Miss Party doesn’t ‘do’ her family’s Thanksgiving Feast, she’s ever so lucky to have a fabulous Sister-in-Law who does it every year. It’s one of Miss Party’s family’s favorite times of year. What’s not to love –an exciting, non-stop visit to New York City, catch up with family we don’t see often, enjoy way more delicious food than any of us have a business eating and Christmas shop to our heart’s content!
With all that being said, she also knows many of you lovely hostesses out there are responsible for the family Thanksgiving feast. This is just a gentle party planning reminder that if you haven’t started making your menu and prep lists, you should begin now. Staying on top of your errands and preparations is really the key to a less stressful Thanksgiving holiday.
Make a thorough list of errands and chores (like polishing silver or washing dusty china) you need to do and a list of every serving item you will need. Commit to a specific Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and add on any other menus for meals you will need to provide if you have guests staying over on either end of the Thanksgiving dinner. From all those menus make a complete grocery shopping list(s) so that once you start cooking you don’t get caught missing a key ingredient and have to make a run to the store. If it’s necessary to shop at multiple food stores, make a sub-list for each. Whatever you do, get those table linens to the cleaners for pressing ASAP!
Since, Thanksgiving is a family event, you might also consider planning a couple of activities to keep kids busy. Of course, a gaming system is perfect for the older cousins. Younger cousins need variety to keep out of trouble. For some fun Thanksgiving craft ideas and general indoor/outdoor games, search through www.familyfun.go.com.
If you need a few ideas to spice up your Thanksgiving table, check these out:
‘Cherry Wood Leaves – You’ll fall for them!‘ for easy place cards. Just write each guests name on a leaf. Set your Thanksgiving table with a folded cloth napkin (in a napkin ring?) laid on top of the plate(s). Tuck the stem of the leaf into the napkin ring or just lay it on top of the napkin. Or, another idea is to tie a leaf to the back of each dining chair with raffia (tied to the stem of the leaf). In this case, turn the leaf so that the stem is pointing up before writing the guest’s name.
‘DIY Easy Fall Fruit and Vegetable Place Card Holders – They’re a natural choice for the job!‘. Super simple, natural and still edible afterwards.
‘DIY Burlap Pouches for Party Favors – Rustic and Natural‘ would make fun favors for all ages. Fill a plastic bag with any sort of delicious nibble, such as nuts, dried fruit or candy and drawstring closed with a pretty, fall colored ribbon. Having trouble figuring out what to use in the bag, see ‘MYO Party Favors – Miss Party’s favorite edible fillers!‘ for lots of yummy ideas!
‘MYO Tabletop Natural Wood Risers – Tree slices are au naturel!‘. To add a natural touch to your table, put a tree slice riser under a simple centerpiece(s) for more emphasis and height or use several on a dessert table to vary the height of each dish a little.
‘MYO ‘en masse’ Tabletop Party Decor/Centerpieces – They’re so quick and easy!‘. Use any sort of fall filler and a tall pillar candle to create a lovely, quick centerpiece(s).
Go forth and be organized!!
