Hosting an Easy (& Fun) Thanksgiving + Link Up!

With just over a week until Thanksgiving I'm getting so excited to see all of our family in one place at one time! I love Christmas, but Thanksgiving has always been my favorite. You've got an excuse to eat like a pig, slip into a wine-induced coma, and put your feet up (after helping with dishes of course!). Either way, I'm just counting down the days until we get a house big enough to fill with all of our friends and family.

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Even though we haven't actually had Thanksgiving at our house, over the years I've helped my Mom host and filled my Mother-in-Law's shoes when she couldn't fly home in time to make Thanksgiving dinner (yes, I made every dish including the turkey that year!). So I think I've got a good game plan. If you're hosting for the first time or planning a Friendsgiving, here are some beginner tips for a fun and festive dinner, sans the stress!

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ONE. Delegate
Don't be afraid to ask for help, assign some dishes to guests, or ask your sweet husband
to run out and grab that one ingredient you forgot. It's hard to delegate but totally necessary on a day like Thanksgiving!

TWO. Menu: Plan

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This is pretty obvious but when you have a lot of people coming, you need to have enough food! I love this little chart for help. And personally I'm all about the side dishes and having lots of options, which is where #1 comes back into play. Don't forget the rolls... the more carbs, the better!

THREE. Menu: Turkey Do's + Don'ts

Do remember to thaw the turkey well in advance. Do baste the turkey often while cooking. Don't rely on the pop-up turkey timer. They don't always work correctly which can cause you to overcook your turkey. Get a good meat thermometer like this one.

FOUR. Menu: Pick Easy Recipes

Clearly my food photography skills were lacking, but this cornbread casserole is one of my most-pinned recipes!

Now is not the time to try that recipe with 30 different ingredients and even more steps that you found on Pinterest, I don't care how delicious it looks. One of my favorite recipes is my Cornbread Casserole. It's one of those "throw everything into a bowl, mix, then bake" kind of things, plus its absolutely delicious. I promise you will run of out this before the doggy bags even come out!

FIVE. Menu: Have a Selection

Yes that even includes white and red wines! You can't forget the pumpkin and apple pies but don't worry if you can't bake, scope out a good bakery beforehand to help you out.

SIX. Menu: Arrange a Bar Cart

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Don't bother trying to get everyone's drinks for them. Set up a bar cart and let them work off those carbs they are about to eat. If you've got time, have some of this Apple Cinnamon Sangria at the ready!

SEVEN. Set the Table in Advance

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Get your table ready the night before so you're not stressing as food is coming out of the oven. Not sure about centerpieces? When in doubt, light candles.

EIGHT. Be Classy, but Practical
We'd all love to have matching place settings with perfect chargers, napkins, and centerpieces, but sometimes that's a lot more effort and who really wants to help with dishes anyway?

Places like Party City and Sam's Club have "premium" plastic plates (hello pretty gold-rimmed version here) and you would never know looking at them that they are disposable! I'm not saying its for everyone, but if you'd rather curl up in your sweats with wine and play poker after dinner, this might be the way to go!

NINE. Have Doggy Bags at the Ready

Free Printable here

You probably won't have room for all the leftovers, nor will you want them after a couple of days eating the same 5 things. Have some to-go containers available (like these) and wrap with some bakers twine. Easy and adorable!

TEN. Enjoy it.
I know this seems obvious, but make sure you take some time to savor that red wine (if not for you, then me!) and be thankful for those you have in your life.

Is anyone hosting Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving?! What's on your menu?

Now it's your turn! Grab the button above, share your favorite Thanksgiving recipes, outfit inspiration, traditions, etc. and link up below. 

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