Memorial Day Pre-Planning

Are you ready? Are you excited? Have you shopped yet? If you have plans to put your grill to good use over the weekend or on Memorial Day, now is the time to prepare.

First and foremost, get your guest list ready and get on the phone. It’s a week away and your friends may already have plans so if you want to snag their company, speak now or forever hold your peace. (grin) (NOTE: Do not act like Julie and think that you have to have the entire event planned before inviting anyone-guess I’m always afraid they’ll want immediate detail)

Now, after you’ve made the calls, it is time for details. It’s time to plan your menu and shopping list. Wednesday, I will post some of my totally fav recipes for outdoor holiday gatherings. In the meantime, write down the basics that you will need such as grill supplies, beverages, paper plates, silverware, cups, napkins, etc.

Next, think activity. Of course, there are a ton of options, some of which I will post on Thursday. But you can start thinking now. Will there be couples? Will there be families and kids? Do you want a theme? What are some ideas with supplies that you already have and can dig out from the garage or attic? Make a list. No worries—a list is not a commitment—just a place to brainstorm.

Now, the fun nitty-gritty. You know, the stuff that’s not so fun right now but once people are over, you are glad that you accomplished it all:

1. Clean the Grill-Manufacturers recommend that you wipe the exterior of your grill with an all-purpose cleaner, such as Simple Green. And after that our friends at Kalamazoo recommend a degreaser like Goo Gone Spray Gel for any difficult parts, putting in a little extra elbow grease as needed. Don’t forget the inside and check the booklet from your manufacturer for recommendations there. For my old charcoal Weber, I just use SOS pads on the racks, and then rinse them really well. You can also burn off any old grime on the racks.
2. Find your Utensils-Look for the long tools now, my friend. Last minute does not give you time to run to the store if you can’t find one that you need.
3. Mow the Lawn/Weed the beds-No instruction necessary here, right? Don’t forget to let the kids help. Water the flowers too and clean out things from the yard that look like clutter. Don’t forget litter and dog droppings (do this again right before your gathering) too.
4. Clean the House-Especially the bathroom, gathering areas and the kitchen. Divide it up over the next several days so it’s not so daunting and again, the family can help.

I will check back with you on Wednesday!

Comments

[Karen Baker]

Rich, your ideas are great! I hope it is all right that I put a reference to you on our aznews blog.
Thanks for the great information!

[Julie]

But of course! Thanks for reading Rich's!

[Julie]

Absolutely! Thanks for linking and for reading! ~Julie

[Julie]

Absolutely! Thanks for linking and for reading! ~Julie