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Tips for a stress-free Thanksgiving.
This week, I am totally cheating and sharing with you this post from a young lady by the name of Rachel Hollis. If you haven’t heard of her—check her out and if you do then you know what I am talking about. She’s real, she’s funny and she gets it so I am sharing her knowledge with you today. As Thanksgiving is the holiday that we host, this article rings 100% true! She also has advice for more than just Thanksgiving. Her books Girl, Wash your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing are still in my reading library and deserve a reread.
They say Thanksgiving is the most important meal of the year, and if you’re the host or hostess that’s a TON of pressure! Since it’s such an important holiday here in the US, I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts on how to achieve a stress-free thanksgiving. Or at least, the lowest level of stress possible.
Having hosted hundreds of events over the years (for both clients when I was an event planner and myself just for fun) I’m well-versed in every kind of event stress you can imagine. The advice I’d give you for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving is the same I’d say if you find yourself in a burning building… the most important thing to do is stay calm!
Be Prepared – Just like the Boy Scouts, a great host needs to be prepared. I have shopping lists and to do lists and even a timeline for the day of. Call my nuts, but it helps me to stay organized and I can also troubleshoot in advance.
For instance, when I look over my list and see that seven people are bringing side dishes in a crockpot that reminds me that I need to make sure I’ve got enough power strips to accommodate them. The more you can plan in advance the last stressed you’ll be day of.
Get Ahead – I do whatever I possibly can ahead of time. Shop for non-parishables, clean the guest bathroom, prep my vases for centerpieces etc. There’s nothing worse than getting to Thanksgiving dinner and being utterly exhausted because you’ve spent that last 72 hours preparing. Spread it out and you’ll be infinitely less worn out.
Accept Help – One of my biggest issues as a hostess is allowing others to help me. I want so much for my guests to be able to relax and enjoy and so I tend to tell them no thank you when they offer to bring a dish or come early to help set up. But here’s the thing, we usually have 50 people at our house for Thanksgiving and that’s crazy town! No way I could do it all alone without losing my mind. So if you offer to help I will say Yes Please and Thank You. Don’t let your pride get in the way of enjoying this day.
Let It Go – No, I’m not talking about Frozen here (though planning some fun movies for your kiddos to stay occupied in the last hour before guests arrive is a great idea) I’m talking about the idea that everything needs to be perfect. Plan the very best that you can and then a couple hours before everyone arrives take a breath and accept that everything will be whatever it will be. If you spend your day stressing about tiny imperfections or the fact that your stuffing is a little burnt you will miss the joy of the holiday. Focus on the positives like the green bean casserole having just the right amount of crispy topping or the fact that your children get to play with their cousins. You can find negatives in this day if you look for them, but the same can be said for all the good stuff.
Enjoy – This is my greatest piece of advice! I want to be relaxed and enjoy the time with my family but I’m usually so keyed up from getting everything ready that it’s hard to get there. Whether you pour yourself a glass of wine, put on your favorite pre-dinner pump up song, or snag an extra piece of pie for dessert 😉 be sure to take some time to just enjoy the holiday and your loved ones. Whether everything goes as planned or not, it’s important that YOU get a chance to relax and spend time with your friends and family! I hope you all have a wonderful and stress-free Thanksgiving with your families!
xo, Rachel
May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, spend time with those you love and take time for the people around you who may have no one.
Mel
Click below for all last minute Thanksgiving needs and a few of your wants too.
If this holiday and all of the family appears to be too much, read this post and navigating family get-togethers here.
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How to go from election division to holiday togetherness
Going from Election season to Holiday season
Every single election cycle brings a huge amount of stress. From all of the ads bombarding us at every turn TV/radio/billboards/nightly news the list goes on.
Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independant. Whatever the reasons that you vote the way you do, the importance is that you exercise your right to vote that our ancestors have fought so hard to protect. That being said, I want help our families and communities to heal from all of the division.
Tomorrow I am taking my son along to vote for the very first time. It started me thinking about how this right even came to pass and all of those that left their blood sweat and tears for us to have
Here is an excellent resource to show you the history, it shows you how this country went from white, male landowners being the only ones with this right to today.
This election has driven wedges within families and we are all so divided. The left has gone left and the right has gone right. I don’t think that this is what our forefathers had in mind when this country was founded. Regardless of your views I want to bring our families back together. Every American is entitled to their view and opinion. This is our freedom. So, please I beg that we each do a little less judging and a lot more listening.
Merging the divide
In this article you’ll find answers to some of the questions you may have about the upcoming holiday season.
If you feel the need to take the elephant out of the room, let everyone know before hand that there will be no discussing politics while visiting. Many times when a family or friends are so divided on a subject and there is some alcohol being consumed it can be like a match to the flame.
The most important take away is finding your ability to remain calm regardless of the situation. This year I am going to choose to focus on what I can control, myself.
My favorite ways to keep calm when I want to lose my sh**
Breathe: Taking deep breaths, and learning breathing techniques is one of the very best ways to calm yourself down and avoid saying something that may create an even worse situation. Try deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Be mindful: Having this kind of attitude can help you to stay focused and clear-headed.
Talking to a friend: Someone who knows you well can calm you almost in an instant.
Take a break: There may be times when you just need to walk away and take a few minutes to yourself to gain a fresh outlook.
There are countless resources out there to help you avoid freaking out in any given situation.
Even a better way to handle the situation is to try and avoid it all together. Knowing that you are tired, hungry (or hangry) and know that any difficult situation could be much more difficult if this is the case. Get to know yourself even better by digging deep and realizing when you are running on an empty tank and take a step back to refill your own cup. They say you cannot pour from an empty cup. Learn how to gauge your own feelings and care for yourself first.
If you need some ideas where to start check out this great blog post!
After all of the negative political talk and the never ending media loop I invite you to focus your energy on your family, this wonderful time of year and go all out with your festivities. Here you can find all of your baking/decorating needs. Let this be your most fabulous holiday season yet.
Click on the photo below and bring peace and a festive fall feel to your home!!
Let’s break the internet and share your favorite Thanksgiving recipes or traditions. Please comment below.
