How to Get Your House Thanksgiving Ready

I love the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Getting together with family and friends is the best thing about this time of year. Since I have owned my own home, I have fallen in love with hosting. Being able to create special memories for the people I love is one of my favorite things! One thing that can feel overwhelming is getting the house ready for hosting. You want the house to look spick and span but cozy and welcoming. You have to time the food prep and also make sure you have enough room for everything and everyone!

This year, Jake and I are hosting Thanksgiving and I am getting my house prepped starting this week. This will allow me to focus more on food prep next week allowing me to have a stress-free holiday! If this is your first time hosting and you’re already feeling stressed, don’t. I’ve got some simple tips to get your house Thanksgiving-ready ahead of time!

How to Get Your House Thanksgiving Ready

1. Clean out the refrigerator.

The first task is the biggest job I promise. Cleaning out the fridge allows you to do a small inventory so you can get rid of expired items or anything that has gone off. This creates space in there for food which is going to be helpful when you’re preparing the feast and also for any dishes that need to be kept cool. An additional tip I have for the day of your party is to move everything that you will not be using into a cooler to give yourself even more space! If it’s cold where you live, you can leave your cooler outside or fill some old milk cartons and freeze them to keep everything nice and cold.

2. Clean the oven.

The next thing that can be done ahead of time is to clean the oven. We have a self-cleaning oven so this job is pretty simple. All we need to do is turn it on and then once the cleaning cycle is done, go in and wipe it out. Our oven is in use pretty much all day so I want to make sure it is as clean as it can be.

3. Remove the clutter from the kitchen counters.

Space is essential if you’re going to be hosting. One of the things I like to do is remove unnecessary counter clutter to ensure I have as much space as possible. This will help you visualize how you want the food line to flow and gives you an area you can put any appetizers you are going to serve!

4. Clean the dishes and serving platters you’ll be using.

The dishes we use for hosting are different than our regular dinner plates. Since they sit in our china cabinet for most of the year, I like to run them through the dishwasher. This also allows me to confirm I have enough serving dishes and if I don’t I can ask someone to bring what I need. Another tip I have is to make sure that your dishwasher is empty to start off the day of. It makes getting everything cleaned up so much easier!

5. Launder your linens.

This really is just to make sure that the tablecloth is clean and to remove the wrinkles!

6. Clean and refresh the common areas where your guests will spend time.

I do a big clean of the downstairs the week before any get-together. Since this home is lived in though, I like to do a quick refresh the day before to make sure everything looks its best. Starting with the guest and powder bathrooms making sure they have plenty of TP and that the surfaces are clean. I make sure to sweep the kitchen and vaccum. I try not to spend a whole lot of time on this task.

7. Set your table the night before or first thing in the morning…or delegate this task!

Lastly, I like to set the table the night before or first thing when I come downstairs in the morning. This year we have a new kitten so this may also be something that I delegate to one of my guests when they arrive. Remember, take help when it is offered. You don’t have to do everything on your own on the day of your gathering. Delegating tasks will allow you to enjoy the day that much more!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving however you’re celebrating! Leave a comment below letting me know what your favorite Thanksgiving side dish is!

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