10 Tips for Hosting a Stress-Free Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is supposed to be about being thankful and spending a nice day with loved ones. Unfortunately, if you’re in charge of hosting the event, it can easily become about stress. But a stress-free Thanksgiving is possible, and it’s not hard to achieve, either! If you’re in charge of Thanksgiving this year, check out these 10 Tips for Hosting a Stress-Free Thanksgiving!

10 Tips for Hosting a Stress-Free Thanksgiving

1. Start Cooking Early
   One of the most stressful parts of Thanksgiving is cooking a lot of different foods at the same time. A great way to avoid this stress is simply to start cooking early. The day before, try making some of your desserts early, and prep your other ingredients. This way, you won’t have so much to do on Thanksgiving Day!
2. Thaw the Turkey Early
   If you’re cooking a whole turkey, that’s a big piece of poultry. Don’t expect to take it out the night before and have it ready to go in the oven the next morning. Save yourself the last-minute worry, and begin thawing your turkey well ahead of time.
3. Get Help in the Kitchen
   You don’t have to be the only one keeping everything running in the kitchen. See if you can get your children, spouse, or a friend to give you a quick hand now and then throughout the day.
4. Keep the Kids Occupied
   If you have kids, or kids will be visiting, keeping them busy is critical to hosting a stress-free Thanksgiving. To help you stay focused on everything else you have to do, give the kids a fun, quiet activity that will keep them happy and busy.
5. Keep the Adults Occupied
   You don’t want your adult guests to get bored either, but you can’t be with them every minute. Consider setting up a movie, music, or party games. A tray of snacks will also help keep people from continually asking when dinner will be ready!
6. Double-Check Guest Travel Plans
   The last thing you want is a call that someone has arrived before you were ready for them. Double check guests’ travel plans with them before they begin traveling, so you know for sure when they should arrive.
7. Keep Your Menu Reasonable
   While it may be fun to dream of serving up some lavish, multi-course banquet, it’s a better idea to keep your menu reasonable. A turkey, a few sides, and a dessert or two is more than enough to deal with.
8. Double-Check Your Supplies Ahead of Time
   You may think that you have extra butter in the freezer, but if you discover that you’re wrong on Thanksgiving Day, it can cause a lot of stress. Double-check ahead of time that you have everything you could possibly need.
9. Have a Cooking Schedule
   There’s only just so much you can fit on a stovetop and in an oven at one time. If you don’t have a cooking schedule planned out, you’ll find yourself trying to shove a casserole dish in the oven and discovering that there’s simply no room!
10. Take Breaks
    It’s called Thanksgiving Day, not Stay-In-The-Kitchen Day. When you’re waiting for things to boil or bake, spend a few minutes out of the kitchen. Visit with your guests, eat some of the snacks, or sit down and just relax. This will help you to enjoy the holiday, which is essential to hosting a stress-free Thanksgiving. It’s no fun if your only memories of the day are of you slaving over the stove!

Hopefully, these tips have given you good ideas for hosting a stress-free Thanksgiving this year!

Is your Thanksgiving usually peaceful, or stressful?