When we first bought our home, I felt so grown-up knowing we now had a dining room, a REAL dining room, complete with a chandelier straight from the 1980’s. Granted, the dining room played second fiddle to my excitement over having a dishwasher, but it was still legit “adulting” none-the-less. I had been living in a 740-square-foot space for the previous 12 years, so it almost felt like I was playing house. What will we do with all this space? My mind immediately turned to the holidays. It was important to me to create a home filled with traditions, holiday celebrations and parties. I wanted our home to be comfortable, cozy, and inviting — a place that our son and the rest of our families think of when they think of warm holiday memories.
Our first year in our house, I immediately raised my hand to host Thanksgiving. Aaaaaand then I immediately regretted it once I started to dive into the planning. I need how many casserole dishes? How does a meat thermometer work? What do you mean I should iron the tablecloth? I was in over my head.
My Thanksgiving Tablescapes from Years Past
After 9 years of hosting Thanksgiving since then, I’ve learned a lot through trial and error. Like - don’t count on the thermometer in the turkey to always pop up. Scatter the kids in between the adults at the table to keep an eye on manners. Count your utensils after washing and make sure you have the right number. (If not, it’s time to put on those rubber gloves and go through the trash.) Make sure you have an easy-access plunger in the bathroom.
With all that said, I think I’ve succeeded in our extended family thinking of our house as the warm place to gather for Thanksgiving. The laughter on those days tells me all I need to know. My son and nephews refer to our dining room as “The Thanksgiving Room” and THAT makes my heart content.
There are a million posts out there about how to prep a turkey, kitchen tools you didn’t know you’d need (ahem, microplaner, I’m looking at you), prep lists to make, how to set the table, and, ofcourse, how to make the world’s best stuffing/dressing (for the record, our family calls it dressing).
Whether you're hosting just your parents, a Friendsgiving with 5 of your closest friends, or a gaggle of extended family, I have some tried and true recommendations for making your guests feel at home, at ease and leaving your house feeling all the love and gratitude that make this holiday so memorable.
“Come Early!” Invites
I realize this may not resonate with those of you who don’t want any extra faces in your home until the second the clock hits your official start time. But, for those of you who welcome the early birds, invite folks to come early to watch the football game, Thanksgiving Day Parade or help with food prep. There is nothing quite like hanging out on the couch in someone’s home with all the smells Thanksgiving brings. The scent of holidays is so powerful when eliciting memories and makes you feel like you’re wrapped up in a big hug of years gone by. Tell people to kick up and enjoy being together while the chaos ensues in the kitchen. Extra kids around? Give them some crafts to work on like making homemade name cards for each place setting or DIY Holiday-themed bracelets (looking at you, Swifties).
Appetizers
If you’re not planning on serving dinner right away (and by right away, I mean less than 30 minutes after you asked guests to arrive), you should have some light appetizers on hand. A lot of folks will not eat all day in anticipation of what lies ahead, so if you’re serving adult beverages or have hungry kids on the loose, it’s polite to offer a little something.
Our simple appetizer table last year.
I know what you’re thinking - appetizers on top of making a whole meal? Solution alert! Have your guests supply the apps! When your guests ask, “Can I bring anything”? My answer is always a resounding “Yes! An app!” I usually keep it super light and ask people to bring a shrimp cocktail, a veggie tray, or a charcuterie board. I also have bowls of Ina Garten’s Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts scattered in different rooms for a bit of nosh as people spread out.
A few other good simple light appetizer recipes:
And some of my favorite serving ware for appetizers:
Beverages
I always have a full bar set up with gin, vodka, a nice(ish) whisky, red and white wine, several kinds of mixers, and accouterment for cocktails like lemon wedges, blue cheese stuffed olives, and maraschino cherries. I include a shaker, a pretty bowl of ice with tongs, and cocktail napkins, and I encourage my guests to play bartender. My family knows by now that I do NOT have time to mix their cocktails. Tip: Set up a small chalkboard that has a suggested cocktail recipe on it. I did this once with a pumpkin martini recipe, and my guests had so much fun creating our signature cocktail.
Testing out the Caramel Apple Sangria I'm making this year.
I really love this side cart from Serena and Lily. I bought it a few years ago and it sits in our kitchen with cookbooks, pitchers and seagrass baskets we bought in South Carolina. During parties we switch everything out and use it to hold our bottles, glassware, ice bucket, etc:
If I’m extra organized, I try to mix up a “big batch” fall cocktail. One year, I made mulled wine and put it in the crockpot with glass mugs next to it for self-service. This year I plan on making this caramel apple sangria. It will sit in a self-serve pitcher so people can help themselves.
This Botanica Pitcher from Anthropologie is a gem!
Buy Now: Anthropologie Botanica Pitcher
We keep kids' drinks in a cooler out on our deck to save on refrigerator space. Footballs, cornhole, and other outdoor games are kept right next to the cooler, and inevitably, seeing the toys while grabbing drinks ends up with kids playing outside — which can be a gift in an already hectic house. Housing the cooler in the garage works well too.
My favorite beverage tip? Put your bar far, far away from the kitchen. People LOVE to congregate in the kitchen, much to the chagrin of the cooks. Putting your bar in a completely separate room (or across the room if you have a smaller space) keeps the flow of people moving around your house and, hopefully, out of the kitchen.
Some of my favorite barware:
Game Table or Dedicated Game Room
This is a good one if you have a lot of people coming over, lots of kids, or if you’re mixing in-laws or blended families and conversation can become stilted over time. Actually, games are great for everyone.
We have a sunroom that usually goes unused during parties so last year I set up a card table and put a puzzle on it. My mother-in-law, my mother, and my dad’s wife ALL ended up around it, working on the puzzle and having great conversations. It brought the three of them together in a situation they might not otherwise have gravitated toward each other all at once.
In our family room, which is not near the “Thanksgiving room”, I set up kids' Monopoly, a whiteboard with markers for win, lose, or draw, and a coloring station. At the coloring station there were instructions to draw your best turkey and decorate with all the craft supplies. This was genius! I had everyone tape their turkey to the wall and we all got to guess who created which turkey. The winner got a lotto ticket (adults) or a bag of candy (kids).
Tip: put the appetizers near the games. Food always draws people around and once they see the games, they will undoubtedly engage.
Bathroom Basket
I know this may seem silly but have you ever been to a party and had any sort of bathroom emergency? Totally embarassing right? Especially if a bathroom is right off a main room where everyone is gathered.
Here's a great basket option to store bathroom items:
Buy on Amazon: Scalloped Basket
We’ve got some heavy foods going on at Thanksgiving so make your guests feel extra comfortable with everything they may need for personal needs in the bathroom. Have a little basket that includes:
PooPurri - helps to mask any “smells”
Wine Wipes - these are great for removing red wine stains from teeth
While I’m at it, I’d love to share some of the other things to make your Thanksgiving great!
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!
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