I can’t believe that we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving Day just in a few weeks. This is a special holiday for me when I can express gratitude for all my blessings, spend an unforgettable time with my family, and enjoy the savory aroma of roast turkey and other festive dishes. This year I’m going to host a Thanksgiving dinner at my home.
On the one hand, this expectation makes me very happy since I’ll have a wonderful opportunity to meet my parents whom I haven’t seen for three months. On the other hand, the preparation for the holiday induces much stress and worry as I have to do plenty of things for my dinner to be a great success.
That’s why I should plan every detail of my Thanksgiving celebration in advance, and it’s high time to start preparing right now. Here are afew things I do now to get ready for the perfect Thanksgiving feast without stress and anxiety.
1. Plan Your Guests List
One of the most useful tips for getting ready for Thanksgiving is to plan who’s going to the Festive dinner, as you cannot plan anything else until you know how many people you will invite. Therefore, it is better to prepare in advance for possible guests so that you have enough places and food.
2. Send Invitation Cards
While I can call each member of my family any moment and invite them to the long-awaited Thanksgiving dinner just in several minutes, I think that by sending individual invitation cards to my guests, I will add more solemnity to the holiday. Nowadays, we can find a big choice of various cards in every supermarket. If you are very busy, it would be a nice idea to buy them to save your time.
Moreover, there are many online services that offer special invitations for your guests. Personally, I want to surprise my family this year. So, I will make unique cards with my daughter. This way, we’ll have fun and have an excellent opportunity to get ready for Thanksgiving together at the same time.
More:10 Ways to Reduce Your Food Waste This Thanksgiving
3. Plan my menu
Undoubtedly, a planning menu is one of the most significant aspects of Thanksgiving preparation. Therefore, I need to create one that will impress my guests. I have already started to browse different cookbooks and websites in search of interesting and unusual recipes. Surely, the roast turkey will be the main attraction of my festive table. I will also cook vegetable side dishes like mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, and a couple of light salads to add more diversity to the menu.
I can’t imagine Thanksgiving dinner without desserts. At this time, we have a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables that can be used to make numerous pies and biscuits. Pumpkin pie is my favorite dessert for Thanksgiving, and I’ll obviously include it in the list of dishes this year.
In addition to traditional Thanksgiving dishes, I can also consider adding something new. But remember, during your Thanksgiving preparation, it is necessary to check with family and friends about any dietary restrictions. Then, if dietary restrictions or allergies exist, I can decide which specialties you will include. When I have a clear vision of the foods to cook for the upcoming holiday, I can write down the menu and all the recipes needed.
4. Make a grocery list and go shopping
My Thanksgiving menu is ready, and it’s time to make a grocery list of the ingredients I should buy in advance. Actually, Following this one of the most valuable tips for getting ready for Thanksgiving, I always put down all the foods necessary for cooking holiday dishes, and then I tick off those that can be purchased ahead of time. For example, it’s okay to buy boxed, canned, and frozen goods right now.
Don’t forget about the turkey as well when you prep for Thanksgiving. If you decide to purchase the food two days before the holiday, you’ll have to wait in long queues, the prices will be much higher, and you might not find certain items. First of all, I’ve cleaned out my fridge and pantry to have enough storage for the groceries I will buy in advance.
In addition to your shopping list, be sure to add napkins, paper towels, and everything you need for proper cooking, such as pie cutters and serving trays. Take into consideration this piece of advice during getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner.
5. Empty the Freezer
Before you can start making pies and other goodies to store in the freezer, you need storage space. So use time during your Thanksgiving preparation to start making room for your freezer. Get rid of all unidentified “stale” dishes and expired products; let everything you find in the refrigerator prepare food on the eve of the holiday.
Following this helpful tip on how to prep for Thanksgiving dinner, you will have enough space in the freezer in order to freeze some dishes. For example, homemade bread and rolls freeze perfectly. If you plan to make homemade broth or soups, you can also freeze them.
6. Prepare decorations
Decorations are an integral part of every holiday, and Thanksgiving is no exception. It is the most exciting Thanksgiving preparation thing. Pilgrims, cornucopias, pumpkins, turkeys, and Native American symbols are the best choices that will help me to create a delightful and cheerful atmosphere in my home.
Thanksgiving Day is around the corner, and it’s a great time to go shopping for these decorations without any delay. In addition, some natural materials such as autumn leaves and pinecones, are going to be an excellent decoration for my house.
Next week I will include working on various themed crafts during getting ready for Thanksgiving, involving my daughter and nephew in this pleasurable activity. Colorful centerpieces, candles, napkin rings, and place cards are the basic elements I traditionally use to enrich the overall look of my table.
7. Clean the house
Surely, if I clean up my house right now, it will be messy again just one week later. Nonetheless, there are certain household chores I can tackle successfully within the next few weeks. For instance, washing my tablecloths, cleaning windows, polishing silverware, and getting rid of unnecessary stuff in my guest room are the most useful things to do during Thanksgiving preparation. They will help me to avoid haste and chaos when I have to cook plenty of dishes the day before Thanksgiving.
8. Serve the Table
Setting the table in advance is a great tip for Thanksgiving preparation. If you have children at home, this is an excellent activity to have them help you with this. You can even ask them to polish beautiful silverware if you want to add extra time to the activity!
In addition, you can decorate the center of the table with anything related to Thanksgiving. You can look for themed decorations in the store or make your own. Scented candles, a bouquet of autumn flowers, or a bowl of fruit are also good ideas for decorating the centerpiece of a table. Finally, you can make themed nameplates with sincere words of gratitude to every guest.
9. Think about entertainment
Thanksgiving is generally associated with joy and laughter. If your family sits in front of the TV set when the dinner is over, they might get bored soon, and the celebration will lose its significance. There is a wide range of activities to try with your family. Therefore, it is necessary to think about it during Thanksgiving preparation.
Playing board games, telling interesting stories, or taking a walk is an excellent way to stir up excitement and bring the whole family together. Don’t waste your time; start thinking of how to entertain those you love after the festive dinner.
Getting ready for Thanksgiving requires lots of effort and time. Due to this, we shouldn’t put off all the tasks till the last minute and do a little bit each week getting ready for the big day step by step. By doing these things in advance, I manage to enjoy a splendid celebration with my family. Have you already started your Thanksgiving preparation? What things are you going to do first?
More:10 Interesting Facts about Thanksgiving Day
10. Make a Schedule of Events For Thanksgiving
Take a few minutes to sit down and plan your cooking time for Thanksgiving. Take into consideration this tip during getting ready for Thanksgiving, and you will manage time to do everything in time for Thanksgiving dinner. Start with how long you need to cook the turkey. Then look at the list of other items you need to prepare.
Below, we have compiled a list of the most interesting questions about things to do now to get ready for Thanksgiving:
