A Timeline for the Thanksgiving Hosts
So, I have an interesting character trait. I’m not sure what it’s called, but it’s whatever is the EXACT opposite of being a procrastinator! I don’t wait to do things at the last minute - in fact I do things at the FIRST MINUTE! That being said, I created a timeline for Thanksgiving planning, and it’s a little aggressive. SO, if you’re reading this timeline and thinking “girl relax,” lol, well….I can’t! In fact, I actually delayed this calendar for YOUR sake so that I didn’t have to say “6 months ahead, decide which turkey brine you’ll be trying this year.” But, whether you follow my exact timeline, or tweak it to fit your needs, this will be the perfect starting point to executing a seamless, stress-free Thanksgiving! At the bottom, I even have a FREE downloadable checklist, to help you get where you need to go!
5 weeks before
Search Pinterest for Inspiration
You KNOW Hobby Lobby is already bursting at the seams with Thanksgiving supplies by this time, but I really encourage you to do your research FIRST. Don’t go in willy-nilly or who knows what you’ll come out with! (I speak from experience!)
First, I search “Thanksgiving Tablescape” just for general inspiration, but some years I may go with “easy thanksgiving table decor” or “kid friendly thanksgiving table.” I saw the sweetest post the other day where a mom posted a picture of what she WANTED her daughter’s birthday party to look like vs what her daughter’s birthday party actually looked like. And she shared a video where her daughter whispered to her friends “See! I told you! My mom goes ALL OUT!!!” - it lifted my spirit so much to remember that your family isn’t touched by the perfect candle color, with the perfect center piece, they’re touched by your care and effort showing them how much you love them.
Land on a Visual Theme
Are we going with orange pumpkins and blue and white chinoiserie? What about white pumpkins with orange purple mums? Pine cones? Ralph Lauren Plaid? Let’s land on a vision and begin planning towards THAT vision.
Then, we think: What do we already have that can get us where we want to go? How are we mixing and matching things we already own with new items? My mom happens to be the queen of china, so we have limitless opportunities thanks to Karla’s Spode addiction! While I may stick with the turkeys from Spode’s Woodland Collection, I may splurge on new napkin rings and napkins, or maybe simply just a floral center piece.
3-4 weeks before
Purchase Paper Plates, Cups and Napkins for the Kids Table
My heart is AT the kid’s table. I spent many years in this delightfully rowdy separate space and I’m SO committed, as a mother, to making this space a blessing and a delight to the kids. I love sourcing paper placemats and paper table runners along with paper plates, cups, napkins. I normally try to have the kids table be cohesive with the adult table, but in the paper/disposable version!
Children’s Activity Planning
No matter WHAT the tablescape looks like for the kids, I ALWAYS include a craft for them. Whether that’s a color-your-own placemat, or create a napkin ring from a toilet paper roll, it’s always great to have a specific task to put the kids on. Y’all KNOW sometimes those babies need some DIRECTION to stay out of the kitchen! This can help. This year I have turkey coloring kits including markers and popsicle sticks. It’ll keep them busy and out of the way while I’m grooving in the kitchen!
Prep Family Activity #1
I always plan for a calm indoor activity first. Normally, this is some version of writing down what you’re grateful for and placing it in the “thankfulness jar.” To be read later. This can be done at everyone’s own pace while you’re munching on apps and everyone’s catching up, or this can be done at a designated time before or after the meal. It’s always so exciting being around everybody and all the lovely food, but I love creating just a moment to give everybody’s nervous system a break. A deep breath. A moment to remember why we’re all here.
Prep Family Activity #2
My second activity is always a rager. This is when we’re outside after eating. Uncles are napping on recliners and everyone else is outside wildin’ out! This can be as simple as Simon says and races for the kids, but can also be as semi-elaborate as a mini-pumpkin hunt, pumpkin toss games, bob for apples, etc. This year, I’m keeping it simple - we’ll all just perfect our catch skills. The football is just begging to be caught!
