Hosting has its shares of anxieties, especially if you’re striving to make your home welcoming. One thing I try to get out of the way is the menu for the big day. This helps me preparing the odds and ends I will need at the store. Another thing I do ahead of time is wash the table linens. Count the plates and silverware then I cover them with a small table cloth on the corner of the dining room table. I know this dosn't seem like much but when you have a lot to get done, anything you do ahead will same you time in the end. The week after Thanksgiving I make my lasagna...I make two large pans of lasagna, make sure you bake it before freezing. I take it out of the freezer two days before serving.

Before you think about decorating for the holidays, take a couple of hours and ensure that you have a clean slate to start from! Purge anything you need to get rid of, clean your home and go through any stacks of papers. This will make your whole holiday season go more smoothly if you do this now!