Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, giving you the chance to spend time and give thanks with those you love. However, as joyous as the day can be, it can also prove to be extremely stressful!
If you’re looking to host the ultimate Thanksgiving party without the stress, it’s all in the planning. Here, you’ll discover how to plan efficiently to minimize time wasting.
Create a Master Shopping List
One of the most time-consuming tasks at Thanksgiving is shopping. There are a lot of things you are going to need, both for the meal and the decorations. Without adequate planning, your shopping trip could take much longer than it needs to. Plus, you may also forget important items if you haven’t got a list to hand.
Creating a master shopping list with all the things you’ll need is going to save you a lot of time. Spend a couple of days putting the list together. That way, you can go over it to check you have remembered everything. You can then do your Thanksgiving shopping in advance, ensuring you have everything in you’ll need on the day.
Keep It Simple
It might be tempting to host a lavish Thanksgiving, but when you’re super-busy this can really bump up those stress levels. Instead, keep it simple. If you are planning on putting up decorations, stick to a simple theme that won’t take days to create.
Try to keep the meal simple too. You could experiment by adding one or two new dishes. However, sticking to the classics that everyone loves will save you time and stress.
Create a Week-by-Week Plan
If you really want to plan your Thanksgiving efficiently, it’s a great idea to create a week-by-week plan. This will break down the tasks you can do ahead of time. For example, in the few weeks leading up to the big day, you can set aside specific days to shop, work on decorations and prep the food.
Break the tasks down into smaller ones so you can take your time and enjoy a more relaxing planning stage. Remember to factor in meal planning. Plenty of meal prep can be done in the days before Thanksgiving.
Ensure You Have the Equipment You’ll Need
You’re going to want to make sure you have all of the equipment you’ll need. This includes ensuring you have enough dishes, seating and any appliances you’ll need.
If you have appliances stored away, make sure you find them ahead of time. The last thing you’ll want to do when it comes to Thanksgiving is to spend time searching for the things you need. So, having them together in the same area will make them much easier to find on the day.
These are some of the best tips you can follow to enjoy a more relaxing Thanksgiving experience. The more you can plan and prep for in advance, the smoother the day will go. If you break your tasks down into smaller ones, it makes them easily achievable even for those who are super-busy.