Every Christmas, I sew a brand new pair of pajamas for each child that they receive on Christmas Eve. Because this involves a lot of sewing, I make sure to prep my sewing machine by cleaning it, tuning it up and getting it ready to go. Nothing is more frustrating than to be in the middle of a project, and have to stop because your equipment is not up to par!

The same principle applies to our kitchens! November and December are BUSY seasons for our kitchens, and we will be doing ourselves a big favor by taking the time to “tune up” our kitchens in preparation for all the baking and cooking we’ll be doing! The last thing you want is to be in the middle of your Grandma’s famous pie recipe and then realize you’re out of butter, or that the pie plate you’ve been meaning to replace is still out of commission!

Here are some things you can do to “tune up”:

*Clean up! It’s just not as fun to cook in a dirty kitchen- it’s a total creativity killer! Obviously, there’s the day-to-day stuff that will always need to be done, but take the time now to do the deep stuff! Scrub out that garbage disposal, touch up that pantry, wipe out the cupboards- anything that will help you feel refreshed and your kitchen ready to go!

*Stock up on essentials! This will look different for each kitchen depending on what you usually make, but a good list to get you started: -butter -heavy cream -eggs -salt -baking powder -baking soda -yeast -flour -sugar -brown sugar -cake mix and/or brownie mix -vegetable oil -vanilla extract Make sure you have plenty of your basics on hand so you don’t find yourself in a pinch when you start baking! And if you have already have these basics, make sure they’re fresh- your baking soda might be too old to be a leavener, and holiday baking is not the time to be figuring that out!

*Replace your broken tools. Do you have that ONE kitchen tool that’s falling apart, but you just can’t seem to remember to get a replacement when you’re at the store? A hand-mixer, a can opener, your cookie scoop- whatever it is that’s been pestering you for months- write it down and get a new one asap!

*Decorate. Maybe this seems silly at first, but make your kitchen a place that you WANT to be. Fresh flowers (poinsettias would be festive!), a small Christmas tree, pumpkins, a special thankful sign- whatever inspires you and makes you feel cozy. I love listening to holiday music while baking this time of year, so investing in a CD player or some good speakers for your phone could be a great help in this area!

Do you have any special routines or to-do list items that help you prepare for the busy baking season? I’d love to hear them!