Oh Thanksgiving, perhaps the most delightful time of the year, but with it comes the annual angst of hosting the perfect seasonal meal. For those responsible, it can be less of a time of joy and more of a time filled with anxiety and stress. The following is a round-up of some genuinely useful tips to help smooth the journey, leading to an enjoyable day for all involved.
It’s All About Preparation
From cleaning the house to preparing the menu, the sooner you put a plan in place the better. No matter how small scale or grand your plans might be, the following are all necessary steps to ensure the big day goes off without a hitch:
A house cleaning schedule:
Whether you choose to carry out such a chore yourself or get a professional service to do so, the Thanksgiving prep stage is a wonderful opportunity for a bi-annual deep clean. Work through one room at a time, cleaning from top to bottom. Don’t forget aspects such as curtains, carpets, upholstery, and rug cleaning. Give yourself ample time to get through the house—depending on property size this could range from a full day to a week or so. Leave all the small, regular weekly cleaning chores to the day before—that way your house won’t simply be clean, it’ll sparkle!
Plan your menu:
From the traditional to the avant-garde, list what you can prepare in advance, what needs to be done the night before, and what can be left until the day of.
Design the table:
From place settings to the gorgeous centerpiece, the dining table is your pièce de résistance and deserves your fullest attention. The most eye-catching of designs is often achieved by the “less is more” approach, perhaps going with muted or neutral colors, with the dazzle being created through the use of seasonal flowers—shades of fall with bright pumpkin orange adding the vital wow factor.
Curate a playlist:
Background music is food for the soul and, depending on your audience, you might choose something on the classical scale, country, or popular. With the ease by which we can put together music of all genres be sure to load up your phone, tablet, or computer and sync it to strategically placed speakers to enhance the festive ambiance.
Discover the scent of the season:
The finest of homes don’t forget the fifth frontier—that of the perfect aroma. Scenting a home is simplicity in itself, with home scenting options ranging from luxury candles to reeds, or even scent diffusers. The latter uses the latest technology to gently disperse the finest of essential oils uniformly around each room, an attribute often associated with the finest hotels. Luxury scent company, Aroma360, offers the ultimate selection of seasonal fall, winter, and festive fragrances—quite simply the consummate method by which to add that last level of refinement to the idyllic Thanksgiving meal.
Once the planning is done, the rest of the steps will naturally fall into place. While we can’t remove the undeniable amount of work it takes to host that wonderful Thanksgiving to remember, what we can guarantee is that it’s all about the preparation. From remembering to order the turkey to selecting the most exquisite of home scenting options, there’s no time like the present to put together a blueprint for the ultimate culinary event of the year.
