It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is quickly approaching!

I know you have so much on your plate and the thought of preparing for the holidays feels like more stress than fun. But much of the stress is from waiting until the last minute and saying yes to things we don’t actually enjoy doing. The best way to enjoy the holidays is to set aside the time now to organize key areas of your space that will be impacted during the holidays.

Let’s start with your pantry since Thanksgiving is all about the meal!

I recall my Feng Shui teacher saying “organized pantry is a metaphor for organized checkbook” I felt that was so true! If your pantry is organized so that you can see all the food you have you will avoid buying duplicates, plus having a full pantry makes you feel abundant.

Keep reading and click here to download your convenient holiday pantry check-list.

Even if you’re not hosting a formal dinner during the holidays it is still a good idea to clean out your pantry.

  1. Check expiration’s on spices and dry goods. It’s something you don’t realize especially if you don’t cook with spices too much. Nothing is worse than starting to bake and discover your spices and baking items are expired. Here’s a good tip, try and buy small jars of spices you know you will never use and bigger ones of the spices you use most often. Often spices are a challenge to organize and now there are a variety of solutions for all sizes. For the best bargains on spices, check out Trader Joes and Fairway.

  1. Go through your pots, pans and baking dishes. Check to see if everything is in good condition. This goes for glassware too and if you are going to be traveling with food you will want to have proper food containers.

  1. Review your linens – placemats, tablecloths, dishclothes etc. Nothing is more frustrating than thinking you have the right tablecloth but at the last minute discover there is a huge stain that never came out in the wash. Review what you have and consider getting some fresh new items if your feel tiresome, especially if you’re not excited to be host this year’s holiday dinner freshening up your table accessories will inspire you. Need inspiration, check out my Pinterest boards on holiday ideas.

  1. Clean out your fridge and oven. Where we store and cook our food should be clean and in good working condition. You want everything to flow successfully if you are cooking that day. A clean fridge and oven will make you feel better too. A quick fix is getting new drip pan and also liners for your fridge. Keep thinking of ways to set yourself up for success.

  1. Create a recipe board on Pinterest. Pinterest is one of the easiest and fastest ways to get new recipe ideas. You can create a board just for dessert or Thanksgiving and Holiday ideas. One thing I love about Pinterest is if I’m shopping in a store and forget my list, I can easily refer to Pinterest for ideas. If you’re not a pinterest fan then start collecting recipes and begin to create a list of ingredients you can buy ahead of time, keep another list for items you need to buy a couple of days before cooking. Have a binder or file folder with all your recipes.

The more you can prepare ahead of time for the holidays the less stress you will feel and the more fun you will have.Consider shopping during off peak hours. Get up early on a weekend morning or go in the middle of the week. I often shop during the off hours and it just feels so much more relaxing.  Even if you have to hire a babysitter for the kids you will be doing yourself a big favor!

PS- Don’t forget to download your Pantry Organization check list today.

 Love and Success,
Christine

If you feel overwhelmed about your home from clutter to getting organized now is the perfect time to set a Feng Shui organizing session. Click here and fill out this form to setup a Free call with Christine to discuss how she can help you get organized for the holidays.

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