Holidays can be so stressful and Thanksgiving is no different. Instead of spending time being thankful and enjoying friends and family we are often frustrated with making sure everything is done on time and perfect. Here are some things you can do to make this year’s Thanksgiving dinner stress-free and feeling – what’s that? – thankful for this occasion.
Prepare as much as you can ahead of time.
Planning your menu can take the load of the cooking day. When you get all the supplies ahead of time there is no last minute frustration because you forgot to buy extra butter. Plus if others are bringing some of the food make a list of what everyone else is bringing so you can plan around them.
Don’t go Pinterest crazy
Those 10 new Thanksgiving recipes you just saved to your Pinterest account? Think twice… while new dishes and recipes can be fun to try but Thanksgiving is probably not the time to get creative. Tried and true recipes are best at a hectic time like Thanksgiving. If you have to try something new make it a dessert, which pretty much will be good no matter what it looks like. Reading over your menus is a good idea too, as you can forget how long or how detailed some
Have kids’ activities ready
How many kids does it take to completely ruin those hours you spent cleaning before dinner is even served? Probably not too many… Prepare ahead with a few easy games like, Thanksgiving Mad Libs, Apples to Apples Junior. If the weather is nice, send the kids out for a Fall Scavenger hunt. These activities will ensure you can enjoy you meal (for the most part) in peace.
Keep an eye on the clock
Creating a timeline for cooking can make a huge difference. Start with the initial prepping and add in everything you need to do. Working back from the time you want to eat helps you create a realistic timeline. Do as much of the meal prep as is possible ahead of time. Don’t be afraid to toss in store items, such as pies that are ready to bake, in order to cut your cooking time and stress levels in half.
Plan for mishaps (and enlist help!)
Keep a healthy supply of paper towels on hand and a stain remover close at hand for the inevitable red wine spill. While, you may think about waiting a few hours, you don’t want to deal with a stain that will remain a nice momento of Thanksgiving past.
Eat, drink and enjoy
Plan to ENJOY the day. Planning is the key to being to relax as much as possible Thanksgiving Day. In the end, if you are planning a dinner and have someone to share it with you have much to be thankful for.