This is the time of year for thanksgiving festivities! It’s unfortunate this year will be different from the others and we’ll need to take extra precautions when gathering.
If you’ve opted to host thanksgiving then you’ve come to the right place .
I usually start planning and thinking about thanksgiving a few months in advance so that I can organize my decor, menu, platters, seating, and groceries in a timely manner.
I get very organized when planning anything and I take planning any event hosted at my home very seriously. I do however, enjoy the process because this is the time set aside to serve our loved ones.
I always view the opportunity to share a meal as a moment in time to express gratitude and love to family and friends.
I have lots of lists to keep me sane with viable times of completion. I’ll have a cleaning list, grocery list, menu list, decor list, garden list, and miscellaneous list that contains items such as washing dishes and platters and ironing outfits.
Here are some quick ideas on hosting a memorable thanksgiving:
- Lay your dishes out with serving spoons and food labels well in advance. The last calamity you need is having any shortages on the day of Thanksgiving.
- I take 20-25 minutes out of my evening to research unique ways to fold napkins. I fold and iron mine about a month to month and a half in advance and pack them neatly in a container and if my napkin needs to be flat and hold a shape I’ll use a book or heavy magazine to create the desired effect.
- You can do a simple folding and believe me it’s easier than it looks! The ironing and folding usually takes about an hour to complete for 25 guests. I do additional napkins just in case I need extras.
- Figure out your seating arrangements. How many tables and chairs will you need? And how you’ll place them in the allotted space.
- Iron and hang your table cloths and runners to avoid creases because let’s face it, things happen and this is one to do that can be done in advance. I use white table cloths because food and beverage stains can be sprayed and bleached easily. I save loads of time every time I host a party or event by doing these prep ideas.
- I make my own flower arrangements every year. Some years I make real pumpkin arrangements and others I use faux pumpkins. If using faux make sure its well balanced, sturdy and not hollow on the inside. These topple easily.
- I buy my flowers at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. The Fresh Market or your local florist is a good choice too. I also like to visit Hobby Lobby or any home or craft store and buy artificial flowers to place in between my arrangements. This enhances the thanksgiving colors of yellows, oranges, and browns. These faux flower inserts can be saved for reuse.
- Purchase non perishable items a few weeks leading up to thanksgiving so that your tasks don’t become overwhelming. And we know how quickly that can happen! Bulk items can be purchased one day at your local Sam’s or Costco and the remainder can be tackled another day.
- I break my lists into segments. When you wait until the last minute to do the bulk of your prep that’s when you become engulfed by the misery of last minute planning. Segmenting will help you to enjoy the process. Believe me, there was a time I DREADED planning events.
- I would recommend buying fancy disposable dinnerware sets. You can purchase these items on Amazon for a steal of $24.99 for 125 piece set of plates and cutlery. It’ll look like the real thing and eliminate cleanup and you may even have left over dishes for other events you host.
To wrap things up, Thanksgiving is a time of year that should be enjoyable. I’ve grown over the years and learned the art of event planning by planning hundreds of events and gaining valuable nuggets from genius event planners.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post on thanksgiving ideas!
Subscribe now to get updates and new post notifications. Share your thanksgiving ideas or if you have any questions and clarifications in the comment section below.
