Thanksgiving is 8 weeks from today.  Amazing, isn't it? 

If you are traveling for Thanksgiving, you need to make your travel arrangements now.  The best values are already gone, but you want to make sure you get tickets and hotel reservations.

If you are going to dinner locally, sit back and relax.  You can offer to help and pick up a host/hostess gift next month.

If you are hosting dinner (as I am this year), it's time to get to work:

• Inventory your linens, flatware, serving ware, and china to make sure your have what you need for the crowd that is coming.  Thanksgiving is NOT the time for paper plate, plastic ware, and paper napkins.  If you need to purchase things, make your shopping list.
• Make arrangements if you need to borrow chairs, tables, big coffee pots, etc.
• Little by little over the next few weeks, do a serious house clean.  The goal is remove as much clutter as possible.  You'll want people to be able to move around easily.
• If you have guests staying over, take a good look at what needs to be done to prepare your guest room.  Check linens, towels, light sources, etc.
• Begin to think about menus — not just for Thanksgiving Day, but for the entire time folks will be staying with you.  You don't want to be so focused on the turkey that you have no breakfast on Thursday and Friday. Plan the meals around the main meal to be as stress free as possible. 

At this point, the goal is to prepare your landscape:  know what you have, what you need, and make things clutter free.  If you're there in the next 4 weeks, you'll be just fine.

15 minute check in:  Tonight's focus is putting away some clothes and drycleaning — just dealing with some of the clutter that develops in my room.