Tips for a Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. It’s a time for being thankful for all that we have. Let happiness be one of those things that you’re thankful for. Don’t let the holiday stress you out or give you the blues.
If you are holding the Thanksgiving dinner at your house plan ahead, this can be a great task. Have family members that you have invited bring a dish to help take some of the stress of cooking the whole meal by yourself. Do some of your house cleaning ahead of time. Don’t save it all for the day before the dinner. Have other family members help out with the household chores also. There are even chores that the little ones can help with. Prepare any dishes that you can in advance, that way you only have to heat them up before you serve your dinner. Don’t be afraid to buy a cake or pie from the bakery instead of going through all the trouble of trying to make everything from scratch. Use paper plates, cups and napkins and use plastic utensils and just throw them away when dinner is done. Alleviate all the clean-up after the meal. Serve your dinner buffet style and let everyone fix their own plates.
Keep the conversations light and friendly. Some conversation topics can cause stress amongst family members and ruin the whole day. Don’t bring up past situations that may upset one of your guests. Thanksgiving is not the time to rehash old family problems and you certainly don’t want to turn it into a family quarrel.
Have things for the little ones to do that can keep them occupied such as board games, DVD’s, or outside activities if the weather is nice for them. Disgruntled children can turn a great day into a bad one if they aren’t entertained. Try and have a particular room that they are able to occupy. Then they won’t have to be stuck with the adults for the day.
Avoid serving alcoholic beverages at your gathering. Some people have a tendency to act differently once they’ve had a few drinks. Not serving alcohol will also keep you from having to worry about them making it home safely. Not serving will also alleviate any of the other guests who might be offended by it.
If you are not serving the dinner and you will be going to someone else’s home for dinner. Offer to bring a dish. Make your favorite dish that you enjoy eating. Sharing it with others will surely bring a warm feeling to your heart. Also, think about stopping by the market and picking up a small bouquet of fall flowers or a small planter of mums to bring to that special one that has invited you for dinner at their home. Be pleasant to the other guest at the dinner. If there is someone there that you don’t like, don’t make a scene, your dinner will be over in a few hours and you’ll get to go on your way. Keep your conversations pleasant and light. Be sure and thank your hostess for inviting you. After all, it is Thanksgiving.
