How long does it need to thaw?  It needs about one day per four pounds.  So if you have a 12 pound turkey, allow three days for it to thaw out.  Even if you’re ahead of schedule, go ahead and pull it out now because a thawed turkey can stay in the refrigerator safely for up to four days.

Otherwise, you’re going to be stuck thawing the turkey with cold water which is not as safe.

• Do not mix any cleaners because you put yourself at risk of creating toxic fumes.
• Ventilate your bathroom by turning on the ventilation fan and/or opening the window if you have one.
• Protect your skin with rubber gloves.

With that in mind, you are ready to get started.

1. Use a toilet bowl cleaner with an angled spout on it to get under the rim. Squeeze the product all the way around and let it run down the inside of the bowl. Close the lid and let it sit for a few minutes.
2. While you’re waiting on the inside of the bowl, wipe down the outside of the bowl with a disinfectant wipe. Pay special attention to the front of the bowl and the handle.
3. Using a toilet brush, start scrubbing the inside of the bowl. Give extra attention to the area just under the rim where mold likes to accumulate. Swish all the way down into the hole.
4. If a ring remains around the water line, it will be necessary to use a pumice stone. Gently rub the stone back and forth along the line and it should come off.
5. Flush the toilet as many times as necessary to wash away the debris left behind by the pumice.

Maintaining the toilet is easy if you’re consistent. Pour a little cleaner into your toilet bowl brush holder (only if you don’t have pets or small children). Each morning when you get up, just run the brush around the toilet and it will look and smell clean.

If the bed is a big mess, you may want to start by removing the comforter/bedspread, flat sheet and all of the pillows. From there, just take it step by step:

1. Pull all the corners of the fitted sheet down so that they fit snugly and the fitted sheet is pulled taut across the bed.
2. Evenly lay the flat sheet over the bed so that the wrong side of it faces up. Fold back the sheet about 6 inches from the top of the bed. At the foot of the bed, tuck the sheet under the top mattress. Take the bottom corners of the sheet and tuck them under the mattress as well. Some people prefer to tuck the flat sheet under all the way around – it’s up to you.
3. Lastly, lay the comforter or bedspread evenly over the top of the bed. You may want to find landmarks that will let you know where to place it in the future. On my comforter, I know the tag goes at the bottom left hand side of the bed. I also know that the second line of stitching lies even with the edge of the mattress.
4. The final touch is to place your pillows at the top of the bed. If you have two pillows, you may want to just lay them flat. If you have four pillows, try laying two of them flat and the other two laying slightly upright on top of the other two.

Making the bed can certainly be a chore, but the more you do it, the easier it will become. It’s a great way to quickly tidy up the room and give it a pulled together look.