Instructions: (5) SERVING THE MEAL
95. Line your serving platter with colorful plastic wrap and after the meal
youll be able to wrap up leftovers on the spot and pop them in the fridge.

96. Set up a mini-bar in your den or living room by placing several bottles
of wine, water, and iced tea on the table so guests can serve themselves.

97. Keep hors doeuvres simple-and cold. Pour a can of fancy nuts into a nice bowl or place cheese and crackers on a tray and you wont have to heat
anything.

98. If youre feeding more than six people, Noell advises serving the meal buffet-style. Letting everyone help themselves will save you 10 to 15 minutes of walking back and forth from the kitchen to the table with the serving dishes.

99. If you do serve buffet-style, use a counter or table thats close to the
kitchen sink. Cleanup will go much faster if you dont have to walk from room to room to clear the buffet table.

From Joan Rivers: "At the end of the meal, my guests each stand and tell one thing that they are thankful for in their lives. To save time, I warn each one to come prepared-and its always the most moving part of my
dinner."

101. If youre feeding fewer than six guests, place the serving dishes on a
Lazy Susan for quicker passing.

(6) CLEANUP
102. Put as many leftovers as possible in plastic zip-up bags. They take up
less space than storage containers, so you wont have to waste time trying to fit them in the fridge.

103. When you wash the dishes, start with glassware and end with pots and pans. That way you dont transfer heavy layers of grease onto items that may not have been greasy in the first place, says Campbell.

104. Connie Stevens says "Buy two or three small turkeys rather than one large one. They cook quicker. Also, its tough for me to carry around a huge
turkey-and besides, the three little turkeys l look cute on the table." And=85..it also gives everyone more drumsticks!

105. Separate your silverware as you load the dishwasher, putting the forks
in one section, the spoons in another, and so on. This could save you 5 to 10 minutes when its time to unload the dishwasher and put all that silverware away, explains Noell.

106. Line your kitchen garbage can with 3 or 4 trash bags ahead of time so you wont have to keep putting new bags in it on Thanksgiving Day.

107. If your guests offer to help you clean up, go ahead and give them a job
to do, says Culp. "Cleaning goes much more quickly and is a lot more fun when everyone pitches in."

108. Use a tray to clear the table. This will save you from making repeated
trips to the kitchen.

109. Speed cleanup by setting up an assembly line, suggests Noell. One person can clear and scrape, another can wash, another can dry, and the hostess, who knows where everything goes, can put away.

110. Turn up your hot water heater a few degrees-just for the day. Hot water cuts grease faster, so youll get the dishes done more quickly.

MAKING YOUR HOUSE SELF-CLEANING
One of the quickest ways to clean your house for the holidays is to skip some steps in the cleaning process. For example:

* Spraying a little furniture polish on chrome or stainless steel fixtures and then polishing them with a dry cloth will prevent water spots and make all your fixtures shiny.

* Adding a handful of bubble bath to your water will prevent you from having
to clean messy tub rings later.

* Keeping pets out of the living room and dining room will keep paw prints off the floor and fur off the furniture.

* Using liquid soap prevents soap scum buildup in the showers soap dish.

* Storing small items behind glass means less dusting.

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