Holiday Shopping Tips

Unless you have your heart set on one particular item, skip standing in line for the store to open. Instead, plan to arrive after the first wave of crowds have swarmed in and left; like 10AM. A bonus is a lot of stores extend their door buster sales well beyond the first hour or two.

Leave your heavy coat in your car or at home. You will not be cold in the stores and you need your arms to be empty so you have room to carry all of your purchases!

Eat lunch early or later than usual to avoid the peek crowds at the food court. Maybe go early at 11AM or wait until later at 2PM.

Bring the store flyer with you. You will want to have it handy in case there isn’t a copy at the checkout. No one wants to have to get out of line to talk to a manager concerning a discrepancy in price.

Don’t think that you will be able to just dash in and get the one thing that you want. It will be busy and take longer than a usual shopping trip. When planning your trip, take into consideration more traffic, longer time to find a parking space and long lines at the checkout.

Create a list of stores that you want to visit. If you are visiting a large mall, you might want to map out your destinations.

Bring a friend! Shopping is more fun if you share it with a friend. You will want someone to share in the thrill of finding that perfect item at an amazing price.

Thanksgiving Meal Prep Tips

At least 1 week before Thanksgiving- decide who will be the host this year, who will be attending and ask attendees to bring a dish.

4-5 days before- plan your menu, check your recipes and create your shopping list. Remember to include beverages on your list. Create a timeline for side dishes; what time to start the prep and when they needed to be heated or baked.

2-3 days before- go to the supermarket.

The day before- plan for the Big day; decide what time you will need to put the turkey in the oven. Double check your menu to make sure you have adequate oven space of all of the dishes you are planning to make. Locate all of the dishes and bowls that you will need along with prep items and serving utensils and make sure that they are clean. If space allows, set your table. Begin to chop items that you will need for the next day.

The day of- finish any prep that you didn’t get to the previous day. Before you begin to cook, look over your timeline, make any necessary adjustments. Your timeline is one of the best ways to assure that all of the food will be finished and ready to serve at the same time. No one wants the gravy to start to get cold and lumpy all because the potatoes aren’t even boiling yet! Remember to remove any items from the freezer that need to thaw in time for dinner.

Get cooking and enjoy!

Hostess Tips

Before the cooking gets underway take a quick tour of your house; include the bathrooms and the kitchen.

Is the dishwasher empty and ready for the heavy duty load that is sure to come?

Do you have enough ice?

Is the trash can empty?

Are bathrooms stocked with hand towels and toilet paper? Do a quick wipe down cleaning of bathrooms.

Grab a basket and pick up a few items of clutter as you go; if the items can’t easily be put away, at least they are in a basket. Place the basket out of sight.

Vacuum the high traffic areas of your house and the entire house will instantly look like it’s just been cleaned.

Decide where you will store guests’ coats.

Expect the unexpected and roll with it. Anything can happen at a holiday gathering, an extra guest could decide to show up, a family member could forget to bring a dish to share or bring an item that doesn’t quite go with the meal you have planned. Relax and make the best of it!

An uninvited pet is one of the most difficult things to deal with at a family gathering. Make it clear to guests ahead of time whether or not their pet is invited. It might be necessary to remind people of any allergies your children may have or a baby who is learning to walk.

Table Time

If your family has the tradition of each person saying what they are thankful for when you sit down to dinner, it is a good idea to talk to your children about this ahead of time. It can be embarrassing or uncomfortable for children to think quickly with an entire table full of people staring at them. If you’ve already talked about it, your child will easily be able to come up with 2 or 3 options that they’d like to share. For young children or for those who are extremely shy, they can draw a picture to show their thankful item and share it at dinner.