Preparing the additional spaces in your home for Thanksgiving really depends on whether or not you plan to use those spaces. In a recent post, "10 Ways to Prep your Living Room for Thanksgiving", I wrote about assigning each room a different function to alleviate the living room in large gatherings. In this article I am continuing that idea.
The Fire Escape
Hey I'm from NYC, and that's a room as far as we're concerned. Perfect place for smokers who don't want to leave the apartment, but smoking is not allowed indoors. If it's a nice night, open the windows and have the living room seating facing the window and we can all have a conversation inside and outside. If it's cold out, great location for the cooler with all the cans and bottle of drinks - no ice needed. And you can even decorate the fire escape! Just ensure you clear off the fire escape after Thanksgiving for safety's sake.
The Balcony
Unlike NYC's fire escapes, the balcony tends to be a leveled step out so it is easier for you and guests to come in and out of the space. Depending on the size of your balcony, table and chairs make it another space people can gather and mingle. Clean this area, and remove items that you don't need.
The Basement and Attic
Besides the actual child's room, a finished basement or attic is a great place to have kids and teens go play and hangout. If it has been finished to be a Man cave or She-Shed, then it's a secondary place for men and women to go into and alleviate some of the crowdedness of the kitchen and living room. Clean and disinfect the room if you will have guests use the room. Remove anything valuable or may be a safety hazard.
The Backyard
Although it may be too cold in NYC, it can still be used by guests to get some air, smoke, or even get your grilling on for Thanksgiving! If you have a fire pit or a couple of heat lamps, it becomes a second living room and kitchen. Clean off the backyard table and chairs and set up the backyard as you regularly do for a summer event. Also, have your cooler filled and recycling trash cans ready. If it is warm out, prep and use the backyard as you would for a summer BBQ.
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Organized by Catherine O organizes all areas of your home, maximizes your space, and problem-solves time management and productivity challenges. We are based in New York City and serve the NYC-Metro area.
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