8 TIPS FOR HOSTING THE PERFECT THANKSGIVING Writer / Shelly Bergman
Hosting family and friends for the holidays is daunting. The expectations of a Pinterest worthy meal and decor is high. We've lost what the true meaning of Thanksgiving is. In our family, Thanksgiving was the only time of the year we saw the entire family. Selfishly, I secretly wanted us to order pizza every year making less work and more time to spend with people. I still believe it's necessary to streamline areas of Thanksgiving day to make less work for the host. I recently heard the statement “Getting Ready is a Key Aspect of Performance.” Thanksgiving Day is as close to a performance as I give all year, so preparing is crucial. There are many steps you can complete 3 to 4 weeks ahead of time to reduce stress. There are also several hacks you can use to keep things running smoothly on the big day.
1. MAKE SURE YOU PLAN A MENU THAT ONLY REQUIRES ONE OVEN
Have guests bring the sides and desserts leaving the oven free for you to do the turkey. Be sure to request contributed items to things that are easy to transport and set up once they arrive. Items like side salads, dinner rolls, wine, cold appetizers and cranberry sauce are perfect. If you need to keep food warm, place a towel and a bowl of hot water in the bottom of a cooler. Then, put your pans in the cooler until it’s time to serve. The food will still be warm for up to 2 hours.
2. PLAN AN OUTDOOR ACTIVITY
As long as it's not raining, spend a little time outside with your family. Start a game of football, make a pumpkin ring toss, take a nature bingo hike. Anything that gets the family outside for some fun, especially if there will be kids. You can also have 20 / NOVEMBER 2020
coloring books and board games set out on a table to keep the kids busy while dinner is being prepped.
3. DELEGATE TASKS
Your friends and family want to help. Write out tasks ahead of time with the names of people who you know will offer their help. Have them be in charge of the outdoor activity, keep drink stations stocked, wrangle the kids for dinner and help serve. Make sure you tell at least one family member to take a few photos.
4. PREPARE THE TABLE
Lay out all the serving dishes on the table with note cards of what will be served inside. Shop your house or yard for table decor. It's likely you won't need to buy a bunch of decor. Get everything set up how you'd like it to look, snap a picture and put all the dishes and decor in a laundry basket
