Don’t worry, this isn’t a holier than thou post about how I make my home sparkle and you can too! Ugh. No. I live on a farm and cleaning house is waaaaay down on my list of essential things to do. This post is for those of us who are two days from having houseguests and looking around at the lived-in look and saying “Uh Oh”.
Today is all about just cleaning the impactful areas. Where are your guests going to hang out? Sit? The bathroom? Where is the turkey platter? See what I mean? Let’s tackle that stuff today.
Clean the entryway and kitchen/dining areas. Look, every house I have ever been in, no matter how lovely, everyone spends most of the time in the kitchen and dining areas. This also means that these are the places where everyday clutter lands(and piles up). It doesn’t matter if you are piling it into closets and drawers, make that stuff go away. Sure, you can organize and go crazy sorting and cleaning, and there are blogs for that. This is not one of them. I make things magically disappear when I have to.
Once your entryway looks cute and clean (My printable craft would look adorable greeting your guests here), get the bathroom clean and smelling nice and clean off the tops of the washer and dryer.
Now, if you still have the energy, look back at your notes and get out all the items that you need-paper plates, china, it’s not the fancy you are after, it’s just part of making your day easier on Thanksgiving and knowing where all your things are is crucial. For me, I have to find enough chairs, the tablecloths (I use two tables) the cloth napkins, the punch thingamabob, the blue glasses that I only use for holidays, the fancy silverware, and the extra serving bowls and whatnot. Nothing hard, just a lot of carrying that party stuff upstairs.
NOW you are ready! There is still time to do a grocery run if you forgot something, time to sit and rest when you need to, and time just to be still. All your organizing has paid off. Tomorrow, we tackle desserts and even some apps. For now, you are done.
I do want to share a recipe with you. My Squash Braided Bread is such a favorite. I often make this along with my dinner rolls because it’s such a tasty bread for sandwiches with the leftovers. If you want to use pumpkin, making your own puree is super simple, too.
Missed any of this year’s Thanksgiving Countdown? Here you go!
