5 things to do this week to get ready for the holidays

It’s In the Thick of It Thursday and instead of telling you about a kid find or toy that we are loving I’m taking this time on November 1st to prep you for the next two months. If you are a mom of littles (kids between the ages of “in your belly” to 32) you are probably already in planning mode. Shoot you just got through a massive holiday already! One of my favorite people and mentors would always tell me we don’t work harder we work smarter. She would always challenge me to find ways to do our job better and faster so of course that started to bleed over into our family life. When you are a working mom every single shortcut or hack could mean the difference between a great week or crying into our wine glass by the end of the day. So here are a few things you can do now to help stay ahead of the crazy!

1. Stock up on preventive medicine

I think for about three years at least one of my kids was sick on a major holiday and let me tell you what’s more fun than finding an urgent care on New Years Day.. oh wait everything is more fun! Since many of these you need to take at the onset of symptoms grab them now to try and fight back some of the gunk that starts to spread this time of year.

• Coldcalm (adult)
• Coldcalm (kids)
• Elderberry Gummies (adult)
• Elderberry Gummies (kids)
• Homeopathic Flu symptom reducer
• Wedderspoon Raw Premium Manuka Honey

2. Stock up on Paper & Plastic Goods

If you host any holiday at your home it is time to start stocking up on the items you do not want to run out of at the wrong time.. paper goods! Add these to your Subscribe and Save this month and know that Grandpa won’t be using up the last roll of toilet paper on Thanksgiving Day! For all of these items I have listed our favorites but grab what ever is the favorite in your house.

• Paper Towels- Viva TaskSize 
• Toilet Paper- Cottonelle Ultra  
• Facial Tissue- Puffs square box
• Paper Plates- Chinet dinner plates
• Paper Bowls- Dixie 10 oz bowls these are perfect size for kids cereal, food prep and snacks

3. Ask for lists early

When I met my husband he had never put together a Christmas list nor had his family, I was in shock. I quickly implemented a rule, you don’t eat Thanksgiving dinner until I get your gift list. I understand that not everyone is as mean as I am but start dropping hints now- ask family if they can start thinking about things they would like/ need. If you are still getting no where than head over to my Amazon gift ideas. Also I will be adding more gift guides to the blog so make sure that you have subscribed to ensure you are getting an email on all new posts!

4. Check your Tools

We will not speak of the Thanksgiving when I went to baste the turkey and realized I had no baster because I had tossed it the year before. My dad had to run to 3 stores because everyone was sold out.. wait I said I wasn’t going to talk about it! Just trust me on this one, if you will be doing any cooking or baking in the next two months check your tools now it’s super annoying to find out the thing you use once a year is broken. Here are a few things to check if you cook a large meal and a some replacements if yours is not in the best condition and/or broken!

• Meat Thermometer
• Baster
• Rolling Pin
• Fat Separator- trust me on this if you are making gravy this is awesome! 
• Chef’s Knife- this one on sale and can even be monogrammed
• Lots of Kitchen Towels- in my kitchen I want a big ol stack of bar towels and flour sack towels and I only like white.. I don’t know maybe I think I belong on the Food Network or something 😂
• Sponges 
• Hand Soaps/ Kitchen Dish Soap- I love switching mine out for a seasonal scent 
• Pots & Pans- Williams Sonoma is having up to 50% off sale 
• Aprons (adult & kids) 

5. Book in advance

So this may sound crazy but we already have our Christmas lights on our house, no they are not turned on.. I’m not that crazy but we get a discount by booking and getting them on the house early. This has made a huge difference for our family on the stress level of things to-do post Thanksgiving. Here are a few other things that you should book now.

• Holiday Light install
• Fresh Turkey/ Honey Ham/ Smoked Turkey- really any meat that you need to book in advance go ahead and do that now
• Nutcracker tickets- if you go to the ballet grab your tickets now if you haven’t already
• Local Holiday Events- near us in Grapevine they do A TON of holiday events and they book up fast- like in August but if there are traditions or events that you attend book your tickets ASAP!
• Travel Arrangements- Plane tickets, rental cars, hotels if you haven’t booked these do it in the next week.
• Family Photos and Cards- Many of you have already gotten our family photos done, if you haven’t check with your favorite photographer mine is Regan Morton Photography in Austin. Then start building those cards, in the past few years I’ve used Minted which I love their address assistant where all your addresses are saved and can be printed straight onto your envelopes talk about a time saver!
• Hair and Beauty Appointments- Now is the time to book your hairstylist, nail, spa etc. because in the next few weeks those appointments get hard to grab.

I hoped this list did not stress you out, it gave me a bit of anxiety writing it because then I go into overdrive mode but don’t be me! Make a list of what is the most important, then just take each task at a time. If it’s not perfect no worries just enjoy this time with your family and worst case go send our father-in-law to the store for the third time on Thanksgiving Day- it’s ok I’ve been there too!