Thanksgiving is by far, hands down, without a doubt our favorite holiday! As professional organizers it has everything we could ask for.
Food
Really, it goes without saying. How could we not love a holiday where the main event is a day long food fest? But more than that, we love the planning and the food prep and how it’s fairly easy to accommodate a variety of diets and meal plans. Vegetarian, vegan, whole 30 or gluten free, carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores…there’s something for everyone at a Thanksgiving table! We love to get creative with sides and desserts so no one has to feel weird about not eating meat or hating green beans. With a little thought, everyone at your table can feel welcome and appreciated!
Quick tip: Delegate! Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away and you may be starting to panic at all that is left to do. Take a deep breath and remember, you can’t do it all. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Need another bag of ice? Ask your husband to run to the store. Guest bathroom counter needs wiping down? Ask your kid. Freaking out because you couldn’t get the pumpkin pie made? Ask your Great Aunt Lola to pick one up at the store. Remember, this is a time for enjoying family and ten years from now, no one will remember if the pie wasn’t made from scratch. They will remember your hospitality and generosity for hosting the dinner in the first place.
No Gift Giving!
Thanksgiving is one of the only major holidays where gifts don’t play a central role. As professional organizers, we spend a majority of our time helping our clients get rid of ALL THE STUFF. So when holidays roll around that are all about getting more, more, more…we die a little inside.
Of course, we aren’t opposed to gift giving in theory. There’s nothing better than receiving the perfect gift; fresh flowers to acknowledge a success at work, a beautiful piece of jewelry to celebrate a special anniversary or giving someone a sweater they’ve had their eye on for a while. But there’s a fine line between giving a thoughtful, meaningful gift to a loved one and the rampant consumerism that is loading up our homes with stuff that will, sooner or later, end up in the landfill.
Quick tip: We understand that nobody wants to show up empty handed. Consider gifts that won’t add to the clutter, especially with Christmas and Hanukkah approaching. Flowers, a bottle of wine or sparkling cider or even some cute cocktail napkins are all great hostess gifts. They show your appreciation and no doubt, your hosts will welcome not having to find a place to store your well-meaning gift.
Gratitude
Thanksgiving is a celebration of gratitude. It’s literally right in the name! So the focus isn’t on acquiring more, it’s about acknowledging and appreciating what we already have. Everything seems to have more meaning as Thanksgiving draws near and we are more mindful that our abundance isn’t shared by everyone. We’re grateful for our homes, especially this year when so many people in California have lost theirs. We’re thankful for the ever-growing grocery list because there are people who go hungry every day. And we’re especially grateful for our families and friends because this time of year can be especially hard on people who have recently lost loved ones.
Quick tip: We try to make a habit of writing down ten things we’re grateful for every day. To be honest, we’re not that great at it. But at this time of year, it seems especially important. Take a few minutes at the beginning of the day to focus on what you have. Maybe you’re not living the life of your dreams, but for the next couple of days, appreciate what you have, at this moment. Love your kids where they are, embrace your imperfect home, and be kind to yourself.
Family
Here at Done and Done Home our family comes in many forms. We have our nuclear family, our 
blended family, our exes, steps and halves. We have friends who have become family and our team who are all part of our business family. And while there’s drama and upset at times, Thanksgiving is a reminder for us to cherish all of our loved ones. To take a moment to remember the unique qualities each person has to offer and the way they enrich our lives.
Quick tip: Holidays are meant to be a time for relaxation and quality time spent with loved ones. But things can go sideways fast and feelings can easily be hurt and tempers can flair. With our blended family situation, we came up with the solution of having a Harvest Dinner on a different day when the kids would be with their other parent for Thanksgiving. Having an alternative day to celebrate as a family eased the stress of trying to fit too much into one day. If your family situation is tricky consider some out of the box solutions to make things run smoothly. Your kids will thank you in the future!
And last, but certainly not least, we’re grateful for…
YOU!
To all of our clients, subscribers, and followers, we are exceedingly grateful to you for making this year one of our most successful! We have grown by leaps and bounds and we couldn’t have done any of it without all of you! We wish you a very happy Thanksgiving filled with lots of laughter, good food, friends and family!
