If you ever find yourself staring at your closet full of clothes and thinking you have nothing to wear, it might seem like the only logical course of action is to go shopping — inject a little newness into that tired, old wardrobe of yours — but shopping is the last thing you should do. On the other hand, you have to curate your wardrobe to have the most clothing matches and the least amount of clutter.

Here are five rules to follow on how to downsize your wardrobe for the upcoming holidays!

Rule #1: Get rid of ANYTHING that doesn’t fit you.

Why would you hold on to clothes that doesn’t fit you? If you have a dress that you wore last in 2011 but you gained a few pounds, you should have it thrown out or pass it down to your friends. There’s also a chance that you don’t want it anymore. Plus, it will help to lessen the amount of clutter in your closet. You can now look for new stuff in the holidays when you’re out shopping with your friends or family.

Rule #2: Stay coordinated.

Whether you want to keep or toss a piece of clothing, you have to ask yourself if it matches any of your other outfits. Having a staple wardrobe would help you so much when it comes to mixing and matching your clothes. You should buy basics like white, black, and gray—because these staple colors that should be in your wardrobe.  

For example; you bought an adorable top once that is so out of the box for you, and you like it. But you have nothing to wear it with. Unless you plan on involving your entire wardrobe around this new item, you’d probably be better off cutting your losses.

Rule #3: Purge stuff you’ve never worn.

This rule is similar to the last rule, but it applies to clothes that still has price tag on it. There  may be a lot of reasons why you hold on to these clothes, holding a sentimental value or thinking about the money you spent on it doesn’t mean it should stay in your wardrobe accumulating dust. You can take it to a charity shop, and there will be people who would wear it and treasure it. This rule will also help on how to downsize your wardrobe.

Rule #4: It’s overly trendy, and it passed.

Fashion has a yearly trend that every fashionista follow. But don’t you think it’s a waste of space in your closet if it passed?  If you purchased something trendy and you can’t incorporate into outfits going forward, it’s time to donate or toss it. Once again, get rid of garments that you don’t wear. There is no value in keeping something you will never wear again.

Rule #5: You haven’t worn it in over a year.

If you can’t decide which clothes to keep or what to throw out, here’s an excellent rule of thumb:

• If you live in a 1-2 season area and you haven’t worn an item in 6 months, it’s time to pass it down or donate to a charity shop.
• If you live in a 4 season area and you haven’t worn it in a year, time to give it away.

Bottom line is that everything in your closet should fit you, worn regularly, and coordinated with the rest of your wardrobe. Any items that do not fall into one of these categories should be passed down or you can donate it to your local charity shop. There are also benefits of decluttering your closet like having a lot of space for your new clothes. If you want your home professionally cleaned, hire these cleaning experts. Your home will surely be spotless!

The entire holiday season that begins on Thanksgiving, is one of the most wholesome times for Americans, but also one of the most stressful for others, especially when it comes to keeping the whole family and your friends from engaging in petty drama during every gathering, dinner, party or visit to a relative. This helpful guide will help you avoid the awkwardness long enough to enjoy any dinner or formal gathering during the Holidays.

So, here’s how to avoid family drama during your holiday gatherings!

1. Set boundaries on the holiday drinks

Even if none of your guests during a dinner or party have a drinking problem, alcohol tends to make arguments louder and jabs snider. Also, remember that there’s almost always a football game every night, so spirits might already be high and heated. Going alcohol-free might sound too drastic, but convincing your family to set a limit on the drink might just make the Holidays a much more tolerant time this year.

2. Invite unrelated guests

For better or worse, family brings out some people’s less inhibited side – and others’ more defensive one. Bringing in guests from outside the family dynamic can be great for everyone: Your relatives are more likely to improve their manners around people they’re not familiar with, and your new guest can enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year’s, even if they are living far away from family this year.

3. Plan out your table arrangement

Problems rarely come from each and every guest at a dinner. There are always key players in the Holiday drama, and it is in everyone’s best interest that you keep them apart at the table. If you took your advice from the above, be sure to place your new guest near the middle – that way everyone will surely feel too close to a new face to make a scene

4. Reconsider table games

A piece of advice that makes the rounds every time the holidays come around, is to include table games or have a jar of “conversation starters” at every dinner. This might sound cute on paper, but stop for a second and picture your family partaking in these activities. Do they fit the scene? If your family’s temper is too hot for organized games, just don’t bring them in. The last thing you want is to raise tensions unnecessarily.

