It is not too early to spend some time thinking about and planning for the holidays. I sat down last night and looked at my November and December Calendar. November will bring two family birthdays as well as a Samaritan's Purse Shoe Box Party and of course Thanksgiving, I have a Women's Ministry Tea, two events at my home as well as two weddings during the month so my "to do" list is already growing in length. I enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas and love having people over for dinner and parties, but only when I take some time before hand to both plan and prep for those dinners and parties. Here's my list of things I will do in the next few weeks. I hope it helps you to free yourself from the stress that the holidays can bring and lets you better enjoy being creative and reaching out in love to your family, friends and neighbors.
1. Go over the calendar and mark important cannot be moved or ignored event dates.
2. Plan how many times you want to host people in your home. If you don't want to host any parties, have anyone over a meal or will be going to visit family for Thanksgiving and Christmas think about how you can make the holidays special for your family or the people you will be visiting.
3. Create a guest list and menu for each event. Think about how and when you want invitations to go out and write it on your calendar.
4. Think through what decorations you want to use and check on the condition of Thanksgiving tablecloths and decorations now so you won't be surprised if you pull out you favorites the day before the big feast to find damage and stains.
5. Do fall cleaning. Like spring cleaning, fall cleaning is a deeper type of cleaning and also a time to put away all of the summers stuff like beach towels, patio furniture, and decor. I pay my kids to help me do jobs like washing baseboards and walls, checking ceilings for cob webs and cleaning fans. We also vacuum behind and under couches and chairs, wipe out light fixtures and clean blinds.
6. Create a time line plan for each event you've decided on. This should include plans to prebake and make food for the event, any cleaning or errands needed, etc. You can do this in a family meeting and assign tasks to each member who will be participating. Do as much food prep before the day of the event as possible. Pick foods with this in mind. Some desserts and breads can be made as much as a month ahead. Pies can be made a day or two ahead and even tasks like cooking rice and cutting up vegetables can be done before the day of your event (store in a bag or container with a tight fitting lid). Sweet potatoes and squash can be roasted the day before too.
7. Don't forget to plan what you and your family will wear. I have done this and it's not fun to realize about thirty minutes before your guests come that you don't have a clean pair of jeans or that your daughter's party dress needs to be ironed.
8. Think about what you guests will see as the come up to your house or apartment. Sweep off the front porch and clean the front door. Decorating with pots of live plants is easy and will give you weeks of color to enjoy.
9. Someday when you have been away from home for a few hours take the time to stop at your front door. When you open the door use your senses to "experience" your home. What do you see, is it welcoming? What do you smell? What do you hear? Think about how you can create a welcome for your guests by making sure that clutter is banished and off putting smells are dealt with (wet dog, kitty litter box, stinky trash cans, running shoes stored near the front entrance, etc.) there are many ways to scent a home for very little money - just placing bowls of lemons and oranges around will help as well as recharging old potpourri with essential oils. Simmering a mixture of cinnamon, orange peels, cloves and water can scent a whole house quickly too. Just make sure you keep the heat on low and replace water as needed. What mood are you going for at the gathering you are hosting? Music will help set the tone.
10. When you have planned and prepped, cleaned and dressed remember that hospitality is not about how good you are at hosting, but rather how you can bless those who have come to your home. Don't freak out over mistakes or accidents. You set the emotional tone of the gathering. Laugh at yourself and give yourself grace to flub something up and give others grace to spill a drink or drop cranberry sauce on your rug. peroxide and Oxiclean can work wonders.
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