#Thanksgiving recipes don’t need to take all day to be delicious, says Taste of Home. In fact, there are plenty of sides and desserts that can be made in less time than it takes for a Domino’s pizza to arrive — and they will taste a whole lot better! Quick takes on the classics include skillet stuffing, green beans and bacon, mashed potatoes with horseradish breadcrumbs, and more. You can make multiple sides and appetizers in the time it takes to roast a turkey, or just use the time you save to do something else — take a fall hike, watch a movie or #declutter the basement, for example. Keep your #holiday simple! #EasiestThanksgiving
Tag: declutter
Do a Pre-Holiday Decluttering
It may be hard to believe, but the #holidays are right around the corner! Two weeks from now, you’ll be enjoying a #Thanksgiving feast; then, it’s on to the big shopping and gift grabs of the Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa season.
Do yourself a favor, and #declutter ahead of those holiday events. Whether you’re going to be hosting or not, #streamlining your home and weeding out your extra #stuff will help you get ready for seasonal #celebrations with less stress.
Start with the #kitchen. You may be baking cookies, contributing a side dish to the potluck or hosting a family feast. Go through your cabinets and drawers, and pull out anything that’s broken, cracked or chipped. #Trash and #recycle these items immediately.
If you find anything you haven’t used in more than a year or is ever-so-slightly less than perfect but still could be of use to someone, set it aside in a box or bag and #schedule a #free #donation #pickup with ClothingDonations.org.
Before you know it, your kitchen will be streamlined and ready to churn out that green-bean casserole or roast turkey with no fuss. Why? Because you’ll be able to find the cooking tools, serving dishes and dinnerware you need quickly because you’ve eliminated the #clutter!
Next, do the same thing as you get any #holiday #décor items out of #storage. Are some of your table linens worn and stained? Are those strings of twinkly lights half-lit? Clean and fix them if you can, and #trash them if you can’t. And again, you can #donate anything that no longer makes the cut.
“I love a good declutter before the holiday season,” professional organizer Carly Adams told Real Simple. “The best time to #declutter and #tidy the spaces you’ll be using to #host guests is before the social expectations of the holidays are here.”
Prepare your home for the holidays now! With a quick #decluttering, you’ll be able to everything you really need faster, reduce the stress surrounding holiday gatherings and have a happier holiday season. #HolidayDeclutttering
Donate Stuff to Veterans in Honor of Their Service
The easiest way to #honor those who served this Veterans Day is to #clean out and #declutter a drawer, #closet, room or #storage space; find still-useful clothing and household items that you no longer need or want; and #donate them to ClothingDonations.org. A driver will arrive at your home on the scheduled day and whisk away that extra #junk, leaving you with a tax-deductible receipt and all the extra #space you rediscovered. It won’t take long to gather several bags or boxes for #pickup, so you can still make the Veterans Day #parade, memorial or banquet after you purge. #VeteransDay
It’s Time to Clean and Organize the Garage
Meant to hold an automobile and (maybe) a few tools or outdoor items, the #garage tends to attract all kinds of #stuff. Out of sight and mostly out of mind, the garage can quickly become a dumping ground for old #clothing, #boxes of memorabilia, extra furniture, sporting goods and tons of other items that don’t immediately find a place elsewhere.
The change of seasons is a great time to clean out the garage and #organize the things that make the most sense to house there — including your car. But before you start to #purge and #clean, “think about how your garage can best serve you and sketch out a plan to achieve an end result you’re happy with,” says Martha Stewart.
Examine your garage #storage needs. Maybe you have a lot of sporting goods — bicycles, watercraft or camping gear, for example. Perhaps you’re an avid gardener and need a dry space to store shovels, rakes, the lawnmower and other equipment. And of course, anything to do with a motor vehicle and its maintenance should have a space here, too.
Once you have a plan, pick a mild day and empty the garage out. Dust the rafters, sweep and vacuum, and wipe down the flat surfaces. Eliminate common nuisances such as spider webs and wasps’ nests. Sweep and mop the floors with a soapy solution or something stronger if you want to get rid of engine oil stains.
Then, wipe down whatever you decide to keep in the garage and return it to a dedicated #space. “Now is the time to create additional storage solutions,” Martha Stewart notes, by installing overhead racks and shelves for boxes and bins, pegboard #organizers for tools, hooks for bikes and kayaks, and a bench for gardening equipment.
Anything that prefers climate-controlled storage such as paper goods and fabric items should probably find a home indoors in a (dry) basement or closet. And anything you no longer need or want that doesn’t fit into your newly #organized garage can go to ClothingDonations.org by arranging a #free #donation #pickup at your convenience.
A clean and organized garage might be a place where you’ll want to spend more time when the weather permits. You may even be able to park your car there!
Fall Fashion for the Fastidious Declutterer
September is when the haute couture #fashion houses release their new designs for the year. And while few people can afford to shop the actual runway looks of Paris, New York and Milan themselves, the annual tradition helps set the trends and drives demand for new #clothing at every price point.
This year, the hottest #fall #fashions for women include the relaxed suit, the track pant, the draped top and the corduroy vest, according to Vogue. Men will be wearing knit hoodies, cardigans, rollneck sweaters and long trenchcoats, GQ says.
If you follow the #styles, you may have a lot of #clothes from past seasons in your #closets and drawers. Some may fit perfectly and look great season after season, while other garments may be a bit snug, outdated or just plain unflattering.
With the weather starting to turn cooler and new fall styles hitting the stores, it’s a great time to take stock of your #wardrobe. Do so before you start any fall clothes #shopping, so everything will have a place in your #closet and your personal style.
Start by purging your #closets and #drawers. Take everything out and try things on. Sort your clothes into “love it,” “hate it” and “maybe” piles, says fashion blogger Jo-Lynne Shane. The love-its can eventually go back in the closet, and the hate-its — at least the lightly used ones — can go directly into a #donation pile.
Clothes that just don’t get worn can go in the donation pile, too; there’s no benefit to save #garments for someday. “Once you ruthlessly purge your closet and get rid of all the stuff you don’t wear and don’t love, you can start to rebuild your wardrobe into one you will love to wear,” Shane says.
Once you’re done, you might be surprised at all of the #space you once dedicated to unflattering, ill-fitting and otherwise useless clothing. Contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup and say goodbye to those garments for good.
Afterward, reward yourself with one or two new pieces if you feel like it. You’ll have a streamlined, stylish wardrobe in no time and help the nation’s #veterans, to boot!