MY MEDALLION
Thanksgiving is just around the corner so it’s the perfect time to start planning your celebrations. We’ve put together a list of tasks you can tackle one by one and before you know it, you’ll be all set to host. Whether your gathering will be small, intimate, and formal or large and more casual, these tips are sure to come in handy. Here is your ultimate Thanksgiving to-do list.
Draft A Guest List And Send Out Invites
This might sound a bit more formal than it needs to, but even if you are just using email, text, or social media, start by narrowing down a guest list. Think about how many people you’d feel comfortable hosting at once and which guests you think will enjoy each other’s company and mix well with others. You’ll also want to consider their availability: for some, dinner plans are ideal, whereas others might prefer to come earlier in the day for brunch or lunch. Once you’ve figured out exactly who you want to attend, send out your invites—ideally give your guests more than a week’s notice, if possible, as holiday weekends tend to fill up with social engagements quickly.
Plan Your Menu
For many autumn celebrations, the usual Fall favourites will be on the menu: items like turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin or apple pie. Remember that you don’t have to limit yourself to dishes that are traditionally served at a North American Thanksgiving; incorporate some of your own tried-and-true favourites, but invite guests to contribute with some of their favourite dishes too. Create detailed lists of the pantry items you’ll need to have on hand (stock up on these early), as well as any perishables (meats, produce, and dairy) you’ll want to buy closer to the meal. We also recommend that you build a workback schedule for yourself so you can plan out how much time each dish takes to make and when to get started. It will help keep all of your baking and cooking on time.
Think About Seating
Most of us don’t quite have enough seating to host the number of guests we’d like to have, but thankfully there are some creative workarounds. Don’t worry about providing a formal dining arrangement for everyone if there are space constraints; you can always serve food family-style and put out a buffet. As long as there is room for your guests to spread out a little and have a spot to put their drink down, some guests can be seated at a dining table, others at a kitchen island, and still others in the living room eating from their laps. Feel free to use stools, benches, and ottomans as additional seating, and to round up any small accent tables to ensure your guests feel comfortable.
Fall Clean Your Space
Spring cleaning tends to get all of the attention but as you may have noticed, by the time Fall rolls around your home usually needs some sprucing up. We recommend doing a good Fall cleaning before inviting guests over for Thanksgiving. Refresh the space, dust thoroughly, clean your baseboards, and shine your windows, in addition to the regular cleaning tasks you do for each room. Not only will it help your belongings look their best, you’ll be able to enjoy the newly cleaned environment for weeks after your gathering.
Enlist Help
There’s no need to take on all of these tasks alone. Accept any offers of help and if you have the budget, hire assistance to get specific jobs done. For some, this may mean using a cleaning service to get their home ready for company; for others, it could be ordering a pre-cooked turkey from a neighbourhood grocery or dessert from a favourite local bakery. Ask guests to bring drinks, fresh flowers for your decor, or to create a playlist that sets the mood. People do like to contribute, so take them up on their generosity.
We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend and that you are able to share a memorable holiday meal with your loved ones. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to follow the Medallion blog for more tips on hosting special gatherings for friends and family.