5. Don’t be afraid to ban certain topics – or people

Even if you don’t bring in table games, steering the conversation away from danger zones is vital. The obvious ones are politics, religion, and money, but make sure to also keep out old squabbles, comparisons between family members, inheritance talk, and many more. Likewise, a toxic relative’s absence might just be the difference between another bitter memory and a great dinner with family.

6. Organize your own “peace corps”

Surely you aren’t the only person in your family who wants to keep things smooth at Thanksgiving. Know which of your family members just want a nice, drama-free meal and have them on active peace duty. Place them as buffers between problematic guests at the table, or signal them to diffuse a potential argument by changing the topic. Strength in numbers!

7. Keep difficult relatives and guests busy

It sometimes is better just to make those nagging family members too busy to actually cause any trouble. If you are hosting the dinner, it will be hard for them to refuse to help you – and a couple of extra hands in the kitchen might be just what you need to stay calm yourself. Make them feel useful and their attitude might surprise you!

8. Set a time limit for dinner

If you want a peaceful gathering, keeping guests hungry might not be the best idea, especially if they’re waiting for that person who’s always late. Let everyone know beforehand that you’re serving dinner at a set time, and not a minute later. A dining room full of hungry relatives is a pressure cooker; by serving dinner, you are letting it out, and sending a message for tardy guests in the future.

9. Serve a buffet style meal

If you have the space for it, serve all the food buffet-style. This way, people can naturally sit with whomever they want and have an excuse to get up as many times as they want, avoiding potentially explosive arguments or situations. It might be a nice shake up for your usual dynamic!

10. No shame in skipping it

Let’s face it. Being a good host is a rewarding experience, but exhausting nonetheless. If you’re just not feeling up to it this year, let them know! Don’t give in to pressure or expectation, remember that your only real commitment is to your well-being, and aren’t the holidays supposed to make you feel good, after all?

So there you have, some keys on how to deal with family drama on Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday parties or New Year’s! And to lessen the burden on you and your family, hire professional cleaners to help get ready for the big day, or clean up afterward.

After Halloween, you may end up with lots of leftover pumpkins, but just tossing them away on November 1 seems like such a waste. You’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of ways to reuse your jack o’lantern pumpkins (as long as they’re not rotten, of course!).

If you hate wasting food or leftovers from past holiday meals, then you can recycle all that pumpkin flesh or use these hacks to create new meals to serve at dinner. From pumpkin puree to pumpkin spice latte, we’ve got you covered. Read on!

Here are some leftover pumpkin recipes for you and your family!

1. Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin puree recipes are everywhere. One search on the net will give you tons of results. The main steps in any recipe is, first, to get a carving tool, then separate the seeds from the guts after removing them from the pumpkin. Then blend them in the food processor until they have a smooth consistency. Even if you don’t have a carved pumpkin, you can buy a small pumpkin to make one. You can substitute the same amount of pumpkin guts in your favorite pumpkin recipes like pie, bread or pumpkin spice moonshine. We swear you’ll never use the canned stuff again.

2. Pumpkin Juice

Are you a fan of the famous Harry Potter Diagon Alley drink? If yes, then turn your Halloween pumpkin into a delicious juice. You can this recipe to your favorite sauces, leftover pumpkin soup or smoothies to add some extra pumpkin flavor.

To recreate this drink, pour boiling water over the seeds and stringy bits, let it soak for 30 minutes, then strain out the substantial parts. Sprinkle brown sugar onto the boiling water to make it sweet. You can also pair it with apple juice or cider for a seasonally spiced sip. The perfect pumpkin juice at your service.

3. Pumpkin Risotto

Risotto can be derived from fish, meat or vegetables. This northern Italian dish is cooked in a broth to a creamy consistency.  If you haven’t made risotto with squash, this recipe will surely give you the creamiest risotto that you can imagine. It’s also easier to make and more forgiving than regular risotto, too. This recipe uses one cup of the pumpkin guts to change what was once waste into magnificence.

4. Pumpkin Donuts

This fall season makes you crave for hot drinks, and you can pair it with pumpkin donuts. You can also eat it with pumpkin-flavored ice cream. These adorable mini baked treats are filled with pumpkin spice to contradict the sweetness of the ice cream. They’re so easy to make, so this recipe will be done in time to share with your friends in the pumpkin carving party!

