9 Thanksgiving Survival Tips

Happy Hump Day!

Thanksgiving is a week away.  Everyone loves this holiday because it's built around family and food. 

Usually you get to see family—maybe not all of them but a good representation of parents, grandparents, siblings, kids, and grandkids.

Often, friends may join the celebration too.

Too often, most of the work in coordinating the event and cooking the feast falls onto the woman of the house. 

Many women still take on the majority of the work either because they're perfectionists or their men are slow to volunteer.

With that thought in mind, I thought I'd give the "chief cook and bottle washer" some tips on how to enjoy the day and still cook up a fabulous meal that will delight your guests.

Today, you will sit down and design your Thanksgiving campaign as if you're a general with a planned objective and troops to carry out the campaign.

Then sit your "troops" down and go over your plans for the big day.

9 THANKSGIVING SURVIVAL TIPS

1. Write your menu. Check your pantry. Make a grocery list. for the big day. Assign a person to do the grocery shopping.

If you don't feel you have anyone capable of getting the items on your list, go with your volunteer and give them some needed training in obtaining groceries. That volunteer will bring the groceries into the house and store them appropriately. (Perhaps another training exercise?)

Image by Solomon Rodgers from Pixabay

2. Plan for guests. Will you be having overnight guests? Assign a "soldier" to prepare the guest room: check to make sure the guest bed has fresh linens, the guest bathroom is stocked, etc.  

Select games—board games, card games, video games, etc.—that families can play after the big dinner for entertainment..

3. Assign someone to set the dining table for the Thanksgiving dinner. 

If this will be on a table used only for formal occasions, your volunteer can set it in advance and carefully cover the set table with a clean sheet.

4. Look at your menu and assemble your sous chefs and workers. Assign duties. Decide what preparations can be done in advance, i.e., slicing and dicing vegetables, baking cakes, making and freezing dressing or other dishes that can be frozen and defrosted and cooked on the big day.

Image by Victoria, Pixabay

5. Assign the clean-up crew so they know that they will be clearing the table, rinsing dishes, glasses, and flatware and loading the dishwasher or hand washing anything delicate.

6. Assign photographers for the day to capture candid moments of everyone including the chef and sous chefs.

7. Assign childcare entertainers to help with any young children who arrive. 

8. Thank your troops. As you end your meeting, be sure and thank them for their assistance because it shows that they love you and want you to be happy too.

(Sometimes, you have to state the obvious because children don't think about things the same way adults do. Just as the men in our lives may not realize how much work it is because we make it look so easy!!)

Often kids and significant others don't realize how tiring a big celebration is. I know you think they should see you need help without your having to ask, but that's just not the way the world works.

Image by olga volkovitskaia from Pixabay

9. Take a break. Excuse yourself while the clean-up ccrew takes care of the mess. Go to your bedroom and freshen up. 

In fact, take 15 minutes to lie down with your feet up. maybe read a little while you relax. Then check your makeup, fluff your hair, and rejoin the crowd.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Is this post meant to be taken seriously? Absolutely! We women should enjoy the day too, but who can enjoy anything when exhausted? Don't be passive aggressive. Simply focus on the outcome you want—a great day for all—then smile and explain what is needed to make that happen.

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