Is Your Home Ready for the Holidays? A Checklist

With Halloween just a few days behind us, you’re probably so full of candy that you haven’t even started thinking about the holiday season.

But Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the winter holidays aren’t far behind. Before you know it, you’ll be out of time to get ready for the festivities ahead!

Don’t panic, we’ve got you covered. From meal preparation to playlist selection, there are plenty of ways to make your holiday season unforgettable.

That’s why we’ve put together this helpful checklist, to help you get a head start on some of your holiday cheer. In it you’ll find helpful hints for your kitchen, living room, and more.

To get the most out of this season, just keep reading.

See Also: Send Off Summer In Style: End-Of-Season Supper Club

Kitchen: Keep it Fresh

Everyone loves a traditional Thanksgiving meal. But if you’ve been following our blog, you know we’re all about trying new things – especially in the kitchen.

So, this year we’re going to keep the traditional turkey, while shaking things up with some new flavorful side dishes.

Instead of the usual pumpkin pie, we’re diving head first into harvest fruit alternatives. Unless you’re in Massachusetts, you may not know just how versatile apples can be. This year, we suggest checking out some fun recipes that involve apples for a delicious pie or crumble.

But that’s not all. Fall veggies can also add a new twist – and a whole new flavor – to your dinner table. Kale sprouts, spaghetti squash, and more offer fun ways to deviate from the norm while remaining festive.

Living Room: Exciting AV

We don’t always want to spend our days vegging out on the couch in front of the TV, but when we do it’s to gather the family and cheer on our favorite team.

This year, make sure you’re getting the most out of your system by upgrading with a 4K Ultra HD display.

You may already be familiar with 4K (it’s been around for a while now), but you may not know that it isn’t the most exciting technology you can enjoy as part of your entertainment system. The related technologies – HDR, HFR, and OLED have transformed the way we see our favorite programs.

If you’re a fan of sports, HFR (high frame rate) is an especially fun development, because it shows motion better than ever before, making it easier to follow the ball or puck as it moves across the screen.

Ensure you’re getting the most out of your system by checking the entire chain. Your media server, display, switches, and cables all have to support 4K playback, otherwise you could be missing out on the ultimate gameday experience.

Whole Home: Enjoy Better Music

Traditional holiday songs and carols haven’t changed much over the decades. But you can always count on a handful of good holiday-themed pop songs to get you in the spirit. You know that they will probably be on regular rotation as soon as the last jack-o-lantern is carved.

So, if you are going to have your holiday playlist on consistently, you will want to enjoy it at its best.

This year ditch the standard streaming services and put those high-end speakers to good use with lossless audio.

Lossless means the digital track sounds just as good as the master recording – no bits of information are lost due to compression like in a CD or MP3.

Even if you’re not a die-hard audiophile, your speakers will thank you.

Outdoor: Don’t Forget Your Garden

While fall is traditionally the time when we say goodbye to the outdoor lifestyle for a while, it’s time to buck the trend and enjoy the season to the fullest no matter the dipping temps.

There are plenty of cold-weather ways to make your garden look and feel like a harvest paradise. One way to get the most out of it is by collecting the loose foliage and using them as outdoor decoration for a rustic, homey vibe.

Also, technology-controlled fire pits will help you stay warm outdoors as the air cools. Install small fixtures throughout your yard for even coverage that adds a seasonal accent to your outdoor spaces.

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