The countdown is almost complete, and in less than 24 hours your family will be gathered around your table enjoying a great meal and being thankful for all of the great things that have happened this year. Of course, this doesn't come without its share of challenges because while you're probably thankful for your family being together, you also have to not only prepare your home for visitors but then clean up after they leave. Here are 5 tips to help you keep your sanity as you host Thanksgiving this year!

Make a Gameplan

It's go time, and if you haven't completed a game plan with recipes and ingredients, it's time to get it wrapped up and finalized. Keep in mind that while your family is excited for food, they are mostly excited for family, so if you find something stressing you out - cut it out. Before the holiday gets started, take a walk through your home, straighten up little areas that have been getting used the last few days, spray some room spray or light and candle and get ready!

Stick to the Basics

While having an extravagant menu and ornate decorations straight from Pinterest is always the "goal" when hosting your family for a holiday, keep in mind that the basics are the most imporant. When you find yourself getting wrapped up in the details and stressing out about which serving utensil goes with which dish - take a breather and go back to the basics. Your family wants to visit, have fun, and eat. They won't care if little signs are made for each dish or if you remember to set the decorative pumpkin on the front porch. Food, family, fellowship - that's the most important!

Set Your Thanksgiving Timeline

One of the biggest questions you'll be asked during Thanksgiving is "when's dinner?" Every family has a different timeline for the event, so find what works for you and stick to it. In the hectic planning of the main meal, don't forget that your guests will want to grab a few bites to eat throughout the day, especially if you'll have overnight guests before Thanksgiving. Plan a very simple egg-based breakfast, think omlets or quiche. If you serve a later dinner around two or three o'clock, plan on serving an appetizer around lunch time. You don't have to fix a full meal, but spinach artichoke dip and beer pretzels should keep everyone quite content. Finally, plan what time you want to serve your main meal, and then plan for dessert a few hours later, just so everyone's food has time to settle.

Label Serving Dishes

With all of the family coming in, you will probably be asked several times "how can I help?" It's easy to say that you've got it under control, but with a bit of preparation you can make it easy for your family to participate in preparing the meal. Once you've decided on your menu, take a few moments to label your serving dishes with sticky notes. When someone asks to help, you can point them in the direction of the serving dishes and have them start plating everything up!

Plan Ahead for Leftovers

Finally, leftovers are an obvious occurrence every single Thanksgiving. Instead of trying to figure out what to put everything in, and how to send leftovers with others without losing all of your Tupperware, buy some aluminum pans with lids, or cheap plastic containers. You can send leftovers back, and still keep your containers - everyone is happy!

Happy Thanksgiving from John Elliott Interiors

We love to help you create the perfect home interior design at the Lake of the Ozarks for just this reason. Using your home to host holidays, gather family, and enjoy time together. We want to help you create an interior for your life, and that is exactly what the holidays bring about. If you've been considering updating your home's style lately, let's get started! We provide incredible luxury furniture at the Lake of the Ozarks, along with other accessories, faux plants, and more. Stop by and see us, or give us a call to learn if we have just what you're looking for. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

’Tis the season to start pulling out the Christmas decorations, decking the halls, and decluttering old and worn decor. As you begin to decorate your home, it’s important to evaluate what you have and make sure that the style still matches your home, and that the quality is up to par. This will not only help keep the holidays merry and bright but will add to your peace of mind as you decorate with only the things you love. Here are a few tips from your local furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks to help get you started!


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Part of creating a beautiful environment in your home doesn’t just lie within having beautiful things - it also means that you need to have systems of organizing. For some this comes easy, but for others keeping on top of organizing and cleaning can be a nightmare. At John Elliott Interiors, we know that organizing is one of the most important steps to redefining your space. If you plan on buying new furniture at the Lake of the Ozarks, or redecorating your space, this could be the best place to start. Here are a few of the methods or trends that have hit the market to help you make the most of your organizing!

Swedish Death Cleaning

This method was created by Margareta Magnusson and you can learn more about it in her book titled “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.”

