THE WIFE Guide: Thanksgiving Prep

Thanksgiving is two weeks away and if you’re hosting dinner at your home it can get overwhelming very quickly.  THE WIFE™ has prepared a guide to help you prepare for the upcoming holiday. Keep reading for helpful tips on how to plan for this chaotic day.  -Taryn Cox for THE WIFE™

• First create a guest list so you can get an idea of how many people you’ll be cooking for. Next send out invitations and find out about any guest food allergies.
• Always send a beautiful invitations, THE WIFE™ loves Happy Menocal, but if time is not on your side, email out invitations from Paperless Post.
• Once you have a headcount for dinner, you’ll know the quantity of food you’ll need, can put together a menu, begin finding the recipes you want to use and make a master grocery list.
• If you are a guest attending a dinner, figure out ahead of time what you can bring or contribute to the dinner. Along with a well thought out host or hostess gift, THE WIFE™ loves giving gift baskets from Fortnum & Mason. Their gooseberry and elderflower Jam with lemon curd biscuits are a must!

• Sit down and figure out where to place your friends and family around the table. THE WIFE loves using our Anya Hindmarch Monogrammed Leather Seating Chart. It’s the perfect holiday helper and easy to shuffle around guests if you change my mind about seating or someone drops out. Always aim for a balanced table with everyone’s personality traits in mind and make a point to separate couples. As the host sit closest to the kitchen so that you can clear plates or grab more wine without disturbing guests.
• Two weeks before Thanksgiving stock up on all non perishable items, order an organic turkey, place flower orders for the table center pieces and create a tasteful music playlist.
• The week before make sure your home is cleaned from top to bottom. Also go through all our linens, serving pieces, fine china and wine glasses to make sure they are clean, pressed and polished.
• Days before Thanksgiving make and freeze gravy, the turkey brine and chill the wine. The night before bake pies, prep as many ingredients as possible, set the table and make a detailed cooking schedule for the day of  Thanksgiving.
• The day of hire extra help to make the day goes more smoothly and aim to sit down and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast around 3:00pm.
• To keep kids busy till dinner time set up a craft table so they can make construction paper pilgrim and Indian hats or cut out colorful Fall leaves for everyone to write what they are thankful for.
• At the end of the evening after the dishes are done, the pies, coffee and tea are served, get everyone together for interactive games by the fire. -Taryn Cox for THE WIFE™