Tips for the Week of Thanksgiving
The secret to a really happy Thanksgiving Dinner is serving the classics that your family loves and looks forward to. With your menu planned and lists prepared, you should be organized and on your way to entertaining your guests. I’m looking forward to having our family and friends around the table and a wonderful weekend! Two days before: - Defrost your turkey and get all the fresh and perishable ingredients you need at your local market. If you are organized, this should be your last trip to the store If you are having out of town guests, be sure the guest room and bathroom are in order. I include a luggage rack, extra hangers, a blow dryer, iron and ironing board and for a final touch, I always place a bottled water on the nightstands
-Bake pies and desserts This is also a good time to set out butter, salt and pepper and the water pitcher. Be sure that champagne, white wine, bottled water and soda are in the refrigerator or on ice. The Morning of Thanksgiving: -If you are serving breakfast, make it an easy one in preparation and cleaning The Final Touches: -Turn on the music I hope these tips help make your Thanksgiving Day everything you desire it to be. Happy Organizing! - Mrs. O Photos from MarthaStewart.com
Setting A Thanksgiving TableIt’s almost time to feast and we have the ingredients for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner! Be sure to check out our Thanksgiving section where you will find our cook’s tools, baking tools, everything you might need to set your Thanksgiving table, china storage, and the perfect hostess gifts. Don’t forget to take inventory of the food storage you’ll need for the leftovers everyone looks forward to.
As you know, I love entertaining for any holiday, but when it comes to Thanksgiving, I definitely show my passion. I was really in the mood for a fall harvest setting on the dinner table this year and found the perfect plan. While in flight last month, I was scouring the November issue of Martha Stewart Living (as I usually do each month) – and there it was! A Harvest Table filled with wonderful splashes of color and warmth created with fresh fruits, dried gourds and whole walnuts filling the table. Dried and hollowed gourds are transformed into tableware and piled high with pears and walnuts. They are also used as votive holders and even small salt and pepper servers. The napkin rings are made of grapevine wreaths and tied with simple velvet ribbon. The finishing touch…that I absolutely adore…includes a very perfect Pear Place Card. They are simple to assemble and will complete the look that I’m after for this year. Whether you are planning a feast for a crowd or something more intimate, get inspired by those natural elements around you this year. Festive fall leaves, your personal style and all their favorite things on the table are really what your guests look forward to the most! For these and other wonderful table setting ideas, visit www.marthastewart.com/thanksgiving. Happy Organizing! Mrs. O
Thanksgiving Prep ChecklistThanksgiving is getting closer and so is the list of things you’ll need to accomplish to make it everything you want it to be. From your guest list and shopping lists to any additional items you might need for those extra guests, here’s our list to keep you organized and on track. Two Weeks Before:
One Week Before:
We’d love for you to post a comment with some of your Thanksgiving tips and ideas. Let’s hear it! Happy Organizing! - Mrs. O
Plan The Perfect ThanksgivingThanksgiving is the most celebrated American holiday of the year and absolutely my favorite. It brings our family together to share a fall harvest filled with tradition and family recipes that we all look forward to. This year more than ever, keep in mind that traditions, giving thanks and family and friends around the table are what will make for a Thanksgiving to remember.
It’s important to go back to basics this year and keep it simple. Delegate or graciously accept offers for guests to bring their favorite or specialty recipe. Whatever you decide your menu to be, the warmth of your home, good food, wine and conversation will give everyone something to be thankful for. Plan a family game this year as you enjoy each other over dessert. Sharing memories of past Thanksgiving dinners, funny stories about a “famous” relative, or finding out just how much everyone knows (or doesn’t know!) about the story of Thanksgiving can be great fun. Being organized will help you to prepare and plan for a stress free holiday. To get you started, we’ve put together some of my tips to keep you on track along the way. Also check out this wonderful recipe from Martha Stewart for a Perfect Roasted Turkey with a chestnut stuffing. Maybe I’ll shake things up a bit this year and try a new one! 3 Weeks Before Happy Organizing! Mrs. O
Halloween PumpkinsIf you are still looking for just the right Pumpkin Carving ideas and finishing touches for your Halloween bash, I found some of my favorites at marthastewartliving.com. For any entrance “Caught In The Web”, a brilliantly lit path to your haunted house and Spooky Silhouettes that will set the mood at your Halloween table, see these and more at Martha Stewart’s Halloween Central.
Carving a Pumpkin: Use the right tools. A long serrated knife or a Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin-carving knife with teeth is the best tool for carving the thick flesh of a pumpkin. If you are marking your pumpkin or using stencils, use a sawing motion and take your time for the best results. Cut the top at an angle, rather than straight down. This will stop the lid from falling straight in. While holding the pumpkin like a bowl in your arms, scoop out the seeds and pulp with a large spoon. This will give you the most leverage to scoop. For a simple face, draw eyes, a nose and mouth on a clean pumpkin. A felt tip pen works great. Cut out your features and push through from the inside out. Carve a small indentation in the bottom of the pumpkin to hold a candle. When you are happy with your pumpkin, add a votive candle to create a spooky Jack-O-Lantern.
