Sweet Pennies from Heaven

Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Challenge – Week 5 (Last Minute Checklist and Turkey Thaw Times)

by 487 Comments

Thanksgiving

This is Week 5, the last week, of our Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series & Challenge!  If you’ve missed the other posts, check them out below to get “in the loop” and hop aboard if you’d like to get prepared early as well.

I can smell the wonderful scents of all the yummy baked goods coming out of your ovens!! Through our previous week’s challenges, we’ve cleaned inside and out, donated some unused items along the way, organized our cabinets, made our shopping lists (that was last week, in case you missed it), and most have already bought all their groceries.

This week, I want to go over a checklist of sorts.  This will basically be your Homework assignment. We’ve accomplished alot over the last few weeks and I hope it all did help you in preparing for your holiday company. Our goal was to make things LESS hectic, so I hope you’re feeling good and LESS stressed!

Your checklist:

Thaw that Turkey! Most of you should already have it in your refrigerator anyway so it’s already started thawing or may have been thawing for a few days.

Refrigerator Thawing Times (via USDA website)
Whole turkey:

  •  4 to 12 pounds ……  1 to 3 days
  • 12 to 16 pounds …… 3 to 4 days
  • 16 to 20 pounds …… 4 to 5 days
  • 20 to 24 pounds …… 5 to 6 days

 

  • Clean out your refrigerator and make room
  • Double check your recipes to make sure you have everything you need (don’t forget the extras like seasonings, plenty of milk, butter, oil, eggs, etc.)
  • Grab some printable coupons for all of your dinner extras that you need to buy!
  • Make sure your camera is charged or has batteries for fun family photos
  • Don’t forget the Reynold’s Wrap & Foil!
  • Eat lots of turkey and ham, enjoy time with your friends and family!

(photo credit, crosswalk.com)

Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series – Week 4

by 768 Comments

Prepare for Thanksgiving

This is Week 4 of our Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series & Challenge!  If you’ve missed the other posts, check them out below to get “in the loop” and hop aboard if you’d like to get prepared early as well.

Last week we talked about organization in the cabinets and making sure you had all of the things you need to actually prepare your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. I hope that all went well.

THIS week, we’re gonna talk about your kitchen FOOD items inventory list. Holiday dinner items have been on sale the last couple of weeks but now they’re ramping them up with the turkey and ham sales too! I really recommend starting your grocery list super early rather than later because you’ll have to hit 3 different stores before you find vanilla pudding, Cool Whip, Stuffing Mix, you know the drill.  The stores sell out of alot of things quickly and don’t have enough inventory!

Be sure to grab some printable coupons on any items you may have on your list. It’s always nice to be able to save money, especially when we spend what we spend on preparing dinner!

Homework Assignment:

  • Write down all the dishes and desserts you will be making
  • Go through each recipe/dessert and write down the ingredients you’ll be needing
  • See what you have in your pantry, cabinets, and refrigerator already so you don’t buy what you don’t need
  • Don’t forget the odd stuff, like sugar, oil, butter, eggs, milk, salt & pepper, flour, nuts, etc.
  • Double check your list, and head for the store EARLY!! Don’t wait till Wednesday to go!!!

Extra Homework Assignment:

Hit the hotspots we’ve talked about in the previous weeks challenges (linked above), spend 10 mins. on each.

 

Now, let me know if you have any questions and let us know how you’re doing on your challenges! We really want to hear from you!!!

(photo credit:  bonappetit)

Prepare for Thanksgiving Together 5 Week Series – Week 1, Part 2

by 79 Comments

Week 1 is out of the way and we’ll soon be starting week 2 of the challenge and series!  If you’ve not seen what this 5 week challenge is about click and read the following.

This week we talked about indoor cleaning to prepare for Thanksgiving company.  I meant to get this post up on Sunday but it was a CRAZY weekend so this one’s a little late.  I promised before and after pics of my own progress.  If you’ve got some that you’d like to share, send them to sweetpennies@gmail.com.  I’d love to share them!!

