The thoughts about Thanksgiving are getting stronger.
It is getting closer to November and that means that Thanksgiving is just around the corner.
Are you planning on hosting a big family gathering? Is it your turn to host an event and are dreading the whole thing.
It seems as if others have it all sorted and organised and make it look so easy to do.
How on earth can you possibly do it as successfully as them?
Best tip, don't let that fear build up in you
That person you are comparing yourself to may be hosting a Thanksgiving party for many years and have the experience of what works and what doesn’t. They have streamlined the whole thing and do it almost on automatic pilot.
Are they still enjoying the whole thing themselves or just ticking off the task?
Of course they can be excited about it and love the whole process every year or maybe they do.
We never know how other people actually feel about things unless we ask them.
If you have decided to host a Thanksgiving Party or a Friendsgiving celebration then there is time to get organised and on top of things.
Make a list
Ah, the dreaded list. We have to start somewhere and the most important thing is who do you want to invite to your party?
This is a huge decision and can sometimes be a challenge. There will be people you have to invite e.g. some family members that you may not always get on with. Or the partner of a friend or family member that you just can’t warm to. We all have some of those.
Don’t get bogged down by this.
List the people that you want or have to invite and work around that.
You never know you may invite them and they don’t come or have made other plans so no need to fear the whole event.
Even if they do accept the invitation you can still work it to your favour. You have a home advantage.
Check your seating arrangement
How big is your dining table or what kind of seating arrangements do you have?
Is the table big enough for all the people? Do you have smaller tables?
Friends or family living further away
Do you have friends or family members living further away or travelling long distances?
Are you planning to have them stay with you in your home or in accommodation nearby?
These are all things that can be organised earlier on and reduce the stress closer to your party.
Plan your Thanksgiving menu
Are you planning to host a traditional thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings? Or try something completely different.
Now is the time to check any dietary restrictions that your guests may have.
Of course you don’t want anyone to have an allergic reaction while enjoying your party.
There may be some who are vegetarian or vegan as well so knowing this now will help you plan out your meals ahead of time.
First, choose your main course. This will help you pick some side dishes to accompany that dish.
Think about having some appetisers or starters like finger food. This allows the guests to nibble on things to keep them occupied and distracted should dinner be delayed or just running a bit behind.
Can you have some desserts ready to go beforehand so you are not stressed on the day.
Do yourself another favour and prepare the dessert early.
How many people are coming and how many servings per person. Two servings per person is usually the best advice.
Maybe you are planning a pitch in party. Coordinate with the others as to who brings what and how much. This will simplify your workload and remove stress on the day.
Work is delegated out and everyone is happy with something as they bring what they like to eat.
Having all the guests happy with some part of the meal means you have happy guests overall.
Prepare your Thanksgiving shopping list
Make the time to sit down with your thanksgiving menu and keep in mind how much you need to make for the number of people coming and write down the shopping list of ingredients you will need to buy.
Check your own pantry to see if you already have some of the necessary items and can use them up before they are out of date.
Making the list now gives you time to slowly purchase the items on the list and keep within your budget or if you can to get them as soon as possible.
If you are trying to buy the fresh products as close to the day as possible be careful in case they are no longer available in your local store .
As you look at your list and see how much you will need to buy, check whether you have room in your fridge or freezer for the items.
Do you need to use things to make space before you buy anything?
What can you prepare ahead of time?
If you have the recipes of the items you are making, check whether there are things that you can prepare beforehand.
Do you have space in the freezer to add the produce? Can you chop the vegetables and freeze them in one bag? Saves you time on the day by having it ready to go.
Depending on what meals you have in mind, you can make them ahead and freeze them now. It means you only have to defrost and reheat them.
Plan out your Thanksgiving table decorations
Now you know how many people are coming and what kind of seating arrangements you will have to set up. It is time to think about how you will decorate the table or tables.
Do you have napkins or serviettes which are ready to go?
Go through the plates and cutlery you will use and make sure they are ready to go. Some people have special dishes they only take out for this one party.
Take them out and set a place on your table and see how it looks.
Do you have any Thanksgiving decorations that you can add to the table. Nothing too big to distract from the meal and the people you have around that table.
Maybe you have a buffet style counter ready to go so your guests can line up and get the food they want before sitting down.
Enjoying your Thanksgiving party yourself
It is after all a party to celebrate the good things in your life. Enjoy the festivities and the people in your life. Trying to organise things as much as possible beforehand will simplify your life and allow you to relax on the day and make the time to stop and breathe yourself.
Do you want to offer doggie bags for those who want to take food home or even ask people if they bring their own along for themselves.
The more prepared you are for hosting a party the more likely you are to be able to let your hair down and make the most of the celebration. This is definitely something to be thankful for.
Cleaning up after Thanksgiving
After every party there is the clean up and that can be daunting at the best of times. It can be therapeutic as well. A reminder that you have succeeded in hosting your thanksgiving party and it is over.
If something went wrong it is how you handled it that will make it go down as something funny and no problem and not escalated into a scary negative story
Funny moments are exactly what the best memories are made of and the best way to remember family and friends.
Read the post Thanksgiving is over, now what? and find out some tips to help yourself prepare for the next Thanksgiving.