5. Pumpkin Spice Latte

If you want to save yourself a trip to Starbucks, you can make your PSL at home! For this recipe, all you need is two tablespoons of pumpkin puree. You can also put these pureed pumpkin guts in the freezer, so you can take it out again if you want another round of this tasty treat. If you wish to infuse the latte even further, you can soak them in milk.

So grab a spiced pumpkin latte and take a look at what you can do with all your leftover pumpkin guts! These recipes will surely save you from the trouble of throwing away any leftover pumpkin from Halloween. Hire a professional house cleaning service to help you clean your home while you have some fun in the kitchen and for dinner during Thanksgiving.

Another year has passed and now another Thanksgiving is here to be grateful for all the blessings in your life.  And the best excuse for stuffing ourselves with some delicious home-cooked meals, shared with loved ones. You might be tired of the same yet albeit yummy recipes, so it’s time to mix it up a bit. Spice up your Thanksgiving cookbook with these traditional, but modern, recipes.

Here are some traditional Thanksgiving recipes with a twist!

Roasted Butternut Squash And Bacon Soup

Soup for Thanksgiving? That’s unconventional! But having it on your menu will make you hungry for more. This tasty butternut squash soup is sprinkled with bacon bits and creamy goat cheese. It has the delicious flavors of autumn in one warm bowl.  Check out the recipe here.

Cranberry Mimosa

A holiday brunch is not complete without this drink. If you’re not sipping this fall cranberry mimosa, then you’re not doing holiday brunch the right way. These cocktails will leave the Thanksgiving table full of smiles and laughter. Check out the recipe here.

Caprese-Stuffed Garlic Butter Portobello Mushrooms

By stuffing your mushrooms with a classic Caprese salad, you’ll surely take your recipe up a notch. Get roasted red peppers, mozzarella, and shredded basil leave drizzled with balsamic. Then stuffed into a buttery garlic mushroom will give you a rush of flavor that you won’t be able to resist. Check out the recipe here.

Brie, Apple And Honey Crostini

For a pre-dinner snack, choose this easy-to-make recipe. You need to make a pile  of creamy brie, juicy apples, and sweet honey. Then place them onto toasted slices of french baguette, and you’ll have the ultimate seasonal appetizer. Sprinkle some candied pecans on top for an extra crunch of flavor. This recipe will surely satisfy your family and guests. Check out the recipe here.

Pumpkin Mac And Cheese

Mac and cheese is a staple in anyone’s cookbook, but you can transform this traditional comfort food into a decadent dish. With flavorful chunks of pumpkin, crispy bacon bits, sautéed apples, and Swiss chard, the seasonal veggies and fruits will be on perfect for your fall festivities. Check out the recipe here.

Rosemary Maple Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables

Elegant yet relaxed, these traits are what Thanksgiving sides should be, like this Easy Rosemary Maple Balsamic Roasted Root vegetable recipe. While your traditional roasted root veggies are made exceptional with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

You can use a sprig of rosemary and a maple balsamic reduction glaze as garnish. Carrots, potatoes, parsnips, beets, whatever root veggies you have on hand will taste smashing with this flavor combo. Check out the recipe here.

Cornbread And Sausage Stuffing

With its moist flavor of sage sausage galore, everyone will want a taste of this stuffing passed their way. With its savory, buttery cornbread bits, you might want to increase the ingredients because the addition of apples, pecans, and dried cranberries will make this dish vanish right before your eyes. Check out the recipe here.

Garlic Butter Smashed Sweet Potatoes

With some tasty garlic butter added to the outside, these sweet potato slices will be crispy, but soft and sweet on the inside. Healthier than a regular potato, these Thanksgiving appetizers will be a hit at the table, making you leave almost no room for anything else (although we know you’ll try).  Check out the recipe here.

Apple Cider-Glazed Roasted Turkey

With its irresistible flavor, you’ll stuff down this roasted turkey. Sweet apple cider glaze and savory herbed butter make it an excellent main dish in your Thanksgiving dinner. Check out the recipe here.

Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Finally, dessert! Half of the fun in Thanksgiving is indulging your sweet tooth. If you have any room still (of course you do), get some of this delicious triple chocolate pumpkin pie.. Check out the recipe here.

From appetizers to desserts, these Thanksgiving recipes will surely captivate the heart as well as the tummy of your family and guests. After a whole day of preparing for this holiday, you can let the professionals handle the dirty aftermath. They’ll make your home sparkly and spotless in no time!