Savvy Entertaining

If you are the lucky one hosting Thanksgiving Dinner this year, there are some simple things you can do to make your guests feel even more welcome in your home.

Start the welcome at your front door. Hang a seasonal wreath or swag. If you don’t have one, have your youngsters gather big leaves, tie the stems with a ribbon and hang on the door. You can also have your budding artists draw or paint a welcome sign that can be hung outside.

Let a welcoming scent greet your guests as they step inside. Have a candle burning in the entry, or at the least, have a scented wall plug-in. Think about scents that go with the season such as pumpkin, cinnamon or apple.

Clean out your coat closet or, if you don’t have one, make sure there is a designated area for coats. Enlist some youngsters to be the official door greeters and coat takers. It makes them feel important, keeps them occupied and frees up your time for more important tasks.

If you are serving food buffet style, make sure you add in plenty of height, color and texture to your table. Put down a base cloth, strategically place boxes, books or other sturdy items to provide height, then artistically drape another cloth on top. Make sure your centerpiece is the highest point on the table and place it off center. Your centerpiece can be something as simple as a hurricane with a candle and pinecones, a basket of leaves or nuts or a bouquet of seasonal flowers. If you have hot dishes that need to stay warm, heat bricks in the oven. Make sure you put a pot holder under the bricks so you don’t damage your table surface. You can drape a second cloth over the bricks to hide them. Aluminum or plastic pans filled with ice, and draped with a cloth, work well to keep cold foods cold. Use the colors of the season in your serving pieces or mix and match pieces in all one color – such as white or cream.

If you are serving a plated meal or everyone will be seated at the table, have children create fun place cards for each guest. When you are selecting a centerpiece, make sure it is low enough that everyone can see over the top of it. For a casual country look, use a piece of barn wood (that has been cleaned) down the length of the table and put a mixture of candles, nuts and pears or apples on it. For a more formal atmosphere, think about taper candles combined with seasonal flowers or even stalks of wheat tied in bundles with satin ribbon.

Make sure the guest bathroom is shiny-clean. This is one area guests will notice if everything isn’t in top shape. Spend a few minutes the night before scrubbing, polishing and putting out fresh towels. A candle or small floral arrangement is a great finishing touch for the guest bath.

Have plenty of garbage bags on hand as well as plastic wrap and foil. If you are going to be sending home doggie bags, make sure you have resealable bags or even some take out boxes to use.

If you are going to use scented candles, make sure the scents are all of the same family – spicy, floral, or fruity. Don’t mix the scents!

Have an activity for the children. It could be something as simple as Thanksgiving themed pages to color, board games or find the thimble. Put an older child in charge of these activities. I read something the other day about a game that would have been played around the time of the first Thanksgiving celebration called “Kick the Shins” … now there is a game I could have fun with!

Most of all, remember it isn’t about the house, the food or the atmosphere – it is about the people. Be gracious, be welcoming and create some warm memories that will last long after the turkey is finally gone!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Entertaining!