Robin Laub, a Life Stylist

Thanksgiving Tips

If you’re cooking the grand dame of dinners this Thanksgiving holiday, I recommend you start organizing now. I have some great tips on how to decorate your table, keep everything organized and even create a behemoth of a grocery list! You can thank me later. Ha!

 

Start thinking about your tablescape. Once you have your idea set, the rest will be easier to plan. 

 

  • Set the scene with scent. Use candles of all sizes for the dining room table. Use apple or cinnamon-scented candles, which won’t overpower the scents of the Thanksgiving dinner but will add to the wonderful aromas. 
  • Use fresh fruit as part of your tablescape for your guests to nibble on. Adding fresh greenery from your garden is a nice touch, as well.
  • Purchase a new tablecloth with matching linen napkins and get them pressed before the big day! And don’t forget to buy a new hand towel for the powder room and fall-like dish towels for the kitchen. 
  • Purchase new place cards and practice your calligraphy for their names. Maybe take a calligraphy class as your new hobby! Or, just hire someone else to do it. Ha! 
  • Start polishing all of your silver.
  • Think about which type of favor you’ll make for each place setting. My caramel recipe is a fun and fabulous idea! 
  • Reserve any rentals ahead of time such as chairs, tables, glassware, etc. Don’t wait until the last minute as the rental company undoubtedly will run out of items.
  • Create your menu. If you need any tips or recipe ideas, Just Ask! 
  • Create a Google or Word doc for all of the groceries that are needed to make this your best Thanksgiving dinner yet! My biggest tip is to save this grocery list on your computer so you don’t have to re-invent the wheel every year. All you’ll have to do is tweak it, save it and press print!

 

The key is to organize ahead of time, WELL AHEAD of time so when it’s the BIG DAY, all you’ll have to do is cook and enjoy a nice glass of Veuve Clicquot. 

 

Those are my tips for now, but if you have any more questions, Just Ask!

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!