With Thanksgiving 16 days away, it is time to start preparing yourself and your home. Thanksgiving is a time where family and friends come together! Everyone enjoys each others company while eating delicious food. Many wonderful memories are made and cherished on this day, but don’t let that create unneeded pressure and stress! Whether this is your first time hosting, or your 40th, here are some tips to help you prepare so your day runs smoothly! And THAT is something to be grateful for!
Let go of your perfectionist instincts
The first step to having a stress-free Thanksgiving, is to know that you aren’t perfect, and neither is your home. While, there is still time to reface the cabinets in your kitchen, or update the hardware, there is more to the holidays than a show-worthy kitchen. If that is something you’re in dire need of, hop on it fast! Cabinet refacing is a short, stress-free process that could bring your home from an 8 to a 10 within a weekend.
If you’re not ready to do a quick remodel, no worries, there is no shame is having a non-perfect home. The holidays aren’t about your space anyways, they’re about friends and family.
Figure out the basics
Now that you’re comfortable knowing that your home may not be perfect, it is time for the real planning!
- Figure out how many people are going to be invited.
Knowing how many matching plates, napkins and how much food you need is necessary for a fully functional Thanksgiving.
- Order your Turkey now.
Assuming you plan on serving Turkey. If you plan on cooking an alternative, make sure plans are set so you’re able to have everything for the day of. Otherwise you’ll be scrambling and stressed because you have no main course.
- Who will be bringing what?
Not every family does this, but if you are a ‘pot luck’ Thanksgiving-er, make sure to figure out what everyone is going to bring. Research recipes, and take into account any food allergies your guests may have.
Clean
This is something that you should probably start this weekend. Don’t do the cleaning that you’ll have to re-clean in a week anyways, but the big, less touched things. Get rid of the clutter in your coat closet, empty out old food from your fridge and clear out space in the pantry. This way you’re not struggling for space later on!
Pick out decor
Whether you plan on going the DIY route, or running off to your local Home Goods, after you figure out your guest list and meal plans, decor is the next thing on the list! Centerpieces, candle holders, napkin rings, maybe a set of matching plates etc.
Shop for non-perishable items
Trying to beat the grocery store rush, start shopping for your non-perishable items now. This will help a lot with the stress of shopping later on. Also, start a cooking list soon. As mentioned before, you should start looking at recipes, within a week before, make sure you have your recipes picked and all ingredients and spices purchased.
Week-of plans
The weekend before, and days leading up to Thursday is when you should do your deep cleaning, and shopping for your perishable items. Also, if you’re like me and never use your dining table unless you have guests over, there is nothing wrong with setting your Thanksgiving table up a few days early. Here is a how-to, just in case you’re a first timer. The more prepared you are, the less stressful it will be!
Happy Thanksgiving!
