Tips For A Stress Free Thanksgiving

Make a Plan
Get out a notebook, your calendar, and a pen and brainstorm Thanksgiving. Start thinking about a menu, figure out when you need to go shopping and contemplate what prep can be done on what days.

Enlist Guests to Help By Bringing Something
Everyone loves to taste new items. This will give a variety and more food to go around. Another option is to delegate an entire course to a guest, like appetizers, drinks, or dessert.

Make Your Menu
Now that you know what the guests are bringing, you can begin planning your own shopping, prep, and cooking.

Stick With What You Know
If you're hosting Thanksgiving, you know your guests expect to see, like turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pie. If you want a little variety here are a few sides that might be a hit.

    Brussels Sprouts Gratin
    Loaded Mashed Potatoes
    Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Pomegranate
    Cranberry  Dip

Make a Grocery List
Organize your shopping list the way the store is laid out: produce, meat, dairy, canned goods, grains, baking, and snacks.

Get Your Serving Dishes Ready
Pull out all of the necessary serving dishes and utensils, too, and make sure they are ready to go.

Schedule Food Prep
Tasks like chopping vegetables and baking pies can be done a day or two ahead of time. Whatever you can do ahead without sacrificing quality, do it. It'll save you time, effort, and stress on meal day.

Tableware Inventory
Inventory place settings, linens, the room around the table, and chairs. Do you have enough for the number of guests you're expecting? Double-check your serving dishes too.

Beverage Station
Are you going to set up a separate area for soda, water, and wine? Since you'll be busy on Thanksgiving day, it might make sense to let your guests help themselves. It makes sense to set up a beverage station.

Plan Decorations
There's no need to go overboard. Plan your table decor, flowers, candles, and mini gourds.

Make a Thanksgiving Day Timeline
Include, at a minimum, the following elements: breakfast, appetizers, sit-down dinner, and dessert.
Chances are it will not be as perfect as you have planned. With a few early organization tips, you will feel more at ease and in control.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Working From Home? What Homeowners Need in a Home and the Benefit of Living in an HOA Community

 Since Covid-19 work has changed significantly. Where we work, how we work, the hours we work, and the enhanced safety precautions.

With major employers now stating that their employees will be working from home for the foreseeable future, many homebuyers have adjusted their existing home space and converted rooms for workspace. Buyers have also added to their list of desirables in their next home.

Some not only need to plan for a home office space but also need to accommodate the homeschooling or distance learning needs of their children as well. This includes having adequate outdoor recreation space for children to exercise.

This is where the benefit of living in an HOA community may play an important role in the work at home family. HOA’s with common area playgrounds and parks are perfect for parents to take the kids out for some much-needed sunshine and exercise.

Working from home is impacting the way homes are being built, renovated, and marketed. The type of features that have become important to buyers have changed at all price points.

Of course, homebuyers with larger budgets have the luxury of seeking homes with extra bedrooms or offices and dens already included. But many buyers are not as fortunate and need to find the needed space in more creative ways.

The easiest way to add working space is within the bedrooms. This offers the ability to close a door for privacy. Larger bedrooms (both in master and secondary bedrooms) have been a top priority for homebuyers. Another important feature is an open floorplan which features a Great Room design. For generations, kids have done their homework at the kitchen table, and a spacious kitchen/family room combo makes it easier for home learning without becoming cluttered. Another option for homebuyers is a separate formal dining room that could be converted to a workspace.

With all the changes in working and learning environments for both adults and kids, the home is even more important than ever. As needs change, homebuyers seek different features from their new dwellings.