Quick tips and easy entertaining help to maximize your holidays and to prepare a stress-free, enjoyable Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, appreciation, reflection and sharing. It can also be a time for lots and lots of planning, as you prepare to open your home and your hearts to family, friends and to those in need.
There were a multitude of articles published on this topic page for Suite 101 last year. The holiday articles are all pertinent to planning your ideal Thanksgiving celebration, and should be used for reference this month. Find the articles at the links:
For information on creating Thanksgiving themed table centerpieces, refer to
For ideas on Thanksgiving place settings, the article on the Story of the Five Kernels is a wonderful spark for all the creativity you have.
To learn a little bit about implementing holiday traditions into your Thanksgiving celebration, the article on Family Traditions is an engaging and humorous take on bygone holidays.
If making your overnight guests feel welcome is a major concern for you as you approach the holidays, consider reviewing the article on creating a Guest Room Sanctuary. You'll find information on borrowing tips from fine hotels to enhance the quality of your guests' visit.
If you are planning to host a large number of Thanksgiving dinner guests and you're contemplating incorporating a buffet set up for the meal service, brush up on your buffet set up technique by reviewing this design article.
Dealing with needy guests can also occur in any group setting, and hosts often do not have any plan in place to handle the situation. This brief clip will give you some tips on how to manage a potentially awkward or disruptive situation.
In planning your holiday celebration, you may find that you're taking inventory of the serving pieces that you currently own. Learn about which service items are most useful in setting up your Party Closet, and how to use your local resources to better supply your Party Closet.
Amongst the other elements of entertaining, utilizing aromas into your environment is a way to invite your guests into your home. This article reviews several different fragrance options and the best uses of each of them.
Another aspect of the holiday season involves managing your pets when you have guests over to your home. Although you may love Fluffy, one of your guests may not feel the same way. How you handle this conflict of attitudes can be better navigated once you read this article on pets and guests.
So whether you're looking forward to Thanksgiving with baited breath or you're already starting to freak out about the work involved, remember that information is power and you are in charge!
