Hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner can be an overwhelming and daunting task—but it doesn’t have to be! Planning your décor, menu and “to-do” list ahead of time will greatly reduce your stress the day of, allowing you to enjoy the holiday festivities with your guests. Here are eight tips for any Thanksgiving dinner host:
1. Plan Your Menu
Food is such an important part of the Thanksgiving Dinner. Think about which family recipes you want to include and new dishes you may want to try. I like to change at least one dish on my menu each year. I still stay true to my family food traditions, but cooking or baking a new recipe that I’ve discovered is always fun. Decide what you want to make for appetizers, main course, dessert and everything in between. If you are hosting children, plan to have a few kid friendly menu options. I try to put together my grocery list 1-2 weeks ahead of time so I am well prepared for my trip to the store and less likely to forget something.
2. Finalize Your Guest List
Make sure you confirm with family and friends that they will be attending dinner. This is key to determining the amount of food you will need, the size of the turkey, and the quantity of place settings and chairs. Whether you send formal invitations or opt to make a friendly phone call, keeping in contact with your guests is critical.
3. Order Your Rental Items
If your guest list is larger than usual, you may need to rent additional place settings, linens, tables and chairs. You could borrow chairs and place settings from friends or family, but I find renting additional items is a great way to ensure you can comfortably accommodate all of your guests and have a cohesive style. Renting additional items also removes the stress and expense of having to purchase items that you may not use again.
4. Design Your Centerpiece and Décor
I love searching Pinterest and online blogs for beautiful Thanksgiving tablescapes. You don’t have to come up with something overly elaborate or expensive. I often search through my house for items I can bring together to create a centerpiece. If you add seasonal touches like pumpkins or gourds, it’s easy to design a festive and beautiful tablescape your guests will love.
Apartment 34
5. Create Placecards
I like creating placecards for my table. It’s a great way to add to the holiday décor and helps guest figure where they should sit – especially helpful if you have a large gathering or guests that don’t know each other. You can keep it simple with paper cards or add a little more décor by using pumpkins or fruit.
DIY Network
6. Finalize Your “To-Do” List
Organization is key when hosting guests at your home. It’s important to establish a prep list of tasks that need to be done and when. Whether it’s your cleaning schedule or how you will prepare your menu items, writing down your tasks will keep you on track and hopefully feeling less stressed.
7. Prepare Take Away Containers
Everyone loves leftovers! Having containers available for your guests to take home leftovers, is a nice touch. Your guests will appreciate being able to make turkey sandwiches or enjoy one more piece of pie the next day. These could be simple plastic containers that you already own or fun decorative containers that you’ve ordered online.
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8. Be Thankful
That is what Thanksgiving is all about right? I love the idea of incorporating thankfulness into the dinner experience. You could have pieces of paper at each place setting for guests to write down what they are thankful for and then place the individual papers in a container to be randomly selected and read out loud. Or you could have guests go around the table and share their thoughts on being thankful. However you decide to incorporate “thankfulness,” your guests will appreciate the opportunity to give thanks.
The most important thing to remember about hosting Thanksgiving Dinner is to make it your own. Stay true to your family traditions and be open to creating new traditions!