Getting Your Kitchen Holiday Ready

As the last of your candy is taken and the trick-or-treaters go to bed, it may seem like the time to rest after another great October… but the end of Halloween means November has begun, and you still aren't ready for the following holidays! Have no fear! The People 1st Team is here!

Thanksgiving tends to be a holiday that places a significant emphasis on your kitchen. It may be a little late for a complete renovation, but here are a few tips to maximize what you're already rocking to impress your in-laws, neighbors, friends, or some lonely soldiers who'd otherwise be stuck in the barracks (earnestly - If you can, invite a soldier in your unit over. For many, this is their first Thanksgiving away from home).

CLEAN

My fiance always gets on me about this, and I admit that she's probably right (okay, she is, but don't tell her I said that). Thanksgiving cleaning is a different ballgame, though. In addition to your routine, this is the perfect time to:

• Clear out your fridge and pantry - Trust me! You don't even know how much-expired stuff is probably hiding behind your everyday use items!
• Clean out your oven - self-cleaning functions for the win
• Test your oven's temperature
• Use something like this so that you don't end up wrongly blaming Marie Callender for burning your pie.

Proper Equipment

Your Thanksgiving turkey is likely the single most giant dish you cook all year. I'm sure you've already planned for the ridiculous amount of words to be served and the containers for leftovers. Still, my first time making a turkey dinner left me woefully unprepared and improvising as I assumed everyday dishes could handle that behemoth… I was wrong.

• If you're feeling fancy, splurge a little for the Mr. Captain Roasting Pan.
• If not, save $100 and stick with this Carbon Steel Roaster Pot.
• Spend the $10 and grab a digital thermometer. Nobody likes medium-rare poultry.
• If you're a regular in the kitchen or on the grill, first off… invite me over. Second, the MEATER is too good to pass up.

Decorate

The holiday season is brutal in terms of switching decorations around. If you're like me, you want to spend only one-day swapping items each month.

• Focus on having a few central decorations and then holiday-specific placemats, napkins, and scents.
• Halloween: Go with some of the Home Depot "limited edition" items, some fake cobwebs, and then some spooky lighting around the house.

• Thanksgiving: Put some pumpkins out front (turn your Jack-O-Lanterns around), a wreath on the door, a cornucopia as a centerpiece inside, a tablecloth, napkins, and some fall-related scents.

*Pro tip* If you want an easy way to have themed lighting for every occasion at the press of a button, check out these artistic lights and these regular bulb replacements. Get the same brand for all connected lighting to function with one app. Learn from my mistakes.

Plan Your Recipes

There's nothing worse than realizing you're missing an ingredient at the 13th hour. While you can probably google to find a good enough replacement that you do have, the holidays are stressful enough.

• Print out, bookmark, or memorize your recipes in advance.
• Could you check against what you currently have in your house and make a list?
• You can use your favorite online shopping cart.
• Give yourself about a week of leeway to ensure you get your order on time!

Entertainment

I hope you have some fun games planned while cooking if people plan to come over early.

• My family used to do "cooking" competitions where the kids would make as fancy of a dessert as possible with a handful of ingredients like whipped cream, sprinkles, mini cookies, and chocolate sauce or something - get creative with it!
• There are also easy-to-make games like pin the tail (or hat) on the turkey.
• If you don't have time to make that yourself, here's an easy buy.
• I've always enjoyed new-age board games if it's more of an older crowd.
• A family favorite is Splendor because it's relatively quick and easy to learn. 

WOW Factors

I have been described as an Amazon fiend, and I always buy ridiculous items. Lucky for you, we've narrowed down a few of those random purchases that have ended up being pretty solid:

• This mounted spice rack is an absolute crowd-pleaser, but there seems to be a new model in town since I purchased it if you'd prefer the upgraded version.
• Is the area under your sink overcrowded? No longer with these Under Sink Organizers!
• These storage containers are excellent for consolidating bulk items in your pantry.
• These cabinet door organizers are the only thing we use for our cutting boards now, and it's much more convenient!
• It will only go well if something perishable is in plain sight. If it's got to be in plain sight, at least make it like this veggie/fruit storage.
• No kitchen is complete without some sweet cabinet under lighting. I've used these stick-on puck lights for a quick fix without an outlet or these strip lights if you have an outlet available and want to customize your lighting.
• Now, this last piece is a double-edged sword. My fiance loves it because it makes our bottom cabinets much more organized, but it still takes up a lot of space. So, I'll give both choices for pot/pan storage. She prefers this organizer for the cabinet, and I like the efficiency of a hanging rack. Let us know which you want. If I'm right, I'll rub it in. If I'm wrong, I'll take it to the grave!

And there you have it! You're ready for the holiday season with a day or two of work plus prime shipping! While preparing your kitchen for the holidays, you may start seeing more significant aspects of your kitchen that you want to change. If that's the case, check out our article on kitchen renovations to get some advice on pricing, what's the most impactful, what styles are in now, and what your expected return when you sell is!