Happy Organizing! Mrs. O
Share Your Passion For Organization Here!We know you have a passion for organization too, so we’re reaching out to our readers since it’s all about sharing during the holiday season (and throughout the year). What’s your favorite Thanksgiving time-saving tip, savvy shortcut or traditional family recipe? Share it with us here and we’ll try to feature it in our Thanksgiving NEAT Idea Guide. It starts November 1st…so hurry! Happy Organizing! Mrs. O
Gal To Gal Twitter Sitewarming Party!I’m so excited to participate in this sitewarming party! It’s such a great cause and everyone we know is donating time, resources and looking forward to what we know will be a successful event. I’m proud to be a part of it and hope you will join us tomorrow night.
Join us this Wednesday as we sitewarm the virtual walk site from 9 to 10 p.m. EDT on Twitter using the hashtag #galtogalwalk. For those new to Twitter parties, we suggest you go to http://tweetchat.com/ and put in the #galtogalwalk tag. Please keep an eye on the following Twitter users who will be helping out with the event: @designhergal – Jeanne Fitzmaurice from the Gal to Gal Foundation @Girlfriendology – Gal to Gal sponsor @kristacolvin – Gal to Gal sponsor @JessicaKnows – Gal to Gal sponsor @SugarJones – Gal to Gal sponsor @organizeddotcom – Gal to Gal sponsor @mrsOrganized – Gal to Gal sponsor @ResourcefulMom – co-host, crowd control, prize distributor, and Gal to Gal sponsor Prizes! Yes, this is all for a great cause, but the Gal to Gal Walk put together a fun list of prizes to be given away during the party. - The buzz-worthy new book by Beth Feldman, @rolemommy on Twitter. To Enter:
Happy Organizing! Mrs. O
Go Pink!As you know, October is National Breast Cancer month and it does seem that the whole country turns pink! At Organize.com we are proud to offer an assortment of products that help give back to a well deserved community of fighters and survivors. A portion of the proceeds from our “Go Pink” products will be donated to Breast Cancer research all year round. This year we have decided to put our support behind a very special organization, the Gal to Gal Foundation – one of the few international non-profits who dedicate 100% of their resources to Stage IV breast cancer patients and their families. For those of you who are not familiar, Stage IV is the most critical stage of this disease and at this time is considered incurable.
Here is how it works: Click on the following link Gal To Gal Walk
You can find me by clicking “Search for Friends” under Organize.com. Let’s make a big difference this month! I will be looking for you. Happy Organizing! Mrs. O
Fall is Here and Halloween is in the AirDid you happen to see Martha Stewart and Meredith Viera yesterday morning on the Today Show? Martha was sharing (and cooking) a pumpkin soup that looked delish. The maple roasted pumpkin salad sounded great but, pumpkin seed brittle and pumpkin ice cream sandwiches? Oh my. I’ll make it easy and link to the recipes. Along with some great menu ideas, there were some great table decorating ideas. There was a fabulous Black Glittered Chandelier piece that stood tall on the counter and would be perfect on the buffet table. We found these chandeliers that we thought would be great for Halloween and the Holiday season. It’s official, fall is here and Halloween is in the air. Enjoy and Happy Organizing! Mrs. O
Halloween Greetings At Your DoorCreating a fun and festive entrance is so easy. Fresh pumpkins in all sizes are a great and inexpensive way These couple of items and some great pumpkins got me off to a good start with my Halloween decorating and took only about 30 minutes. Happy Organizing! Mrs. O
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One Day Before:
As with any entertaining or party planning, the preparation time should be organized and done in advance in order to enjoy the event itself. With the right plan and checklists, you will be able to enjoy your guests and join in the holiday celebration and have fun.
Also be sure to see one of my Halloween favorites for fall baking. I love this 
During October we will be inviting you to join the Organize.com Team on a “virtual walk” across America. Our efforts will help grant over 100 wishes this holiday season. These wishes include trips for the family, off-setting medical expenses, special beds, and even video cameras. It only takes a few minutes to join and it is fun! That’s our team in the picture!
Inspired by the ornate scroll chandelier, this ornament looks fantastic when added in groups at different height levels. They will dazzle any party.
to decorate for Halloween. Mixing shapes and sizes make a great look. Once you have the pumpkins down, add a wreath and welcome mat to complete the look. A cute welcome mat can put a smile on someone’s face any time, and this 
From there, I added several sets of 
