About Home: Hosting Tips, Holiday Sales & Ways to Give Thanks

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Home From Diane Schmidt, your About Home Editor With only a short time left before guests arrive, this week's newsletter provides last minute tips to help you get your home ready, keep kids entertained and give thanks with a unique Thanksgiving tree. Oh, and some great ideas for Black Friday deals just in case you find a little time to start your holiday shopping. Happy Thanksgiving from all the Home Experts at About.com. How to Prepare Your Home Before Guests Arrive If you're like me, holiday dinner hosting seems to take precedence over a spotless home. That's probably because I prefer to cook than clean, push a shopping cart than a vacuum cleaner. So this year I'm extremely thankful for these 8 steps to getting our house ready in record time. Search Related Topics:  party planning  speed cleaning  Free Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities If you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family, you're going to want some great ideas on how to keep kids entertained while the adults enjoy their time together. This guide provides all you need for creative, fun and free Thanksgiving activities. Search Related Topics:  thanksgiving  holiday crafts  autumn crafts Make Your Own Thanksgiving Tree to Record Your Thanks This is such an amazing and unique idea that not only provides a beautiful way for everyone to express their gratitude, but it also creates a warm and special centerpiece to any Thanksgiving table. Black Friday Sales Ad Round-Up for 2013 If you've been holding off on purchasing a new stereo system or have a TV on your holiday gift list, then your Black Friday shopping just got a whole lot easier. Check out this exhaustive list of where to find the best deals on home electronics and entertainment. Search Related Topics:  black friday  holiday shopping  christmas shopping Related Searches Holiday Gift Ideas Build My Own House The Holiday Thanksgiving Moving House Stress Featured Articles Tips for Deep Frying a Turkey Forcing Paperwhite Narcissus to Bloom Early American House Styles Pet Medical Conditions That Can't Wait Apartment Lease Basics 7 Ways to Get the Look of Granite for Less   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement

About Home: Winterize Your Home Before the Holidays Start

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Home From Diane Schmidt, your About Home Editor The holiday period is approaching so fast that I can barely keep up with all the stuff I need to do before presents have to be bought and wrapped, cookies made and trees decorated. And with only a couple of weeks left before the craziness starts, I'm making a list of all the practical things we still need to do to get our home ready for the winter months - things we need to do now or they'll never get done, like preparing plants, making sure our car is winterized and that our home's pipes don't freeze. How to Over-Winter Plants It's always sad when the summer garden starts to fade, the leaves start to wither and the flowers shrivel and drop. I used to think that that was it - that my garden was lost to the cold and snow. But then I saw this guide to over-wintering non-hardy plants and knew that I could save even the most fragile stocks. Now I can look forward to seeing my summer garden bloom again next year. Search Related Topics:  winter plant care  winter interest  garden design Winter Auto Maintenance Checklist It seems that our car is the last on our list of things to do before the cold hits even though we tend to use it more in the winter months. This year I'm determined to get our car ready so we can feel safe and secure knowing that everything on this checklist has been checked and rechecked . Search Related Topics:  seasonal maintenance.regular maintenance  winter driving  Checklist To Winterize Plumbing In Your Home Here's another essential checklist for your home that will help ensure nothing bad happens to your pipes and water system while you're away visiting family and friends over the holidays. It's a simple and easy list that provides details on how to keep your home's plumbing system from freezing even when the temperatures drop. Search Related Topics:  winterizing  plumbing maintenance  plumbing insulation Winter Horse and Pony Care Tips For those of you who are lucky enough to have a horse or pony in your life, these tips on how to care for your equine during the cold winter months are essential to your horse's happiness, health and well-being. Search Related Topics:  horse care  feeding your horse  Related Searches Winterize Car House Plants Horse Holidays House Checklist Trees Maintenance Featured Articles How to Prep Trees for Winter Herbs For Thanksgiving Dinner Must-Have Furnishings for Your Living Room Sew for Thanksgiving and Hostess Gifts How to Make a Wreath Which Home Repairs Boost Profit?   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement

