holidays and decorating

Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving

Hosting Thanksgiving this year? A checklist of items that should not and possibly cannot be done the day before the big day:

1. Invite guests for dinner. While inviting guests the day before will produce a couple lost souls, inviting friends and family a few weeks in advance will actually make your day an event. And don’t assume that just because you hosted last year people will assume they are invited again this year. You actually have to invite them again.
2. Buy the wine or other adult beverages. This can be done the day before Thanksgiving, but you will end up spending more. Local retailers typically host their bigger sales in the beginning of November. Just make sure you don’t drink it all before dinnertime….
3. Take your table linens to be cleaned. Some cleaners have a 10 day turn-around for linens. To make sure your guests aren’t eating off of stained tablecloths, placemats, and table runners, take them in 2 weeks before dinner.
4. Plan your meal. Your guests will ask what they can bring, and if you don’t have a specific answer for them, you will get duplicates of side dishes. Trust me, you don’t want your dinner to turn into a competition of who makes the best green bean casserole. Plan your meal 2 weeks in advance so you can make specific requests and have a variety of dishes on the table.
5. Inventory your serving dishes, cookware, and serving utensils. After hosting Thanksgiving with mashed potatoes being served with a teaspoon out of Tupperware, you will realize the importance of doing this at least 1 week before. This will allow you enough time to borrow or buy additional pieces if needed.
6. Buy your groceries. Doing this the day before almost guarantees you will have to go to multiple stores to find all that you need. Do your shopping 1 week before Thanksgiving for the best selection of turkeys and vegetables.  And then remember to keep your turkey in the freezer after you purchase it. No one is thankful for food poisoning.