Hosting Thanksgiving? Here are some tips for a happy holiday!

Thanksgiving is a celebration of traditions and togetherness. Every year, you have attended dinners with your friends or your parents. And this year, it is your turn to host a fabulous dinner, and the thought of it makes you anxious.

Many questions swarm your mind, like “What if something goes wrong?” To nervous hosts like you, here we give amazing tips that guarantee a Thanksgiving hosting that is free from stress. Read on!

1. Create a Schedule

Prepare a game plan for the dinner, estimating each dish. This includes prepping and cooking times. For this, you may have to get organized using a notepad or the trusted MS Word or Google Docs.

Not all your dishes have to be made on the day itself. For instance, you can make salads, side dishes, and some snacks beforehand. When it is time for dinner, you can put them in the oven and serve them hot.

2. Prepare Ahead of Time

The turkey takes hours to cook, which means it may not leave you much room to deal with chopping, slicing, or baking. So, make the desserts the previous day itself or cut your vegetables and store them in the fridge.

• Get your appliances in order. Check if there are in good condition.
• Wash the serving dishes that you are going to need on the day of the meal.
• When you invite people over, it is good to project a well-maintained appearance in your home.

3. Do Your Shopping in Time

Do not put off shopping until the last moment. You may think that you have everything needed to make the meal a huge hit. But by going over the necessities once more, you will know exactly where you stand on this front. Take some time off every day in the week before Thanksgiving to get your shopping done. La Plaza, and other Rio Grande Valley malls can get quite hectic during the previous days, especially the day before and during Thanksgiving day.

• Groceries: Make an inclusive shopping list: turkey, liquor, beverages, meats, dairy, produce, nuts, grains, fruits, canned goods, and snacks.
• Inventory: Check if you have sufficient tables, table runners, place settings, coasters, linens, and extra chairs.
• Decorations: Get flowers, vases, and glass bowls for edible art.

Pro Tip: Go with minimum decor and keep it simple.

4. Set up Seats in Advance

You have set out the invites and got the RSVPs. Now all that remains is making proper seating arrangements. You cannot cram all your guests together, you know!

Dining Style: What kind of dining space do you want for your guests? Are you thinking of a formal sit-down dining or a much cozier buffet style in the living room?

Allow the Guests to Mingle: Do not club all the quiet people on end and chatty ones on the other. Mix them up, so that interesting conversations can happen naturally.

Pro Tip: Know your crowd, some of your tribe may not get along. Invite only the ones who are amicable to each other, and avoid awkward silences during the meal.

5. Don’t Get Overwhelmed

Getting an impressive lineup of scrumptious dishes may add up to your cooking repertoire, but at what cost? If you are overwhelmed by the amount of work, you won’t be able to enjoy any moment of it.

The whole point of a celebration is to bring friends and family together. And if you have trusted friends who can share your work, that would be great. You could ask for their help in arranging the table or tidying up afterward. Even a simple task such as serving the drinks, appetizers, or desserts will take a heavy load off your shoulders.

6. Stick to the Basics

Every holiday has a traditional set of delectables to be made. For Thanksgiving, it is mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, pie, and cranberry sauce. So, first, cover these basics, and later if you have the time, you can think of adding creative side dishes.

Pro Tip: Make the dinner a potluck, ask your guests to bring one of their favorite dishes.

7. Munching, Drinks, and Dinner

Put out a tray filled with beverages or fruits, and let the guests help themselves. For a larger gathering, set up a bar or keep a cooler with ice in a separate room.

Offer snacks and tasty appetizers before dinner in the sunroom or library. This will keep your guests from interrupting you in the kitchen.

Guests who are eager to help you can do so easily if you have labels on the dishes.

8. Keep Your Guests Occupied

Entertaining your guests does not begin and end with dinner alone. You need to keep them occupied for the time before and after the meal. Especially if children are attending, there is a chance that they may get bored before the evening ends.

You can provide a small play area for them, depending on their age. Or, better yet, usher them into your fabulous movie room or let them play video games and keep busy. Even for adults, you may try to make it into a fun game night.

9. Give Them Food Options

Generally, kids tend to throw a tantrum if they spot anything but their favorite foods. Many people have serious allergic reactions to certain foods and they inform you about it as soon as you receive a confirmation that they are going to attend.

However, when you invite people from diverse ethnic or religious backgrounds, you must make an effort to know their food restrictions. For example, some faiths and beliefs do not encourage the consumption of meat or alcohol. To accommodate the, you have to offer them nonalcoholic beverages and vegetarian options. Learn about their forbidden foods or ingredients and avoid using them, or at least you can prevent serving those to them.

10. Plan for Leftovers

Undoubtedly, there will be leftovers. And you cannot store them all in your fridge for future use. If your guests can bring plastic containers, they can take home some of the dishes.

1. Give away the leftovers to your guests in foil containers, instead of using your precious Tupperware. This way, you don’t have to worry about getting your stuff back.
2. Use the remaining food to plan for meals in the coming days. You can use the stuffing for soups, sandwiches, or add an egg to make breakfast.

11. Clean the House

Last but not least, you need to make sure your house is winter-ready. Make sure your kitchen and dinning room are clean. Clear the counters, and make sure all the necessary equipment is clean, sorted and ready. Pay special attention to your floor, since you certainly don’t want to have an accident while everyone’s supposed to be having a great family time. Don’t forget to check that all table linens are cleaned and pressed. Give your house a good going over.

