Countdown Daily Messages

In the USA, we're preparing for Thanksgiving--and in 2020, this day will be a celebration unlike any other in memory.  With a looming public health crisis, families must celebrate differently this year.

But we will celebrate ... and we will be thankful.  Singly or in twos, gathered at a distance or via technology, we will reflect on our blessings and celebrate our abundance.

Happy Thanksgiving, America ... and the world.  

It's a race! Watching our neighborhood over the past weekend, I had to smile. First one, then three, then an even dozen of our neighbors mounted their entries for the year's holiday light show.

There's something special about a holiday house!

This weekend sees a long standing Thanksgiving tradition: on Black Friday, I will scour the storage room, drag out the boxes, and begin decorating for Christmas. 

Lighted garlands, fresh poinsettias, bright bows will change the entire feeling of my home. That evening, I'll cuddle little Fraser, my West Highland White Terrier, and admire my new, newly decorated domain.

Thanksgiving's arrived, and we're in the home stretch to the Christmas season: welcome to Decorate Week!

Today, it's time to take stock of all we've achieved, and chart a course for the remainder of the Organized Christmas Countdown.

Where are you with your holiday preparations? Ahead of the game this year? Congratulations! 

As Get Cooking Week comes to a close, we look ahead to next week's Thanksgiving feast--and the kick-off to the holiday season.

Today's assignments wrap up final Get Cooking chores:  stocking the freezer and checking last-minute shopping lists.

Finally, we finish the week by thinking ahead to upcoming Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales. Ready? Get organized ... for a great holiday season!

Dreaming of holiday baking? For many of us, kitchen creations are integral to the holiday spirit. 

We love the feeling of family connection as we tuck pie crust into grandmother's pie dish, or when we follow a candy recipe written in a great-grandmother's spidery hand.

But when is enough enough? It's too easy to take on more baking than we can handle!

Brace yourselves! Holiday cooking season is upon us. 

From now until after the New Year, busy kitchens are the norm, like it or not. 

What better time for a quick refrigerator declutter? Clearing the decks in the big cold box will make room for holiday dishes--and a clean and gleaming refrigerator will energize the holiday cook in the days ahead.

Spray bottles ready? It's time to clean out the refrigerator.

The secret to a streamlined kitchen during the holiday season? A well-stocked, organized freezer! 

Holding made-ahead entrees, side dishes, cookies and desserts, the freezer is a hard-working Santa's Elf for an organized Christmas. Christmas cookie trays or gift baskets are easy to assemble from frozen assets, while stockpiled family dinners cut out straight to the "what's for dinner" chase during December's busy nights. 

No question, holiday meals can put an unexpected burden on the budget. Solution? Get organized, and shop at home first!

This week, we'll inventory pantry areas, refrigerator and freezer before we begin shopping for holiday foods. 

Holidays ahead ... and that means the feast is on us! Will you be ready to make memorable holiday meals?

Even experienced cooks can quail at the idea of cooking a holiday meal. Who hasn't run out of butter, curdled the gravy, or found themselves holding back an entire meal while waiting for one last item to finish cooking?

Not this year! The secrets to stress-free holiday meal preparation? Planning--and sharing the work!