Five Things I Learned From Hosting My First Thanksgiving

Effectively, I did it. I hosted my very first Thanksgiving, and it was a hit! (If I do say so myself. 😀 ) And I discovered rather a lot about internet hosting, and about what I’ll do in another way subsequent time. However total, we had a good time, nice dialog, a number of laughter, a great deal of meals, and a really stress-free day collectively. What extra may we’ve got requested for?

Right here are some things that I discovered from internet hosting my first Thanksgiving:

1. My New Home Cleansing Plan Makes My Life So A lot Simpler!

A number of days in the past, I shared with y’all that I had lastly found the key to holding a clear home. In the event you missed that submit, you’ll be able to click on right here to learn it. Internet hosting my first Thanksgiving actually put my plan to the check.

I’m naturally a really messy particular person, so earlier than instituting my home cleansing plan, if I had been to volunteer to host one thing in our home, I must spend a minimum of two strong days doing nothing however cleansing the home, and that’s along with every other issues that wanted to be performed, like getting ready meals. These days of home cleansing would usually embody staying up actually late the evening earlier than in a frantic effort to get all of it completed, and typically even waking up early the following morning (on the day that the gathering was deliberate) to complete up. Discuss tense!

Final week, I had none of that. I needed to dedicate exactly ZERO days to cleansing the home. There have been no frantic, last-minute efforts to get the cleansing performed. None of that! It was already clear!

I used to be so calm and stress-free that within the couple of days main as much as Thanksgiving day, I had at lteast two moments of panic, considering to myself, “OH MY GOSH! I’m certainly lacking one thing!” However all that was lacking was the stress and exhaustion that I’d usually really feel earlier than having folks in our dwelling earlier than implementing my new plan.

These terrible emotions had been fully gone, and it was such an incredible feeling to know that I’d be internet hosting folks in our dwelling, and but I felt completely no stress from an enormous checklist of issues I wanted to get performed, and no exhaustion from late nights in a frantic effort to get the home presentable.

In the event you’re the messy sort like I naturally am, I can’t even specific to you the peace of thoughts that my new home cleansing system has introduced me. That feeling of peace and calm is really indescribable, and it makes me much more decided to by no means return to my outdated messy methods.

2. I Desire A Non-Conventional Thanksgiving Meal

Am I the one one who doesn’t actually like turkey and dressing? It’s my least favourite a part of Thanksgiving.

Effectively, this yr, we determined to do one thing a little bit completely different. Since my sister-in-law works nights, and she or he obtained off of labor very early within the morning (round 6:00am), we determined to have a Thanksgiving breakfast/brunch moderately than pushing aside our meal later within the day and drive her to remain awake simply in order that we may eat at our common lunch time.

And breakfast/brunch meant no turkey and dressing! I used to be very okay with that. 😀 So as a substitute of Thanksgiving lunch, we met at 9:00am for Thanksgiving brunch, and we had a menu of breakfast casserole, bacon, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, fruit, orange juice, espresso, and so forth. We ALL agreed that it was an incredible meal, and that we appreciated it a lot that this was going to be our new Thanksgiving custom.

A number of days earlier than Thanksgiving, my mother despatched me a bunch of recipes and requested me to slender down the menu. So after going via all the choices, I made a decision on this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole from The Pioneer Lady, swapping out the bacon for breakfast sausage. (I desire to eat my bacon plain and complete on the aspect.)

I child you not after I say that this was the perfect breakfast casserole that I’ve ever had in my life. I’m usually not an enormous fan of breakfast casseroles as a result of I discover them to be both too dry or too eggy (or each). This one was neither of these issues. It was absolute perfection, and this shall be my “go to” breakfast casserole sooner or later.

I prepped all the things and put all of it collectively within the casserole dish the evening earlier than, lined it and put it within the fridge in a single day. Then on Thursday morning, I obtained it out of the fridge about 7:30am and let it sit on the countertop, after which popped it into the oven round 8:30. By 9:30, it was baked to perfection, and after letting it “relaxation” for ten minutes, we dug in.

