Staying Sane This Thanksgiving

November 10, 2016

Whether hosting or traveling during Thanksgiving, it can be hard to stay calm during all the holiday hubbub. With these tips for staying sane this Thanksgiving, you can keep a level head.

When You’re Hosting Thanksgiving dinner

Centerpiece

Centerpieces can make your home look warm and inviting on Thanksgiving. It can also be functional to hold the food and keep everything clean and tidy. Here are the instructions for a fun centerpiece.

You will need:

  • Three raised plates
  • A few tiny pumpkins (of course!)
  • Mums
  • Dahlias
  • Other flowers of your choice
  • Floral tape

Instructions:

Place the largest plate stand in the middle for the turkey or main course. Cut mums, dahlias, and other flowers to fit onto the stand. Arrange flowers so they will appear underneath the plate (they should look like the plate is laying on a bed of flowers) and secure them with floral tape. Replace the plates on stands. Then place pumpkins in between the raised plates with extra flowers and other decorations. You can also place tea lights or candles there as well.

Apple Cranberry Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces spinach
  • 1 head of romaine lettuce, shredded
  • 2 Fuji or honey crisp apples, sliced
  • 1 C dried cranberries
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • ¼ C feta cheese
  • ¼ C caramelized walnuts

This is a sweet and savory salad that is a wonderful way to start the dinner and get plenty of veggies before the turkey and mashed potatoes. It pairs well with a raspberry vinaigrette.

Featured Cocktail (Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic)

Moscow mules are already tasty on their own. To make them a bit more festive, you can add a bit of cranberry juice and garnish for the perfect cocktail that you can enjoy before, during, or after Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces ginger beer
  • ¼ C lime juice
  • 1 shot Vodka (obviously omit this if you are making a non-alcoholic cocktail)
  • 1 T cranberry juice (all natural will be plenty sweet)
  • Raw cranberries and lime slices for garnish, optional

When You’re Traveling for Thanksgiving

Spruce Up Your Home

If you’re leaving for Thanksgiving, you may want to change your bedding, finish up the dishes, vacuum, and dust your home. This way when you come home you will be welcomed by a nice, clean home where you can throw your bags down and unwind immediately. With cleaning, you can also prep a few meals before leaving. If you know you will be gone for a few days to a week you may come home famished. While you hopefully have plenty of leftovers you may be sick of turkey. If you have something different to heat up as soon as you get home, you will probably avoid any junk food or ordering a pizza.

Prep Your Plants and Pets

You should be sure you have watered your plants and have made arrangements for your pets if you are going away. This way they will still be comfortable at home after you’re gone. If you have a friend staying close ask them to stop by every day to feed your pets, water your plants, and maybe take Fido out for a walk. This way you do not come home from any surprises.