Conclusion

No matter how careful you are, it is likely that something may not go as per the plan. But instead of fretting, try to relax and enjoy a stress-free party amidst loving friends.

Your Fall Home Maintenance Checklist 2019

Bright gold and orange, camping, fairs, and good cheer, fall brings drama in our lives. It’s the time for festivities and taking stock of what works. It’s also the time to run a stern reality check around the house and brace yourself for winter. South Texas fall is the ideal time to check which systems are working fine, what needs replacing and where you can maximize efficiency.

The yard and the garden, the walkway, HVAC, the chimneys, outdoor faucets, gutters, exterior walls, fire and smoke detectors, windows and shutters, supplies and everything else that will see you safely through the winter months demand to be put in place now.

Whether a new home or an old home, here’s a homeowners maintenance checklist to take care of your house in McAllen, Pharr or any other South Texas location this fall 2019:

1. HVAC inspection

Energy bills usually run high in the cold. Now is the time to turn them on gradually and detect faults. Ensure there is no blockage in the vents around the house, especially the space around heavy furniture. Clogged vents and ducts lay undue stress on an HVAC system, bringing down its efficiency and output by several notches. Check filters. Clean what can be cleaned; replace what must be replaced. If the warranty still applies, schedule a professional servicing and get it done before the winds of winter blow in. Heating and furnace settings require rigorous testing too. Winter nights may touch sub-zero degrees a few times in South Texas and in that case heaters and furnaces with help you stay snug.

2. Roof scan

The roof deserves at least an annual inspection if nothing more. A thousand things could go wrong with the roof. Cracked or twisted shingles, birds nest, mold, algae, dirt, grime, and debris is an unwelcome sight. Check for leakage. You might also want to enlist an expert in checking the roof for structural or functional faults. While a complete overhauling is not pleasant, adding strength to it certainly pays off in the long run.

3. Yard clean-up

Fall is the time to trim hedges. Heavy trimming, in fact, encourages plants to send out new shoots. Your trees will grow fuller in the spring. Cut back on overgrown or dead branches and let the light in. Trees are entering a relaxed growth period and you can help them prep for the winter by simple acts of pruning. Pruning prevents leaf and stem rot. When it gets colder seedlings won’t be able to sustain themselves so avoid transplanting them in fall. Leaves look their brilliant best in fall, and a pile of deep gold, red and sunset brown under the trees is a sight to remember. Yet, a thick cover of autumn leaves must be raked and removed before winter sets in. Fenced yards require inspection for gaps in the boundary around the house.

4. Kitchen care

Regular kitchen maintenance is the starting point of good health. During those months before winter, the kitchen needs a thorough cleaning. Remove all appliances from their docks and wash or wipe away the surface dirt. Check for snapped cords, food residue or infestation. Spray a good disinfectant, rinse the utensils, clean up racks, stoves, and ducts. Check the kitchen chimney. Ensure that all appliances are working efficiently. Give the walls a fresh coat after scraping grime off of the walls, cooking top, cabinets or shelves.

5. Energy expenses and insulation

Enlist professional help in auditing household energy requirements. Minimizing energy waste will go a long way in taking care of your home in winter. Fit door and window sweeps to strike a double bargain – stop warm air from escaping as well as cold drafts from entering the house. This also allows the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to work better. Sealing away the gaps also prevents bug infestation. The indoor air will remain well circulated, warm and fresh.

6. Air Conditioning displacement

With summer gone, the need for indoor cooling vanishes. Fall weather doesn’t normally demand the services of an AC. While split AC units do not affect indoor temperature much since they sit idly on the wall, window units definitely do since the cold gets in through the gaps in the wall. Take them off the window and cover the very large opening to block the inflow of drafts and dust. If it’s not possible to remove it, cover the unit along with the gaps. This should be high on your list of fall home repair.

7. Rain ducts and gutter check

Clean out these spaces as deeply as you can. Obstructed pipes or gutters gradually get flooded. Frequently, the surrounding walls start soaking up water. This not only weakens them over time but also turns them blotchy- a repulsive sight you can easily avoid. Regular cleaning should keep gutters free from both blockage and stench of standing water. Similarly, any sign of leakage needs immediate attention.

8. Winter stocktaking in early fall

It’s not that South Texas gets buried under 12 feet of snow starting fall, but there’s no harm in being prepared. Stocking up just doesn’t refer to food. It covers all necessary appliances, tools, emergency kits, and common sense. Batteries need to be recharged, gas reloaded and oil refilled. Power back-up is also essential.

9. Safety tools examination

Keep everything handy and ready for use. Things like fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and fire alarms should be up and running. As the air starts getting cooler, it gets drier too. Fire outbreaks are not unheard of in winter. Besides, sleeping with heaters may, unfortunately, lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, especially with the shutters down. CO poisoning causes acute breathing problems, choking, and loss of consciousness. It may also prove fatal. Prevent this by ensuring heating devices are functioning within safety norms.

Household maintenance is best done in fall. The heat is gone and cool winds are arriving. Homeowners only need to take precautions against the cold. A few ready reckoners make the task easy. Owning and maintaining a home during South Texas winters is not difficult if you have laid the foundation in autumn. A complete home care project is deeply beneficial for long-lasting happiness. Look for a custom home builder that is willing to go the extra mile for showing these and other home ownership tips.