Hosting Thanksgiving is an honor. It’s a time for families to come together to be thankful and this year I think we are all just a little more thankful than ever before given the state of our world!
If you’re having guests this Thanksgiving, here are the top ways to prepare your home for your guests to make them feel at home and you at ease.
🦃 Declutter
Focus on the ‘main areas’ of your home. Get rid of the clutter and make room for guests. What makes your house feel like a home may get in the way when it’s more than just your family members. Put things aside just for now (store them in closets or in the basement) to open up space for everyone.
Now’s a great time for some seasonal cleaning tasks. Not as strenuous as spring cleaning, but a good fall clean is good too.
Dust off the window treatments, wash the windows, dust/wash the baseboards, and deep clean the stove and oven. Most guests will spend their time in the kitchen and main gathering room, so focus on those areas. Give your window treatments a quick vacuum or steam, get in the nooks and crannies of your baseboards, and clear out the cobwebs and dust.
🦃 Clean the Fridge
Thanksgiving is all about food, so you’ll need plenty of room in the fridge. By now your turkey should be thawing, but don’t forget about all the other goodies you’ll make. Casseroles you make ahead of time need a place to sit, as do the drinks, and don’t forget the delicious desserts.
As you clean your fridge, make sure there’s plenty of room for leftovers. They often take up more room than the meal prep. If you’re like most people and tend to cook too much, you’ll have plenty of delicious leftovers for the weekend, but make sure there’s room for them to avoid a stressful evening.
🦃 Change your Air Filters
You probably only think of what you can see when preparing your home for Thanksgiving, but this year especially, we need to think about air circulation.
Change out the air filters and clean your vents. Get air circulating through your home so any germs don’t remain stagnant.
🦃 Keep Windows Open
Even though there’s a chill in the air, consider keeping windows cracked to keep the air circulating. Not only will it keep the air fresher, but it will cool down your home. If you have many guests, you may find it gets warm real fast, especially with the oven on all day cooking the bird.
🦃 Deep Clean Bathrooms
Decide which bathrooms your guests will use and deep clean them. Also, look around, do you need any quick repairs? How many towels do you have available? Stock up on disposable towels for your guests so you don’t have to worry about sharing any germs. Check the soap bottles and stock up on toilet paper in your cabinets.
🦃 Dress your Table
Thanksgiving is a great time to create a welcoming table. Dress it with gorgeous centerpieces, a table runner, and/or place mats. Will you use table cards or let everyone sit where they want? If you have a kids’ table, make it fun for the kids by adding Thanksgiving themed coloring pages or placemats.
🦃 Have Fun
Most importantly, relax and have fun this Thanksgiving holiday. This has been a year no one could ever predict. If you’re lucky enough to be with family this holiday, enjoy it. Spend time talking and reminiscing and less time stressing about what your house looks like. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s to be grateful for the people in our lives. Spend time expressing your gratitude and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