My struggles this week was finding the time.  I had to squeeze it in, but you know…if I waited closer to Thanksgiving then I know I’d be totally stressed so I’m glad that I’m focusing on it now!  Okay, here are my before and after photos.  The 2nd week’s series post and challenge will be coming up this week…keep an eye out for it!

Laundry is GONE! Shew, I can breathe =)

DVD's are GONE!! Yes, those are old wooden Santa Clause figures...I leave them out all year =) I still need to arrange the mantle and I'll get to that this week!

Again, DVD's are GONE! They're all in a cabinet, nice - neat - and organized!

Okay – so how did YOU do this week?  What all did you accomplish?  Here is a recap of last week’s homework assignment:

  • Pick 3 Hotspots in your home & clean them up (give yourself 10-15 mins. for each hotspot!)
  • Designate a Basket, totebag, even a Walmart bag to pick up out of place things every night (and put those things away) *Make this a nightly ritual or give this job to one of the kids (set a timer to make it more fun for them!)
  • Get laundry caught up.
  • Fill one trashbag (or more) full of unused and good recyclable toys to drop off at Goodwill or donate to a family in need.
  • Fill one trashbag (or more) of unused and good clothing to drop off at Goodwill or donate to a family in need.
  • Sweep cobwebs and dust bunnies from the ceilings and corners of your rooms.  (I dare you to do it to ALL your rooms!)
  • Clean & organize your entryway.
  • Do your regular dusting and mopping/vacuuming.

My grade:

  1. Picked 3 hotspots – Check
  2. Designate a basket or bag to pick up things each night – Check
  3. Get Laundry caught up – Check
  4. Fill bags with clothes and toys – Check, Check!  Already gave the clothes away…now I just need to drop off the toys this week!
  5. Sweet cobwebs – Check
  6. Clean and organize entryway – I don’t really have an entry way so I get to cheat on that one 😉
  7. Regular dusting, mopping/vacuuming – Check (a couple rooms…not the whole house (eek)

Let’s Prepare for the Holidays – 5 Week Series & Challenge

by 208 Comments

So, it seems like the leaves have changed color overnight.  Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were splashing around in our swimming pools and cooking chicken on the grill?  We’ve already had chili twice in the last month – and we only fix that during cold weather ;)!

I know that I’m the worst when it comes to hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at my house.  I’m up ALL night cleaning, dusting, looking for cobwebs, vacuuming up dog hair, all while I should be worried about the turkey and ham!!

I decided to start a 5 week series that you and I could work on together…a challenge if you will!  I know there are many out there who are just like me and wait to do everything last minute to make the home suitable for holiday company (even if it IS just family and friends who see your dirty house all the time anyway!) 😉  I want to do everything on a weekly basis since we ONLY have a few weeks until Thanksgiving is here! This same challenge will work for you in time for Christmas guests as well.

Over the next 5 weeks we’ll cover cleaning up the hotspots indoors and outdoors, doing an inventory of the kitchen and organizing, cleaning out that yucky fridge, discussing frugal decor, and more!

The bases that I want to cover over the next 5 weeks are:

  • Cleaning Indoors
  • Cleaning Outdoors
  • Organizing
  • Kitchen Inventory
  • Last Minute Check List

This 5 week challenge will keep us all accountable and by the end we’ll be prepared so that all we have to do is worry about making that turkey and ham perfect instead of running around like chickens with our heads cut off!  Who’s with me??!!  If you’d like to do this challenge with us, leave a comment in the comment section below!

To get started, below are all weeks of the series in case you get a jump start and can’t stop!! haha!

(photo credit:  bonappetit)

the chick behind this blog! I'm your ordinary, everyday wife and mom to an incredible pair of stinky guys! I am a self diagnosed coffee addict with a ginormous sweet tooth, preferably baked goods!! My hope is to help you, teach you, and entertain you on your way to a more thrifty and frugal lifestyle! Along the way, you'll find awesome recipes, great tips, and tons of randomness! We have loads of fun, so ya'll come back now, ya hear?!

Quick Links