OFF THE RECORD: Holiday plans can be altered as necessary

I have nothing but admiration for people who do things in advance. As someone known to be somewhat of a last-minute operator, I am in awe of folks who have their acts together on both the work and home fronts.

You know the type — they make lists and put their lives on 3-by-5 cards.

I tried the latter trick with housecleaning after hearing a dynamic duo tell me how to get my home organized. They made it look so simple! Inspired by their passion, I bought index cards and dividers that I made into various “Cleaning” categories: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Bi-Monthly, Seasonally, Annually, Bi-Annually Every Decade and Once in a Blue Moon. Under these categories, I planned to list the various household tasks that need doing around our house.

Guess what? I never got beyond creating the categories, and to this day I still wake up to a sink full of dirty dishes from the night before. It seems that “Blue Moon” is my category of choice.

Now that the holidays have steamrollered into town, free advice is everywhere on how to make these special days meaningful and hassle-free. So what’s the key? Timelines.

Here’s an e-mail I received from williams-sonoma.com titled “Thanksgiving Timelines.”

“While some home cooks have years of experience preparing a Thanksgiving dinner, there are just as many who are roasting a turkey for the first time. With that in mind, we’ve compiled this timeline to help you plan and prepare the feast. We recommend that you begin planning and shopping a week or two in advance. With that accomplished, you’ll be better able to relax and enjoy the pleasures of cooking for family and friends.”

Here are highlights — followed by my personal game plan:

One to Two Weeks Ahead (Williams-Sonoma)

Confirm the number of guests and plan your menu.
Order a fresh turkey.
Plan your table setting, serving dishes and decorations.
Read through all the recipes and make your preliminary shopping lists.
Shop for any essential cook’s tools, equipment and tableware you’ll need.
Take table linens to the dry cleaner for cleaning and pressing.

One to Two Weeks Ahead (me)

Send e-mail invites to the 16 people on my side of the family. Remind them to bring plenty of adult beverages.
Check with Farmer Bob on the status of the five turkeys in the barn. Confirm kill date as the Sunday before Thanksgiving.
Count the dishes and cutlery; realize nothing matches. Decorations include new carpet that will be christened with red wine.
Save holiday food section from The Seattle Times for Chef Bob. E-mail him recipe for Pear-Chestnut-Sage Turkey Stuffing. Still too early to make lists.
Henckels knife is no longer in the kitchen; house is torn apart looking for the lost blade. Chef Bob may have left it up in the attic while doing some electrical wiring.
Call friend and ask to borrow her tablecloths. No dry cleaning necessary; the dishes/cutlery/ platters will cover the stains/smooth out the wrinkles.

Two Days Before (Williams-Sonoma)

Finalize your shopping lists.
Shop for staples, produce and other fresh foods.
Prepare any food that can be made in advance, such as pie pastry and cranberry sauce.

Two Days Before (me)

Still too early to make shopping lists.
Go to liquor and wine stores.
E-mail invitees and remind them to bring pies, cranberry sauce and plenty of hors d’oeuvres.

The Day Before (Williams-Sonoma)