooing carpets too as needed. | | | | won't be eating turkey sandwiches for the |
| Make your family housecleaning date the week | | | | remainder of the week if you have nothing to |
| before that of Thanksgiving. (And then you'll only | | | | store the leftover turkey in. And of course, you |
| have to do touch up the day before guests | | | | don't want to throw out that leftover cranberry |
| arrive.) During the week of Thanksgiving your | | | | or corn or any of it. If you plan to send some |
| schedule will be packed with cooking and shopping | | | | leftovers home with the guests, make sure you |
| for related supplies.CLEAN YOUR FRIDGE - A | | | | have some "throw-away" containers that you can |
| good time to clean the inside of your refrigerator | | | | pack for them to take and keep.If you organized |
| is when you have the least amount of food in it. | | | | and planned for Thanksgiving, you'll probably have |
| That won't be during the holidays. So do it now. | | | | a happy one. Enjoy.Karen Fritscher-Porter writes |
| While you're at it, make room for the turkey in it. | | | | about home organization at where you can read |
| You'll be defrosting it in the | | | | hundreds of free tips to organize your home, |
| refrigerator.INVENTORY YOUR COOKWARE - | | | | shop for home organizing products and subscribe |
| When you're about to cook the turkey isn't the | | | | to free home organization newsletters. Go there |
| time to remember you loaned your only roasting | | | | now to shop organization stores with everything |
| pan to Aunt Sue three months ago. Take a good | | | | you need to organize your kitchen before |
| hard look inside your cabinets to make sure you | | | | Thanksgiving. |