5 Things to do Before Thanksgiving

Most places are already advertising winter holidays. But, let's just take it one event at a time, shall we? Here are some easy things to do before Thanksgiving that will make you, well... more thankful.

1) Decorate. Maybe that means simply throwing away your jack-o-lantern. Maybe that means making elaborate cornucopias. Or, maybe you don't decorate for any holidays. More power to you - less stuff to keep around the rest of the year!

2) Plan a menu. It doesn't matter if you're hosting or going to the home of someone else. You're going to eat a meal on Thanksgiving. Do you have to cook anything? What ingredients do you need? When will you need to cook it? If you're not doing any of those things, start thinking about where to order take out! (Have I mentioned how much I love food?)

3) Plan what you're going to wear. Again, this will depend on your plans. Maybe you need a formal outfit - a dress or sweater and slacks. Perhaps you're spending time with a t-shirt and jeans group of folks. Better yet, if you're ordering take-out, stay in your pajamas!

4) Get all those things you've been meaning to donate to your local charity. Finally. Help some other person or family have another reason to be thankful this season. It's not helping anyone if you're bags of old clothes are still in the hall closet come December.

5) Be thankful. That you have a home to decorate, food to put in your belly, clothes to wear and a way to help someone less fortunate than your self.

A Peak Inside an Organizer's Kitchen

I've organized a lot of kitchens. It's one of my favorite spots to tackle for a couple reasons: I love food and I I love cooking. I get excited finding new gadgets and seeing beautiful serving pieces. It's also an awesome bonus that getting rid of old food creates automatic open space! Let's take a look at how I set up my own kitchen:

Spices: For years now I've been setting up all my spices in drawers instead of the traditional tiered rack in a cabinet. Mostly, that has to do with what cabinet and drawer space I have available in my kitchen. Notice that I've lined the spices in alphabetical order. It's the quickest way I can find what I'm looking for, instead of say, baking vs. cooking. Oddly shaped spices (boxes and bags) are set to one side to streamline the jars as best as possible.

Food: This is one of my food cabinets; I don't have a pantry. On the top shelf are items I don't often grab.
One bin has sprinkles, and one bin has baking extras like extracts and baking chips. The middle shelf houses items I reach for from time to time: one bin of pasta, one bin of other grains and cereals to the side. Below are all my oils, vinegars and sauces - things I reach for almost every day.

Containers: Everyone asks. I personally stack like sized containers together with their lids inside. If I had the space I'd stack all the containers, lidded. But alas, I do not.

Utensils: In this drawer you'll notice that I've separated out plastic wear to the left, knives to the right and other sharps in the bin in the back. Within the utensil tray I also
separated different sizes of spoons and forks. It's easier for my tiny hands to grab the spoon I want this way!

Baking: If you know me, you know I love to bake! This drawer houses all my baking prep supplies. Measuring spoons and cups are nested together. Utensils like spatulas and scoops are tossed together in the tray on the right. Bowls are nested, while small tools are gathered in the front right bin. FYI, those silicone rings are used on the rolling pin to create different thicknesses of dough. Awesome, right?!

What's your organizing challenge in the kitchen?

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