How to Host a Stress-Free Holiday!

Thanksgiving is literally just a short two weeks away! The holiday season is here and for many of us that also means hosting a family meal! And while we’re supposed to be honing in to thanksgiving and spending quality time with loved ones, the holidays can load us up with stress! Dealing with difficult relationships, deciding where to spend the holiday or if you should host it and preparing a feast can add an extra few grays to your head!

Check back in during the next few days for some self-care tips to take the headache out of the holidays! As for today,  this post is all about how some practical preparations can make hosting a holiday dinner enjoyable for the host too!

1. Set Your Table Decorations Days (or even a week) in advance.

I probably will sound like a broken record by the end of this post. But really consider- what can I do ahead of time? The more you check off your holiday hosting to-do-list, the more you will actually enjoy the day. That means if you are having your holiday meal in the dining room- you can set your table in advance. If you can’t set your table in advance because you use it daily, then at least have the decorations and place-settings organized and ready to go.

1.  Meal- Prep Like a Pro!

Many entree’s can be prepared in advance. Are you serving apple pie this year? Make it ahead of time (uncooked) and freeze it. Bake it the day of! I often freeze uncooked fruit pies, soups and quiche dishes to help manage my own stress. They taste the same whether baked fresh or frozen I promise! The day before Thanksgiving I prepare the green bean casserole, macaroni & cheese and dressing ( assembled but not cooked). I then just place the casserole dishes in the oven the day of- makes hosting so much easier!

1. Delegate the Workload.

Don’t feel like you have to do everything yourself! I love a new feature on Evite
that allows guests to sign up to show off their favorite dishes! Don’t be shy! Ask a few guests to arrive an hour early to help with set-up and a few others to help with clean-up after! It’s a family effort!

4.  Everything Doesn’t Have to be Homemade. 

Take some of the pressure off- everything doesn’t have to be homemade! You could roll store-bought croissant dough in rosemary and garlic and bake them instead of making the dough yourself. Don’t feel guilty about picking up some of the appetizers from Costco  or buying a charcuterie board!

1. Make it Meaningful!

This year we are starting a tradition of keeping a Family Thanksgiving Journal where each member writes about a way they saw God’s faithfulness in their life that year or something or someone they are grateful for. It’s a way to memorialize the miracles and reflect on family togetherness.

6. Relax

After you’ve done all you can, let go. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy your loved ones. Everything won’t be perfect- make peace with that. It’s not about perfection, it’s about how making a meal can gather loved ones to make memories!