3. I Love That Our Home Is Being Used!!

I can’t even specific to y’all the quantity of pleasure and satisfaction I’m getting out of our home lastly being USED! I put so a few years of arduous work into this home, transforming and adorning each space myself (typically with assistance on the massive initiatives that I couldn’t do solo), and to now see it getting used and loved by others does my coronary heart good.

And I imply, issues are getting used. Since we don’t have a eating room proper now, and I wasn’t actually positive what we’d do after we ate, I ended up pushing the lounge couch again towards the entryway credenza, shifting the aspect desk out of the room, and organising a folding desk and chairs in the course of the lounge for our meal.

We truly sat on the desk for hours, speaking and laughing and having nice dialog. However afterwards (round mid-afternoon once we all obtained drained from our massive meal), we pushed the desk over to the aspect home windows to set out some snacks, and I introduced the 2 sitting room recliners into the lounge, and in addition introduced our massive TV into the lounge and set it up on the espresso desk in order that we may watch a film, chat extra, chill out, and even snooze a bit.

Right here’s the aftermath that I woke as much as the following morning, after I had already put the TV again in our bed room and shoved issues round only a bit. (And for individuals who have requested up to now, sure, these ottomans that stay within the entryway do get used.)

Right here’s the view from the opposite finish of the room…

Every part was moved and raveled, however you recognize what? I completely LOVED IT! I really like having folks in our dwelling, and I really like seeing them comfy and relaxed in our dwelling. I don’t care how a lot I’ve to rearrange furnishings to make that occur.

By the way in which, should you’re new right here, that is what these areas usually seem like…

4. A Totally-Purposeful Lavatory Is A Should!

Our hallway toilet has some points, and when it’s simply Matt and me in our dwelling, I are inclined to neglect about them. I’ve simply discovered to stay with them.

I’ve already defined the bathroom difficulty right here. And since I completely hate the concept of changing a bathroom attributable to issues that ought to be cheap and simply replaceable (however should not even accessible, and subsequently, aren’t replaceable in any respect), I’ve delay changing the bathroom. So for over a yr now, each single time that rest room is flushed, I’ve to take away the tank lid, jiggle a little bit factor to get the water working into the tank, after which be certain that the flapper is protecting the outlet via which the water goes into the bowl.

Once more, when it’s simply the 2 of us right here, that looks as if a non-issue. I’ve grow to be so used to it that it’s simply second nature. However when I’ve a home full of individuals, and I’m always having to control that loo to see if it’s getting used in order that I can go in after each single use and “reset” the bathroom for the following use, it’s not nice.

So take my recommendation. In the event you’re DIYing your approach via your private home like I’ve performed, and also you’re to the purpose the place you wish to begin internet hosting visitors, simply make it possible for the lavatory is totally useful. You don’t want a gorgeous eating room (a folding desk and stackable chairs are positive), and also you don’t want an ideal household room. However you do want a totally useful toilet.

I’ll be heading to House Depot this afternoon to get ours taken care of in order that I can begin being totally current when we’ve got folks in our dwelling, moderately than feeling like I’ve to babysit the lavatory. 😀

5. I Actually Can’t Wait To Construct Our Addition!!

Whereas I completely liked hosing Thanksgiving, and was happy with our present association, and I’m completely joyful to maneuver furnishings round to make folks really feel comfy in our dwelling, I would like that addition extra now than ever.

Oh, I dream of the day that I can have my eating room (which is at present getting used as a brief sitting room for Matt’s profit) again as a useful eating room. And after I can have a big household room with tremendous comfortable furnishings and a big TV that lives completely in that room.

I’m extra motivated now to see simply how shortly we will make that occur. I truthfully don’t know what Matt will say (he holds the purse strings and governs the timeline on the subject of the actually massive initiatives since he’s the funds man), however I hope to plead my case that we have to try this earlier than later, after which hope that he sees it my approach. 😀

So total, I totally loved being the host for Thanksgiving this yr. I’m so glad I’ve taken steps to make internet hosting simpler and stress-free, and I feel with a number of tweaks, it is going to be even higher subsequent time!

Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and enhance the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You’ll be able to be taught extra about me right here.

I hope you’ll be part of me on my DIY and adorning journey! If you wish to observe my initiatives and progress, you’ll be able to subscribe beneath and have every new submit delivered to your electronic mail inbox. That approach you’ll by no means miss a factor!