This spunky lady is between 80 and 100 years old, and she takes the approach that if you can’t motivate yourself to clean and organize for yourself, do it for your family. While the approach may be a bit morbid for some, she encourages that you clean your home with the thought that your family will have to do it after you’re gone. In turn, if Aunt Carol tries to give you her *unattractive* table setting - even though you hate it, take it, but don’t keep it! Don’t even display it when she comes over, lest she keeps giving you more and more pieces thinking you like it. Check out her book to learn more about this strategy.

KonMari Method

This strategy is considered the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing, and was designed by Marie Kondo in the book titled “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”

One of her biggest suggestions is that you don’t organize each room, but instead, organize each item. Start with clothes and bring every single piece of clothing from the dresser, hall closet, and attic storage in one place. From there you can get rid of the pieces you no longer need or want, and then you won’t have to continually approach clothing throughout the home. After that, she suggests working through books, papers, “komono”, and sentimental items. After that, the next piece that sets her strategy apart is by keeping items that “spark joy” and ridding yourself of the rest. Want to learn more? You can check out her book or download the app “KonMari.”

Shock Treatment Method

This organizing strategy was developed by a blogger named Cheryl Lemily, and you can learn more about it on her blog called Uncluttered Simplicity.

While this may be a “shocking” way of organizing your home, it really puts into perspective what you truly have in a space. The first step she suggests is to take every single item out of a room, other than the large furniture, place it in another room, and then be shocked by the amount there is. As you pull the pieces from your space, sort them into like piles such as clothing, decor, books, cds, etc. From there you can Survey the Damage, Ruthlessly Eliminate, and then Put Everything Back Where it Belongs. If you’re interested in trying her strategy - you can learn more on her minimalist blog site!

Create a Sparkling Clean Home

Finding the perfect accent piece for your home isn't as an easy task, but it's extremely rewarding when you do. At John Elliott Interiors, we love helping you find the piece that not only complements you space, but also stands out on it's own and makes an amazing statement. As you begin your hunt for the perfect accent piece, whether it be a lamp, statue, or artwork, here are a few tips to keep you focused.

Look for Lights

Every room needs a little bit of ambiance lighting. Whether that's in the form of a lamp by your chair, a salt lamp in your kitchen, or a interesting lighting piece wired into your bedroom - look for something interesting. This will be different for everyone, obviously,  but don't be afraid to take a bit of a leap. Keep in mind that overhead lighting isn't always enough for a space, it's important, but sometimes the added look of a lamp is all you need to make your space pop. We have many gorgeous lamps in our furniture showroom at the Lake of the Ozarks, and we would love to help you find your fit.

Deck the Walls

If you have large blank walls in your home, it's time to fill them up! They not only lack appeal, but that can easily swallow up your room and make it feel overwhelming. The perfect accent can come in many styles, colors, and even materials. Whether you want a piece of fine art haging at the foot of the stairs, or a large mirror on your entryway - use these pieces to your advantage. Mirrors can give the illusion of more space, and the perfectly sized artwork can make your room feel brighter and more inviting.

Furniture Accents

Using small pieces of furniture to accent your room can make a HUGE difference. Chairs, chests, tables, and ottomans are all good things to consider when looking for something to accent your room. When you are looking for the right accent piece, keep in mind that while the piece needs to complement, but not blend. If you have a traditional style in your home, with red accents, you can find an ottoman that matches the style, but is bright red and pops in your room.

Something Fun & Small

Think of your room as an onion, especially when choosing the small and interesting pieces. The colors, your furniture, and even your rugs are all the outer layers. As guests look at your room more, though, they'll find the small and interesting pieces in your room and be delving into the layers. Are you looking for something small and fun? We've got some GREAT pieces!

Interior Decorating at the Lake of the Ozarks

It can be hard to create your space on your own, and that's why we offer our design services. Let us help you find the PERFECT pieces for your home. From large to small, we have access to thousands of styles and colors, and our 45,000 square food showroom is filled with incredible texures and stories. Come out to our home furnishings store at the Lake of the Ozarks, or contact us about the piece you're looking for. We would love to help you make your house a home through the perfect accent piece.