About Home: How to Decorate & Celebrate the Thanksgiving Table

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Home From Diane Schmidt, your About Home Editor My most memorable Thanksgiving was the first one my husband and I hosted together. We were students back then with very little money to spend and very little in the way of furniture. We found a door at a thrift shop. propped it up with textbooks and decorated it with found objects from our backyard. When we finished, we were amazed at how beautiful it looked and when our friends sat around, holding hands as we gave thanks, I felt truly grateful for so many blessings in my life, including that table that held us all. Beautiful and Easy Thanksgiving Centerpieces A beautiful centerpiece can turn any humdrum table into something special and with this guide to creating that centerpiece yourself, you're halfway there in creating a gorgeous, unique setting that will wow your guests. Search Related Topics:  thanksgiving decorations  centerpieces  candelabra Fall Flower Arrangements If you're not sure what would look best on your table, flowers are always a good bet. But we often don't associate floral arrangements with fall. However, fall brings with it incredible colors that will take your Thanksgiving table to a whole new level of creativity and beauty. Search Related Topics:  cut flowers  orange flowers  flower gift basket Squash Lantern Holiday Candle Centerpiece Back when we were students, I would've loved this guide to creating an inexpensive centerpiece for our Thanksgiving table using just squash and tea lights - both of which can be found at your local grocery store. This year, these colorful candles will light up our fireplace mantel and add a cozy glow to our dining room table. How to Welcome Vegetarians to Your Thanksgiving Dinner With Thanksgiving being the time of year when we gather friends and family together to celebrate our many blessings, it's not unusual to have a few vegetarians at your table (myself included). Cooking for both meat and non-meat eaters can be difficult, but with this guide, hosting a dinner that will satisfy all your guests is easier than ever before. Search Related Topics:  thanksgiving  vegetarians  holiday menus Related Searches Thanksgiving Buy Christmas Decor Christmas Decorating Candles of Christmas Party Decor Ideas Featured Articles How to Lay Laminate Flooring in One Day Ten Kinds of Dog Beds How to Jump Start A Car How to Create a Household Budget All About Neighborhood Watch 28 Ways to Organize Your Kitchen   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement

About Home: Thanksgiving Planning Made Easy

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Home From Diane Schmidt, your About Home Editor Now that Halloween is over and the calendar has turned to November, it's time to get ready for the holiday season, which here in the US starts at the end of the month. But even if you live elsewhere and won't be celebrating Thanksgiving in a few weeks, these holiday planning guides will get you started with seasonal tasks to ensure your home is ready for when guests arrive. Create a Holiday Planning Notebook I'm a huge fan of making lists and setting plans. But when it comes to the holidays, I find I'm overwhelmed by the number of things to do. That's why this holiday planning notebook is such a great idea. Not only will it help keep you organized but it's easy to set up and fun to use. Search Related Topics:  holiday planning  home organization  Easy DIY Thanksgiving Decorations Decorations are a key component of any celebration and Thanksgiving is no exception. But because you have so much to do to get ready for the holidays, I thought these DIY decorations would be just the thing to create a cozy, festive space without requiring too much time or money. Perfect! Search Related Topics:  craft decor items  thanksgiving decor  decorating a table Essential Turkey Tools If you're hosting a holiday dinner for friends and family, then you're probably thinking of basting and roasting a turkey. No holiday kitchen or cook is complete without some of these essential tools to ensure your bird is cooked to perfection leaving your guests wanting more. Search Related Topics:  chef's tools  kitchen gadgets  holidays Preserving Fall Leaves While this article isn't necessarily Thanksgiving-related, it is definitely a fall tradition around our house - collecting leaves and pressing them to preserve their color and vibrancy. Check out this guide to keeping leaves looking gorgeous and you'll find they add a festive touch to a holiday table or fireplace mantel. Search Related Topics:  fall foliage  fall gardening  garden crafts Related Searches Thanksgiving Party Decor Ideas Holidays House Fall Decorations Planning Turkey Trip Featured Articles Top 10 Tips for Safe Outdoor Lighting Knit Your Own Napkin Rings How to Give Puppies As Gifts Terracotta Tile Buying Guide Gifting Charitable Donations How to Clean Silver   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement