Linens!

Tonight's 15: Linens! Check for rips, stains, etc. Do they need to be pressed? Is it worth your time and money to send them out? If you're using paper (they have fancy ones now!), decide how many you need for cocktails, dinner and dessert. Do you need to make a special trip to a novelty store? If so, make a list of all the items you will need from there.

Clean As You Go...

Got a sink full of dishes, again??? Clean the kitchen during and immediately after dinner. During preparation, keep things tidy, throw away scraps (Try Rachael Ray's trick- use a garbage bowl) and wipe up spills. After the meal, wash dishes or load and run the dishwasher right away. You're not going to want to do it later either- so do it now and get it over with! Have everyone help before they scatter! You'll never go to bed, or worse!,  wake up to a sink full of dishes. Nothing worse than cleaning before you can prepare another meal. Just imagine tomorrow morning, an empty sink and a cup of coffee...try it!