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| You'll see, we like our gold dots this season. |
I have hosted Thanksgiving several times now, and I really wouldn't want it any other way. I love having people over and decking out the house for special events. It is pretty easy when you have a tiny house:) PS- I consider Thanksgiving the first day of the Holidays, so yes, I do a little hybrid of Christmas + Fall decor...sorry to this guy.
Most of you have probably hosted before, but I thought I'd share a few tips on the day after (Black Friday for me= relaxing and avoiding the stores any way I can)...
1. Before it's game time and you are unwrapping that disgusting-looking raw turkey, find out which freaking side is upside down. If not, this may result in domestic disputes and frustrated texts to moms and neighbors. "Breast side up" and "skin side up" do NOT help, Honeysuckle Turkey Inc! (follow up, Matt was of course, correct. The turkey was awesome and I'll be OK making it from here on out.)
2. Have a kid-free day on "Get er done" Wednesday. Essential. I had enough "help" on Thanksgiving with Larkyn suddenly appearing over a pot of boiling gravy or dropping a 700 ct. pack of toothpicks. Wednesday was pure bliss, as I crossed off item after item and filled the fridge with desserts I was making.
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| As much as we love them, you really can't get anything done unless they are happily with a sitter! |
3. Speaking of that, try a dessert table! If this is your thing. And it is, ahem, definitely my thing. I got a killer deal on all these cute serving dishes that were open-stock (and armed with coupons) at Bed Bath and Beyond.
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| Pecan tarts: follow a pecan pie recipe, scoop out baked filling and put into mini tart shells that are filled with mini chocolate chips. Bake until chocolate is melted. Oreos: Get a Wilton cookie mold and follow the directions on the back:). Pumpkin gingerbread trifle here. Fruit Crisp here. |
4. Decorating...go for the free printables! I googled "free thanksgiving printables" and voila!
Free Thanksgiving Printable Set
All you need is some cardstock, a color printer, and the aforementioned toothpicks.
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| Keepin' it real by not turning off the football that was really on. |
5. Go for the runners and chargers look to avoid a messy (and expensive) tablecloth. I got the gold burlap from JoAnn's (13.99/yard) and the chargers from Target (2.49 on holiday endcap). Clean up was so easy.
6. Don't expect your toddler to eat anything. Make her a plate, assuring yourself that she will eat 0% of it, so that you don't risk disappointment.
7. Crock pot those mashed potatoes! I used to stress over them because I wanted them hot when everyone got there. This year, I made them in the morning and just added milk every few hours.
8. If it is cold enough (and it always is here), use the garage for your fancy second refrigerator. This is where we store drinks and desserts.
Maybe some of this will help if you are hosting Christmas or any other holiday coming up. Hope yours was a good one! Thanks Jill, for the Mr. Senior video.
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