All the ghouls and goblins are back in the attic and I have flipped the page thinking about Thanksgiving, Christmas and beyond.
My focus right now is Thanksgiving with some back burner projects for Christmas time.
I love hosting Thanksgiving, I love hosting anything actually, but let’s focus on Thanksgiving at the moment.
Hosting can be stressful though and I just want to share some of the things I do to stay organized and calm.
I make lists, and review my old lists, and think about new things to add to the old lists to make them better.
Make your guest list so you know how many people you will be feeding; how many are adults vs. children; how many have dietary needs; how many have physical requirements like walkers or wheel chairs, etc. so everyone is comfortable and catered to.
Once you set your menu you can make a shopping list and review all the necessary recipes.
Remember to include all the ingredients you will need to make with the left overs as well; two popular ones in our house are turkey soup and turkey club sandwiches.
Then once the menu is set you can organize all your serving platters as well.
thanksgiving organization 101
I like to dust mine off if necessary and label them for the big turkey day.
This keeps me organized and it guides any guests that might be helping you on the big day.
You can see more details on this here.
The more things you have prepped before Thanksgiving week the less stress you will have.
Some of the things you can do the first weeks of November are:
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declutter and clean areas of your home your guests will use
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make sure all linens are clean & pressed
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determine your tablescape
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decorate your home
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have knives sharpened
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clean out refrigerator
Having all these things done will help you focus on the main event, Mr. turkey and fixings, and prevent any last minute scrambling.
Having all the cooking tools necessary for a Thanksgiving meal is also super helpful.
The proper tools makes prepping & preparing the meal easier and enjoyable.
I was lucky that my mother-in-law gifted me many of the necessary items as a newly wed for the first thanksgiving we fixed.
I didn’t realize how important it was and how much I’d grow to cherish these items.
Don’t forget to also prepare for clean up after the meal.
I like to have separate dish pans for my sterling, crystal and china since all these items need to be hand washed but I want them out of the way while we’re all still enjoying ourselves.
I also have to-go containers ready for my guests to take left overs home.
I purchase the containers at the Dollar Tree, which also carries the dish pans.
Shopping for all your boxed and canned items early in the month makes the shopping during the week of Thanksgiving less of a hassle.
I only shop for the produce, fruit and any other fresh items on Tuesday and Mr. Masterpiece picks up the turkey and a fresh baguette on Wednesday.
I hope this helps you have a stress free Thanksgiving
Start early with everything and write it all down whether in lists, post its or whatever system works for you.
Happy Turkey Day Prep!
What a great plan! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Wow Mary Jo, you have it down to a science! I’ve hosted it so much that I feel I know it like the back of my hand. 🙂 Luckily I don’t get stressed and just go with the flow. I do pull my serving dishes out ahead of time and have them handy to be filled as food is ready. I set the table well in advance that morning and things seem to run smoothly. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Great job Mary Jo, You gave some tips that only a seasoned hostess would know! Luckily for me, this year I get to be a good guest and can just make a couple of things and head to my sisters. I am looking forward to that!