Thanksgiving is next week, here in the States, and I will be hosting it again for some of my family!
I’ve had the opportunity to host a nice handful of family functions in the 2 years my husband and I have lived in this house. Although it can be a little stressful, I always look forward to it.
Hosting gives me the opportunity to share my homemaking skills with more people, and by doing that, I pray they can see Gods love in our home. I strive to make my home welcoming and comfortable, and it brings me joy to be able to expand that to others.
In these two years that I’ve been able to host in our home, I have learned so much about what I can do to make events and holidays run smoother and what does the opposite.
Here are some of my best tips for hosting Thanksgiving…and other holidays!
#1 Only Clean Where People Will Be
I don’t know what it is about hosting a holiday that makes me feel like I need to clean my entire house the week before. It’s a good way to drive myself crazy.
Make your cleaning focus areas that matter the most:
- The kitchen
- Living room
- Dining room
- Bathroom
- Entryway/ mud room
- Guest room if people are staying at your house
*Click here to learn what 6 items can make cleaning easier.
#2 Have an area for shoes, coats, hats, scarves, and gloves.
Make sure your guest have a space to keep their outdoor wear.
- You can hang coats in a coat closet, on a coat rack, wall hooks or hang up some command hooks in a convenient space.
- Have a basket for hats, scarves, and gloves.
- Set up a mat or shoe rack for people to put their shoes on.
- Have fuzzy socks or slippers available to add extra coziness.
#3 Plan Activities
Activities aren’t just for kids!
Plan some fun family games, or movies to watch. You can make up a scavenger hunt, bring out classic board games, or play video games. Make some conversation cards to keep the dinner conversations light hearted and fun.
You can find free printables online for coloring pages. Mondaymandala.com is one of my favorite websites for this. They have coloring pages for kids as well as adults.
#4 Schedule out Your Cooking
If you’re doing the bulk of the cooking, it can help to schedule it out. Look up your recipes ahead of time, to know how long they take to prep, what temperature they need the oven set to, and how long it need to bake.
Start your cooking with what makes sense to you. I like to start by looking at what gets cooked at a lower temperature, and what can be prepped while something else is cooking.
For example: If your rolls get baked at 375° and the green bean casserole gets baked at 375°, then you can start the rolls, and let them rise while the casserole is baking.
It’s also helpful to plan out what you can do ahead of time and what you can ask others to do. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
#5 Be Realistic
As much as we may want our holidays to be picture perfect, we are only human. Expect things to not go completely as planned: guest will arrive late, something will take too long to cook, there may be cob webs you overlooked, or the power could go out.
Life is an adventure! It come with all sorts of twist and turns. Expect the day to not go as planned, but don’t forget your plan completely. Continue on, relax, and enjoy the curve balls.
Speaking of plans…
#6 Meal Plan
I know I talk about meal planning a LOT. It’s just something that I have found to very helpful to me, as homemaker. It frees up frustration and time.
In this case, while meal planning, consider planning meals around the holiday/event you are hosting. Plan out meals that can be quick and easy, so that you have more time to prepare for hosting. And don’t forget to plan on what to do with leftovers!
While planning your meals, don’t forget to consider any allergies of those coming to your house. You may not be able to accommodate everything, but there may be something you can do. Those small things can mean a lot to someone with allergies.
On that same note, if you have someone coming over with a lot of allergies, let them know it’s okay to bring their own food to eat.
*You can read more about my Meal Planning Methods here.
#7 Have To-Go Boxes for Leftovers
I’ve talked about freezing leftovers in single portions, but for this you’ll want to have containers, bags, or boxes for your guests to take home.
I like to have cheap containers on hand that they can keep. I’ve heard of others buying casserole dishes from the thrift store for their guests. Get creative and make sure your guests know they are welcome to take leftovers, some may even bring their own containers.
#8 Think About Easy Clean Up
Be sure to get your kitchen ready, clean out your dishwasher, clean out your sink, and clean out the fridge. When you’re cooking, it’s always a good idea to clean as you go, so there’s less to do later.
Get any paper plates, cups, and flatware you may need ahead of time. If your not using disposable plates, cups and flatware, make sure you have what you need and it’s all clean and ready to go.
Put together a cleaning caddy for any spills or messes that may happen. Keep it out and available so anyone can use it, if they need to.
#9 Have Tea or Coffee
Having a hot drink ready for guest is an easy way to make your home feel more welcoming. I like to offer both tea and coffee, but the coffee seems to get more attention.
Typically I’ll offer them during dessert, but on chilly days, I’ll make sure my guests know I can make some anytime.
You can have fun with this and set up a warm drinks bar with hot cocoa, teas, and coffee. Offer a variety of marshmallows, candies, creamers, flavored sugars, and honey. Along with some cookies to dip into your drink.
#10 Do a Pot-luck
Pot-lucks can be a lot of fun and they help distribute the work load of holidays.
You can make it a surprise and have everyone bring a side dish, or once you have your menu, ask what each person would like to bring, like a sign up sheet. That way no-one brings the same thing.
I hope you can take these tips and use them to help you enjoy hosting Thanksgiving or other family events!
Remember, having people at your house is a great opportunity to love them and show them Gods love. It’s also a great opportunity to practice new homemaking skills!
Have fun hosting and make the most of it!
Since next Thursday is a holiday, I will not be making a new post, but you can sign up for my newsletter to stay in touch!
