If you’re planning on hosting this holiday’s festivities or entertaining family and friends on or around this date, you need to be ready. You don’t want to approach the big day missing key pieces or scrambling to get things ready. Fortunately, there are some helpful tips you can use to make your Thanksgiving get-together a memorable one.
Find Out Who’s Coming Over
Having Thanksgiving dinner at your place in Hope, AR, can be a fun, exciting time. But there’s no question it can also be stressful. You want to have everything in place so your guests can have an enjoyable day. To plan appropriately, you need to know who’s coming over. At least a month in advance, make a list of those people you plan to invite to dinner. Consider the size of your home and the space in your kitchen, dining room, and other areas where you can gather. Once you have your list, start making the invitations. You can have some fun and make formal invitations, but a simple phone call usually will do.
Decide What’s on the Menu
Thanksgiving dinner is perhaps the biggest meal of the year in your home. The size and scope of the food variety and fixings will be outside your ordinary dinners, so you need to plan ahead. If you’re going the traditional route, you’ll no doubt include a turkey. But what about side dishes? There are plenty of options. You can go ahead with some old favorites or try some new selections. Find some ideas online or ask family and friends for suggestions. Don’t be afraid of asking some of your guests to contribute.
Shopping Time
Stores in Hope, AR, get busy and sometimes even low on supplies in the days leading to Thanksgiving. So, make sure you give yourself ample time to gather the food and ingredients you need for dinner. A few weeks before the holiday, make a shopping list. Then, two or three weeks before Thanksgiving, head to the grocery store and pick up what you need.
Clean and Decorate
Think about the type of décor and ambiance you want at your house for dinner. This includes centerpieces, tablecloths, flowers, or other elements. You’ll also want to thoroughly clean your home a few days before Thanksgiving. This will be more of a deep clean than a typical Saturday afternoon spruce-up. Clean carpets, furniture, and walls. Make sure your home looks and feels comfortable and inviting for your guests.
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Start Cooking
Timing is crucial for Thanksgiving dinner. Start preparing and cooking food at the right times, so everything is ready and on schedule for when your guests arrive. Read the directions on the turkey, as this can take several hours to make.
You want everything to come together nicely for Thanksgiving. Following this checklist can help your gathering go smoothly.