Countdown to Thanksgiving

This year I'm determined to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas rather than participate in a procrastination-triggered frenzy the night before. Therefore, I actually began my Thanksgiving cleaning and meal plannig on Saturday. Yes, a full week and 5 days early. Don't get too impressed, though--we'll have to see how good my holiday preparation stamina really is. As an even bigger challenge, I want to have the house clean and all prep done before Tuesday evening. It's crazy, but my sister-in-law is visiting from Colorado and I want to make sure we get to spend as much time with her as possible during the few days she's here. To keep myself somewhat accountable, I'm going to create a to do list and post it here.

already done (listed here because it's more stuff I get to cross off):

• cleaned/conditioned the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms (this stuff is amazing. My cabinets look so much better and the house smells nice and citrusy)
• Pulled recipes for my go-to Thanksgiving recipes (chocolate chunk pecan pie and my apple pecan dressing)
• made shopping lists for Sprouts and Wal Mart

do this week:

• determine menu with family (we do potluck style meals)
  
• go shopping at Sprouts and Wal Mart
  
• deep clean kitchen and bathrooms
  
• vacuum
  
• clean windows
• clean bottom of oven so it doesn't smoke during the Alton Brown turkey roasting method
• clear out/organize fridge to make room for ridiculous quantities of food
• tidy up front yard vegetation (aka: make it look like we don't live in a jungle)
  

do Monday

• make brine for turkey
• chop veggies for dressing
• make cornbread for dressing
  
• toast and cube bread for dressing
  
• chop pecans and apples for dressing (okay, so the dressing is a little labor intensive, Keith and I think it's amazing and totally worth it)
  

do Tuesday

• dust
• sweep front porch
• make pie crusts
• bake pies

do Wednesday

• sautee veggies for dressing 
• mix dressing
• prep and brine turkey
• enjoy the day
• do all of the other things I inevitably procrastinated on earlier in the week
• go to bed at a reasonable hour on Thanksgiving Eve for quite possibly the first time in our marriage
  

do Thanksgiving day

• roast Turkey
• bake dressing
• eat
• play games
• eat 
• play games
• eat
• go to bed late, but happy

If this actually works, I'm creating a 4 week plan for Christmas. After that, I'm going to take over the world.