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Hosting has its shares of anxieties, especially if you're striving to make your home welcoming. How do you know everyone will feel comfortable? And will you ever get a chance to relax yourself? You will if you focus on what's really necessary. Here's a list of steps to get your home ready — and take the stress out of hosting. #1 Declutter The day before guests arrive is no time to pull apart junk drawers and clean out linen closets. Declutter your home, especially the guest rooms and public areas -- foyer, kitchen, living room, den, and dining room. Remove anything unnecessary from countertops, coffee tables, and ottomans; if it’s out of sight, keep it out of mind, for now. If you run short of time, bag up the clutter and store it in car trunks, basements, and out-of-the-way closets. Sort and arrange after your guests depart. #2 Add Night Lights Even though you can navigate your home blindfolded, your guests can’t. Make sure outside lig...

For one thing, they're less breakable than other lights. Yes, LED holiday lights save energy. Up to 75% less energy than the old-fashioned kind, according to the U.S. government’s Energy Star program. But there are more advantages to LEDs than energy savings. Here are 5 other reasons to switch to LED Christmas lights. #1 They're More Durable They don't have filaments or glass, so they're less likely to break or be damaged as you string them up and down. #2 LED Holiday Lights Last and Last LED bulbs can keep your season bright for as long as 100,000 hours, says Cathy Choi, president of Moonachie, N.J.-based Bulbrite, which manufactures LED and regular bulbs. That’s substantially longer than the life of your old holiday light strings. #3 You Can String a BIG Strand of Lights Safety wise, you shouldn’t connect more than three traditional light strings, but you can connect at least 10 with LEDs and up to 87 in some cases, totaling a ...

The Pilgrims were on to something when they planned a Thanksgiving potluck; here are other good ideas that’ll simplify your T-Day kitchen cleanup. Want something to be thankful for?  Check out these tips that’ll make your Thanksgiving kitchen cleanup faster and easier -- and will give you more time to enjoy family and friends. Plan a Potluck The first Thanksgiving was a potluck; so let your guests share the fun and bring dishes to share. Then make sure they take home their serving bowls and platters, which will cut down on dishes to wash and put away. Set Up a Soaking Station Soak pots and pans as soon as you transfer food to platters. But instead of filling the sink with soaking pots, designate a small trashcan as the soaking spot. Fill it will soapy water and dirty pots, and hide it under a sink or in a mudroom. That way, your sink is free throughout the evening to clean as you go and rinse dishes on the way to the dishwasher. Tr...