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We found these tips online on how to make Thanksgiving the best ever, courtesy of Nelson James from signs.com:
1. Delegate.
There’s a lot to do to get ready for the big dinner. Shop, clean, decorate, cook. Do you really have to do it all yourself? No. No you don’t. Delegate tasks. Get your spouse out of the recliner and into the kitchen. Call your sis and have her stop at the store to get some of the ingredients. Rally the kids to pull out the Thanksgiving decorations bin and start fancying up the dinner table. And call your mother-in-law and ask her to bring her famous sweet potato pie; she always complains that you can’t make it right anyway.
2. Manage expectations.
If you’re hosting dinner, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed. There’s so much pressure to make everything perfect. You spend all day Wednesday scrubbing every surface in the house, creating detailed cooking schedules and pre-making half the dinner. Ease up a little already.
Your family doesn’t expect perfection—they just expect some turkey and potatoes. And if they do expect perfection? Let them host the dinner! So relax a little. The house doesn’t need to be spotless; your sister’s kids are going to trash the family room and bathroom within 20 minutes of their arrival anyway. The gravy doesn’t have to be completely lump-free; once people put it on their potatoes they won’t be able to tell the difference. And the pie crust? Well the pie crust does have to be stellar. If you don’t have the pie-crust talent, order some from the local bakery. I won’t tell.
3. Start a new tradition.
Ten years ago everyone thought it was a blast to make pilgrim and Native American costumes out of brown paper grocery sacks; now you’re greeted by groans and eye-rolling when you bring out the magic markers. Some traditions get started when the kids are little and never get revamped for the young adults they’ve become.
Start something new this year, and keep in mind the ages, desires and capabilities of your family members. Maybe they’d rather go snowboarding. Keep in mind that traditions are supposed to be cherished family events. If everyone hates the tradition, what’s the point? Call a family meeting and get ideas from those involved; that way, everyone has a good time and you’ve started a tradition that will last for years (or at least until the kids hit another life phase).
4. Invite Someone New.
New year, same old faces. OK, so they’re faces you love. And those loved ones make for a great party. But you know what else makes for a great party? New people! Bring some new conversation to the table.
Every year, there are people who are separated from their families during Thanksgiving weekend. Are there people at work who just transferred to your city? Are there nearby college students who won’t be able to go home for the holiday? Or are there just some people who don’t have extended family around and will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for two? Ask around—you might be surprised at the number of Thanksgiving guests you can add to your table.
5. Get a little exercise.
Read the rest of the article on signs.com by clicking here.
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