Thanksgiving logistics (and decor)

[spotty_dog]

Anyone else hosting family this year? This is our big holiday, we've hosted a Thanksgiving dinner most years since we moved up here. We are expecting a pretty big group this year though. And, 7.5 years out of training, I'm ready to gussy it up a bit.

We are expecting to have 9 adults and our two kids. Our dining table seats 6, and we have a kitchen table that we usually drag over that seats another 4 (the "kids table.") We have a white tablecloth that fits the main table, and a cheesy plastic one for the small table. I guess we need to find some more chairs and cram them in along with our dining chairs?

And how about decorating the house? Do you do seasonal wreaths at the door? Arrangements on the mantel or sideboard? Decorative gourds? Those cranberry-filled jar things? I'm going to go to Pinterest at some point today, but I'm not even sure what I'm looking for.

While I'm at it -- I'll move over to the cooking forum at some point, because don't we always have a recipe thread -- but what are your tried-and-true recipes? I'm going to re-do a lot of what I did last year, and we'll see what else shakes out.

Help me be all fancy -- but not too overdone -- for my parents, my in-laws, my mom's sister, and my brother with his new wife!

[mommax3]

We are hosting my family. 11 adults and two little ones, with the additional possibility of 4 more adults. (I'm counting my kids as adults because two of them are and the other one eats like one). I have delegated the stuffing and mashed potatoes to others (they will be made in my kitchen, but not by me) so all I have to worry about are turkey, sides, and pie. I already have a harvest-type wreath on the door and likely won't do anything else. With six extra people staying here and my college boys (+ a friend) home for the holiday, I am more focused on having enough towels/sheets for everyone! 😜


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[ladymoreta]

I haven't really decorated before, but we're hosting a Friendsgiving this year, so I think I'll probably at least decorate my mantle and table. I hope I'm not too late, but several places put their Thanksgiving decor on sale with their Halloween stuff. I should've picked up some then...

For extra seating, we love our folding tables and benches from Sam's. They fold up small to put in a closet or attic, but they offer a significant amount of seating.

[Thirteen]

My mom is the hostess with the mostest. Here are her simple tricks:

1) Fall door hanging or wreath (you can go big bucks, or simplify it, but that's the first thing that guests see, so it sets the tone)
2) Fall table runner, some sort of centerpiece (e.g. fresh flowers, a fake flower arrangement, decorative small gourds, a few leaves) - again, sets a tone, but doesn't have to get crazy.
3) Fall placemats or napkins, depending on your budget (patterned fabric or paper work just fine here)
4) Fall-themed activity (submitting a "what I'm thankful for" paper to be read aloud at the table, or tied to some sort of tiny Thankful tree [usually done upon entry, and placed on an entry table for guests to see]).

[spotty_dog]

For extra seating, we love our folding tables and benches from Sam's. They fold up small to put in a closet or attic, but they offer a significant amount of seating.

I'm imagining something like a cafeteria table, with the bench attached? We might pick something like that up.

[ladymoreta]

I'm imagining something like a cafeteria table, with the bench attached? We might pick something like that up.

Our benches are separate, but I wish they were connected. (Kids tend to play around on them, and those wouldn't tip so easily.

[spotty_dog]

We are hosting my family. 11 adults and two little ones, with the additional possibility of 4 more adults. (I'm counting my kids as adults because two of them are and the other one eats like one). I have delegated the stuffing and mashed potatoes to others (they will be made in my kitchen, but not by me) so all I have to worry about are turkey, sides, and pie. I already have a harvest-type wreath on the door and likely won't do anything else. With six extra people staying here and my college boys (+ a friend) home for the holiday, I am more focused on having enough towels/sheets for everyone! ��

Yay, sounds like a houseful! Fortunately only four of our guests are staying with us, the other three will go to the motel in town. Still, I did downsize my towels recently, I might need to take an inventory!

[ides]

Sounds fun! We never do it up big. Our tradition that we started a few years ago is to go for dim sum for lunch on Thanksgiving. We are having our first Thanksgiving away this year. We will be in Chicago. Still have to get a few details sorted but we will still be doing dim sum

[OrionGrad]

We're hosting Thanksgiving this year, but I'm not going too big on the decor since we're still recovering from all the costs of moving this summer. We've hosted a handful of times before, so I'll find a way to make a centerpiece with things we already have. I did buy new placemats and napkins at BB&B last week.

My family has literally been making the exact same menu, with the same recipes, my entire life. They're all my grandma's recipes, and they're pretty straightforward. The only thing I do differently when I host is to add one new dish each year. This year it's Martha Stewart's macaroni & cheese.

I'm not great at delegating, but I do let DH mash the potatoes, and I've asked my mom to bring the rolls and a pie. I'm going to come up with some activities for the boys to do before we eat, like printable place cards that they can color and set out on the table.

I have a really detailed timeline with every recipe, the time it should be started, and which serving dish it will go into. I've already gone over it once to make my grocery list, but I'll go over it again the day before just to make sure I have all the platters and spoons I need. My timeline is really like my safety blanket on the day of.

[rufflesanddots]

Driving to Memphis for a family reunion. 12 hours each way seemed doable 6 months ago. Now I am losing my mind over the idea of that much time in the car alone. 🙃

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[Thirteen]

Sounds fun! We never do it up big. Our tradition that we started a few years ago is to go for dim sum for lunch on Thanksgiving. We are having our first Thanksgiving away this year. We will be in Chicago. Still have to get a few details sorted but we will still be doing dim sum

How fun! I like cool traditions like that.
(We got a great deal on airfare, and are using points for hotels, so our little family is running away to Montreal for Thanksgiving)

Christmas, however... We are hosting my parents, and brother (maybe my sister, if she can find a way to fly in?)
I'll be back on this board, I'm sure.

[ides]

Cool! Have fun in Montreal! That's one place I want to go sometime.


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[gcuthbe1]

I LOVE thanksgiving! This is the first one DH and I actually get to celebrate together (last year it was just the 2 of us, it made me a little sad). Day of, DH gets off call, I'll run the turkey trot, then we'll hop in a zipcar to Philly/my brother's and his fiancee's, where my parents will have stayed the night before and already be cooking. I'll make a great grandma's mashed potatoes, and a simple sweet potato/apple bake that I learned from a coworker while in Omaha. Decorations I'd go with a wreath, gourd arrangement centerpiece, tablecloth and napkins in fall colors.

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[MrsK]

I wish I could get excited about thanksgiving. I can have company to dinner any other time and I'm a good cook but I just hate obligatory entertaining. Something about it just makes me rebel.

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[Meenah]

DH is working. My daughter and her family will go to her in-laws for dinner in the afternoon and then they are coming here for desert (which she is bringing!!). We leave Friday for Mystic, CT where my step daughter will be getting married on Saturday.