America celebrates Thanksgiving on Thursday, gathering family and friends around the dining table. This week in the Houseworks Holiday Plan, we'll see to it that the celebration takes place in a clean and organized dining area.

Holiday prep chores observe the American Thanksgiving holiday, together with the traditional Black Friday sales. We'll prepare for the holiday meal, celebrate Thanksgiving, then shop! Finally, this is the week we plan holiday entertaining, so put on a festive mood as we follow the Houseworks Holiday Plan.

This Week's Focus: Dining Space

Reading Assignments from Houseworks:

• Set a pretty table - pages 101
  Short and sweet for a busy week: tips to set a pretty table.

Inspiration from the Web:

• Turkey Talk: Answers to Six Top Turkey Questions

This Week's Houseworks Checklist

• Dive into the dining area. With the mid-week feast taking center stage, prepare a worthy dining area for your holiday celebration.

  Declutter and deep-clean the dining room or dining area this week. Polish fine furniture, tidy any storage areas, and if needed, add extra leaves to the dining room table.

  Set the stage for a lovely holiday meal!

This Week's Holiday Prep Checklist

• Plan for Thanksgiving Day. Plan table settings, seating and a centerpiece for Thanksgiving Day.
• Set up a Black Friday Sales game plan. Online bargain sites and e-mail alerts allow Web-savvy shoppers to spot the best deals days before Black Friday. Make entries in your holiday sales planner and plan shopping strategy as information comes to light.
• Set the table ahead. Set the Thanksgiving table a day or two before. You'll have time to spot (and fix) tarnished silver or stains on the tablecloth. Use sticky notes to mark serving dishes so it's easy for guests to help.
• Double up on freezer-friendly dishes. Cooking for the feast, plan to double or triple amounts for any freezer-friendly dishes, and tuck the extras into the freezer for later use. Candidates include pies, unbaked stuffing and--surprise!--garlic mashed potatoes. You'll enjoy lightening the load for Christmas dinner.
• Celebrate American Thanksgiving. (Canadian and UK friends? Enjoy the day off!
• Shop Black Friday sales! Use your game plan to get the best deals quickly.
• Plan holiday parties. If you'll entertain next month, make plans now.

This Week's Christmas Planner Pages to Print:

"Black Friday" Sales Planner