9 Tips to Pull Off the Perfect Thanksgiving

When you’re hosting Thanksgiving in your DC Ranch home – whether you just bought a home for sale in Country Club Village, Desert Camp Village, Desert Parks Village or Silverleaf Village, or you’ve already been living here for a while – these tips will help you pull off the perfect holiday.

9 Tips to Pull Off the Perfect Thanksgiving

Hosting Thanksgiving is a big deal, but you can slash your stress levels with a little bit of preparation. The more you can do before your guests arrive, the less stressful it’ll be. If you’re hosting guests, getting ready for their arrival and stay will help them fell more at home (and it’ll take a lot of stress off your plate so there’s more room for turkey and apple pie). Follow these nine tips – four for hosting overnight guests and five for the big day – to make sure it all goes smoothly.

4 Tips for Being the Perfect Thanksgiving Host

Use these four tips to make your guests’ visit the best yet:

Have plenty of non-Thanksgiving food, snacks and drinks on-hand
Plan for children
Fix up the guest room
Turn the bathroom into a spa

1. Non-Thanksgiving Food, Snacks and Drinks

Stock the fridge with plenty of food, snacks and drinks for everyone, and fill a pretty basket with bottled water and small snacks to place in the guest room. Make sure there’s a good variety that appeals to everyone – fruit and veggies, bagged snacks, granola bars and special snacks for those with food sensitivities are essential.

2. Plan for Children

If your guests are bringing little ones, make sure they have plenty to do. Put extra device chargers in the guest room, put together a bag of coloring books and crayons, and get out all the kids’ movies you have. Bring out board games, easy crafts and other kids’ activities, too.

3. Fix Up the Guest Room

Guest room sheets and blankets can get pretty stale when they’re not used, so wash all the linens, add fluffy pillows and put out extra blankets and comforters. Check all the lightbulbs, put a stack of current magazines on the bedside table, and make sure every corner is dusted. Clear out the dresser drawers and make space in the closet so your guests have room to unpack and don’t have to live out of their suitcases.

4. Turn the Guest Bath Into a Spa

Get new towels and washcloths for the guest bathroom, and put fresh bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash out. Provide all the toiletries you think they’ll need, including lotion, cotton swabs and other essentials, and make sure there’s extra toilet paper in an easy-to-find location.

5 Tips for Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner

Your guests are settled in and ready to celebrate – now you have to host the actual dinner. Use these five tips to ensure the big day goes smoothly:

Make a plan
Accept the help people offer (or ask for it if they don’t)
Set the table
Buy all the groceries
Prep everything you can before Thanksgiving

1. Make a Plan

You actually need two plans – one for before Thanksgiving and one for the holiday itself.

Plan 1 lists everything you need to do before the big day, like shop for groceries, prep dishes that you can make ahead of time (and thaw out the turkey), and tidy up the areas where guests will be spending time.
Plan 2 lists everything you need to do on Thanksgiving Day.

2. Accept Help (or Ask for It)

When someone who’s coming to dinner offers to bring something, accept – and don’t be afraid to ask people to bring things, too, because every little bit helps. If someone offers to help you move furniture, buy wine or do anything else that’ll make things easier on you, say yes!

3. Set the Table

You can set the table long before Thanksgiving morning. A side benefit to doing that is that you’ll be able to pinpoint what you’re missing – extra napkins, more silverware or kid-friendly cups – and that you’ll see if you’re putting too much décor on the table. You can also make place cards to guide your guests to the right spots.

4. Buy All the Groceries

Make a comprehensive list at least 4 days before Thanksgiving and pick up everything you need. You can prep the dishes you need to make beforehand and you’ll still have time to pick up the things you forgot to put on the list.

5. Prep Before Thanksgiving

There are plenty of dishes you can make – or at least prep – before Thanksgiving day. Pies and other desserts keep well, and so do dishes you can make, freeze and thaw. Go over your entire menu and figure out what you can make the day before so you have plenty of stovetop and counter space on T-day.

Are You Buying a Home in DC Ranch?

If you’re not already living in beautiful DC Ranch, we can help you find your dream home here – it’ll be the perfect place to host Thanksgiving next year.

Call us at 866-613-8356 or contact us online to find out what’s available in the neighborhoods you like most. Check out our:

Don Matheson
Realtor | Founder
The Matheson Team
RE/MAX Fine Properties
21000 N. Pima Rd., #100, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
866-613-8356
don@scottsdalerealestate.com