11 Easy Steps to Organize Your Home in Time for Thanksgiving!

Written by Mary Lutz

photo credit: bartkusa

Do you feel like your home is unorganized, unready for Holiday entertaining? Since becoming a WAHM, I find it hard sometimes to put down the laptop and pick up the clutter around my house! I am always thinking about the next article I need/want to write, the 300 items in my Google Reader, the 90 unread items in my inbox, the bills I need to enter in my web bill pay, the budget I need to balance, the Holiday shopping I need to do, the grocery shopping I need to do, the newest giveaway I need to blog and Tweet about…you get the idea and probably suffer the same thing if you are a WAHM.

So, how can we, as WAHM’s, quickly and easily get our homes in order for the Holidays? Here are 10 easy things to do each day until Thanksgiving. I know if I can do them, so can you!

1. 11 days until Thanksgiving- Organize cluttered closets. I had two closets that were driving me crazy, so I organized them today. I already feel like my house is cleaner…lol.

2. 10 days until Thanksgiving-Rearrange some interior decorations, like pictures, knick knacks, even furniture. I’m thinking that some items in one room will look better in another and vice-versa, so I’m going to have hubby and son help me rearrange some things. (Of course they will all get dusted as we move them!) This will give the house a fresh, new look.

3. 9 days until Thanksgiving-Clean off the front porch (or other cluttery area). The main entrance to our home is an enclosed front porch and of course it gets cluttered up very easily. There’s ten thousand pairs of shoes out there (slight exaggeration) from summer, golf clubs, swim mats, etc. that need to go out to the shed.

4. 8 days until Thanksgiving-Clean all bathrooms, then touch up over the next week, that way you don’t have to do a major cleaning just before the big day.

5. 7 days until Thanksgiving-Get all laundry done. Then do one load a day (if applicable) until Thanksgiving. This way you’re not trying to get it all done at once the day before Thanksgiving, and you will be able to relax Friday after Thanksgiving.

6. 6 days until Thanksgiving-Make sure all your Holiday dishes are clean and ready for entertaining. If you set a big spread, go ahead and start getting your table ready now with your fall and Thanksgiving decorations.

7. 5 days until Thanksgiving-Dust everything in the house. I hate dusting, but if I only have that to do for one day, it’s not so bad. Plus when everything is dusted, I feel like the house is so much cleaner.

8. 4 days until Thanksgiving-Pick up any clutter that has accumulated over the past few days and beyond. Throw away any unwanted mail, magazines, papers, etc. File the important papers, put your bills in their place (I have an ‘in’ box I use); clean off any messy areas like tables and countertops.

9. 3 days until Thanksgiving-Vacuum the entire house and mop all tile floors. Use a carpet deodorizer to give your house a fresh scent.

10. 2 days until Thanksgiving-Give your house a once over. If you’ve done all the things above, it should be quick and easy.

11. The day before Thanksgiving-Set up any extra tables you’re going to use for guests, finalize your decorations around the house and on the table.

If you follow these steps now, you’re home will be fresh and ready for company! And hopefully the only cleaning you will over the long weekend will be your left over dishes!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tags: get ready for thanksgiving, organize your home, Organize Your Home in Time for Thanksgiving, Show Mom the Money, Stay at Home Sanity