Can you believe that there are only 42 days until Thanksgiving!?? We wont even talk about how many until Christmas!!

Are you hosting a breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner for either of these holidays? If so, here are a few tips that might help it go a little smoother. Not that our celebrations are ever stressful. Insert sarcasm.

I will try to keep this post to a minimum with maximum impact and helpfulness! I hope!

We got a party to plan, grab your PSL and lets get to it, shall we?

I used the CD standard dori for my planning. I liked how I could section each of my main topics.

I should also mention that these plans are for hosting the celebration. If you are just attending as a guest things are a lot easier!!

Décor: I like to shop my own house first! Then if I need extras I will add them to the list. You might be wondering why this is first. That’s easy, this is the step I like most (minus the eating). Plus, it gets me in the mood.

Food: This is going to be the hardest part and will take the most time planning. Will you do traditional? Most people want traditional, but I if you want to live on the edge, make sure to try your non-traditional recipes out before the day of!!! I have heard numerous stories from people who didn’t! Let’s just say it was not helpful in minimizing the stress.

A guest list will be helpful. Knowing how many people you need to feed is a good tip! Wouldn’t you agree? Pinterest has a plethora of conversion charts to know how much food you need to cook for how many people you need to feed.

Make a list of all the dishes you will have for your celebration. Make sure you have your recipe cards for the dishes you are going to prepare. Now is the time to print out, type out, and find granny’s secret recipe. I am keeping mine right in my planner this year in the glassine envelope that came in one of the kits. You know I gotta have a tip in! This way I have them with me at all times. Laminating the cards are a great idea. It will help keep them safe from splashes and spills, and makes them more durable! You want them to last for generations, well I do. LOL

Now its time to think about a grocery list. I have stored extra notepad sheets in this handy pocket on the back of my “recipe holder,” and a place to make notes. Again, I shop my house first. Duplicates are not time or money saving. “I need five jars of cumin,” said no one ever. It’s not like me family didn’t just find four in our cabinet…cough cough. Decide now if you will order your groceries or do the shopping your self. So many stores offer curbside pick up now days and this will be a huge time saver!! If you like the thrill of a good find then that will be part of the fun for you. Also, keep a close eye on sales!! There are going to be some super good deals this time of year, so its a great time to stock that pantry as well!

While we still have those recipe cards out why don’t we talk utensils, pots, pans and the like. Do you have all you need?? enough casserole dishes, serving spoons for each dish? A large enough roasting pan? A baster, meat thermometer, measuring cups/spoons, carving knife? Add what you need to your ever growing list.

Here we need to add a list for a leftover bar. This is so you can send home leftovers with guests or make it easier to store them. Those reusable leak proof bowls are good for this. they are fairly inexpensive and come in so many different sizes. If some of your guests are from out of town and will be taking left overs make sure you have plastic silverware and paper napkins for them to take as well.

Also make sure you know what beverages you will be providing or delegating to guests. I will provide basics; coffee, water, and tea. Otherwise its bring your own. This is one way to minimize stress.

Once that is all figured out I like to figure out my time line. I will share mine, but know that there are about a million on Pinterest with super simple, easy to follow plans.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE! LOL

1-2 weeks out:

• Plan the guest list, ask for allergies and food restrictions
• Plan menu
• Plan décor
• Recipes
• Shop or order groceries

Week of:

• Prepare your kitchen
• Clean fridge
• Clean coolers
• Get out slow cookers
• Prepare the house
• Clean
• Plan table seating
• Plan table settings

Day before:

• Bake pies
• Prepare all dishes that just need warmed
• Set the table
• Make sure the turkey is thawed

Day of…

You can see my chart here, I have an hour by hour plan that I liked.

I actually just found this on Pinterest. I hope it works!! LOL There are a lot more that might be a better match for you. Make sure to use your resources.

I decorated a few more pages in the back to document the day, how it went. what worked, didn’t work, could be better and so forth. I left plenty of room!!

I know I probably forgot half the things that need to be said. However, I hope you found at least one good tip hidden amongst my ranting that will help you enjoy this season of Thanks and Love with a little more ease and focus on what matters.

Maybe you have a tip or two from your adventures and would like to share it with me! I would love to hear about it. Please leave me a comment. Or maybe that favorite recipe that you know I need in my life!! Leave it below!!

XOXO,                                                                                                                                     Kam