5 Tips to Enhance Your Gratitude and Your Mood This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving week is upon us – a time to gather  with family and friends and give thanks for our blessings this year. Hosting the family celebration can be stressful under the best of circumstances, so it’s always good to have a few self calming tricks up your sleeve. Even if you are going to be a guest at someone else’s feast, making your home more welcoming can help you feel grateful once you get home and sink into that post-feast food-induced coma.
 
While you are doing your last minute shopping, food prep and clean up, consider these tips to help your celebrations feel even more festive.
 
1. De-clutter, Sweep and de-cobweb your porch and rake up those leaves.  Nothing says “welcome” better than a tidy, clean porch.  This time of year, however you also are likely to have leaves everywhere.  Wet leaves are not only hard to clean up, they’re slippery too. For your safety (and your guests’) sweep up fallen leaves as soon as they begin to accumulate. You’ll appreciate how much nicer your entry way looks and you won’t have to worry about slipping.
 
 2. Fix that little thing that drives you nuts.  Do you have a slowly dripping sink?  What about that toilet that starts running in the middle of the night?  Maybe you have pictures that you’ve been meaning to hang, but you’ve never gotten around to it.
 
Set aside a few minutes and go through your home, looking for those little things you’ve been avoiding.  Imagine how wonderful it will feel when you don’t have to be “meaning to get that done” anymore!
 
3. Wipe down your refrigerator gaskets. An astonishing amount of energy leaks out of these gaskets if they aren’t clean. Have you ever “thought” you closed the door, only to turn around and see that it is still ajar?  Cleaning those gaskets can help with that too. Considering how many times you’ll be in and out of your refrigerator this week, making sure you have a clean tight seal will save energy and aggravation.
 
4. Give your wood floors a little Thanksgiving treat. Sweeping and using regular household cleaners can scratch, dull and damage your wood floor. Regular cleaning should include a dust mop or a vacuum (not a broom!). For deeper cleaning, use a liquid cleaner made specifically for wood floors. If your floor is still dull or damaged looking afterwards, consider hiring a professional to buff out and wax your floor.
 
5. Prepare for spills.  A spill at your Thanksgiving festivities won’t seem like a big  deal if you are prepared. Assemble an emergency spill kit.  Here are some ideas:

•   Extra absorbent paper towels – if you usually don’t buy these, treat yourself this week. You’ll appreciate the difference when Uncle Ted knocks over his soda or you have to sop up the gravy spill
•   Pickup some Scotch Guard “Wine Away.” This is a must have if you are serving red. It’s funny how often after a wine spill all of the guests have their own “thing they heard works on wine stains” that they think you should try. “Wine Away” isn’t expensive and will save you the trouble of participating in a group science experiment.
•   Baking Soda or Corn Starch can help lift gravy stains out of your carpet
•   A brown paper bag and a warm iron will lift candle wax out of fabric and carpet

We hope these hints will help you make the most out of this holiday week.
 
In closing, we’d like to say that we’re grateful for you!  Your support and trust mean so much and we truly appreciate your business.  We wish you and your loved ones a safe, happy (and delicious) Thanksgiving Day!
 
… And if you need any help with those little things that bug you, we’re here to help.   Read on for our November “Home For the Holidays” special.

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Is Your Home “Company Ready?”

It’s almost Thanksgiving (gasp) already.  Are you expecting overnight guests?  
 
During the course of the year, it’s easy to get used to how your home looks.  A little stack of stuff here or there is something you
may not even see.  Or your home may be in perfect order. But tidy or not, there are always special touches that are both simple and affordable to make that anyone, including overnight guests, feel especially welcome this holiday season.  Here are some ideas to help you seem like the ultimate host or hostess.
 
Is your porch welcoming?  It’s easy to get used to how our entry way looks. If there’s clutter on the porch, we may not notice, but a guest probably will. Spend 15 minutes a day tidying if doing it all at once seems overwhelming. Remember to sweep away any cobwebs and put away those Halloween decorations.  A pretty plant or an inexpensive door decoration with spruce up that entrance in a flash!
 
Does your entryway look (and smell) nice? We also get used to how our home smells. If you have pets, guests may notice a slight “doggy” or “kitty odor” if they don’t have pets of their own. A simple, inexpensive “fix” is an orange sachet.  Take an orange and pierce it in a pattern with a toothpick.  Insert whole cloves into each hole. Arrange clove decorated oranges in a bowl in your entry way and viola! Your entryway smells like the holidays in an instant.
 
Say “Welcome to our home” elegantly. Tiny inexpensive gifts, festively wrapped, make a great decoration and can be a simple, yet elegant way to say “welcome.”  Small boxes of chocolates, soap or other consumable sundries can be wrapped in bright gift wrap and displayed in a beautiful basket or bowl.  We think ‘consumable’ is best, because you never know who feels like they already have “too much stuff.”
 
Do you have special comforts for overnight guests?  Nothing says “I am so glad you’re staying with us tonight” like the little things. Extra throws and pillows on the guest bed will keep guests feeling cozy, no matter how low you set that thermostat at night.  Consider having bottled water and snacks available in the guest room. Your guests will enjoy the convenience and won’t have to worry about waking you up in the middle of the night if they’re craving a “midnight snack.”
 
Is the bathroom welcoming?  You don’t need to spend a lot of money to brighten up your bath and make guests feel pampered.  Special soap, scented candles and freshly washed fluffy towels will do the trick.  Consider purchasing travel toothpaste and brush just in case something is forgotten.
 
Where will guests put their clothes? That can be the million dollar question if your guest room is designated for other uses.  Now is a great time to check and see if there’s space for guests to hang clothes and stow their bags.I highly recommend, if you have a bar for hanging clothes in the closet that has been unused for a time, that you test it and make sure it will support weight.
 
There is nothing more embarrassing than having a guest attempt to hang up an outfit and bang! The clothes rod comes crashing down. Well, nothing except…
 
What if it rains? Are your gutters cleared out? There is little more embarrassing than your guest being awakened by rain sheeting off of the roof because gutters are clogged up. The only thing worse might be if they’re awakened by the drip drip drip of a leak caused by that clogged up gutter! Now (before the rains really set in) is a great time to get those gutters cleared out.
 
If your guest closet needs a new clothes rod, you need help storing stuff in the attic to make room for guests OR you need help clearing out your gutter, we can help!  Read on for our November “Home For the Holidays” special.

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