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.