2-3 weeks before
Menu Planning
About this time different grocery stores are advertising their sales for the season which can be so great! Aldi, for example, has a $40 meal deal this Thanksgiving, which is such a great option! At this time, realistically, I’m cooking ALL the same things I always make, in the exact same way that I always make it, BUT I like to incorporate alternate options. For example: two years ago, we did our traditional cornbread dressing, but I ALSO added a French bread stuffing which was DELIGHTFUL. I would NEVER replace a classic, but adding in a new option with a twist can be really fun!
At this point, I’m communicating with family and guests that will be coming to celebrate and it looks a lot like this: “Uncle Vic, you’re on rolls,” “Sarah you’re on green bean casserole,” “Rachel, dessert please,” “Mom, pecan pie!” In our family, there’s minimal pomp and circumstance when it comes to the pot luck food designations.
Grocery Shopping List
The moment I have a good grasp on what I’ll be cooking, I’m considering my head count….kind of. My philosophy is that you can never cook too much food. Like...we have a refrigerator?? So I’m not doing this, “if every person eats a half pound of meat…” nonsense. Relax dude. I’m not a caterer. It’s all going to get eaten the next day in a turkey pot pie or whatever the case may be!
Then, I create my detailed shopping list. I organize my list in order of how my grocery store is lined out. Sometimes I’m shopping at multiple stores - so it’s multiple lists - but my goal with my list is to not have to use my brain at all at the store. I would not be caught dead with a list that says “potatoes” or “bread.” Literally, get out of town! It will say, “10 pounds of russet potatoes in that bag with the net on the back.” Or, “the 20 pack of those little baguette rolls”. When I’m at the store I’m not at ALL considering head count or recipes, because I’ve already done all that work on my list!
2 weeks Before
Buy Your Proteins and Dry Goods
I buy my turkey and ham as early as the good products start hitting shelves, and dry goods basically for the few months leading up to the holiday season when things are on sale. Kroger will be getting us hyped for marshmallows by the end of summer and I’ll be hogging those getting ready for Thanksgiving.
Create Dinner Prep Schedule
I find that some people miss this step and it’s a very important step. I create a schedule starting several days before the big Thursday and detail out everything I will do. I’m truly including everything, from prep work to cooking, that I’ll do leading up to the big day. This also helps me manage fridge/freezer space, which can be a pinch during the holidays. It can look like this:
Sunday - Put turkey in fridge to thaw
Tuesday - Prep Dry Brine on Turkey and store in fridge. Bake Pecan Pie.
Wednesday - Dice Veg for stuffing, prep and chill Mac and cheese to be baked tomorrow. Prep and chill scalloped potatoes to be baked tomorrow. Bake Pumpkin Pie. Boil one dozen eggs and chill.
Thursday
8:00am - remove turkey from fridge to come to temp
9:00am - Peel and dice potatoes and set on stove in big pot of water.
You get the drift. This is one of my favorite parts of Holiday cooking, I just love a schedule so much. Something Ruth says to me a lot is “let’s make a plan!!!” And I’m like, oooooh girl, you’re speaking my language!!!
1 week before
Buy Your Fresh Groceries
We’re back to our delightfully curated list from several weeks ago and we’re buying the final items to round out our menu. How delightful!
From there, you know what to do! Follow your cooking schedule, set your tables LONG before guests arrive. (The day before at minimum! (Even florals)) and have an absolute blast with your friends and family.
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Stop it!! The main point of Thanksgiving is certainly not to be stressed and anxious. It’s not for everything to go off without a hitch, for everyone to love every single dish, or for you to get crowned the ultimate host/hostess! If any of these are fears or worries of yours, let’s recenter - the whole point of Thanksgiving is to be surrounded by loved ones, share a lovely meal, and create memories that will last a lifetime. It’s that simple!
Now that we have grounded ourselves back in that truth, I want to tell you about a FREE tool I created to keep stress to a minimum as you prepare for the big day! I have a FREE downloadable Thanksgiving Prep Checklist that you can print out and put on your fridge. If you need to tweak the timeline, or add some to-dos, go to town! Click the button below and use this tool as a way to keep stress to a minimum this year!
We can’t wait to hear about all the fun memories you create around the Thanksgiving table this year! Connect with us on social media (@lambert_home) to keep us in the loop. (:
