Effectively, I did it. I hosted my very first Thanksgiving, and it was a hit! (If I do say so myself. ? ) And I realized loads 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 enjoyable day collectively. What extra may we now have requested for?
Right here are some things that I realized 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 conserving a clear home. When you missed that put up, you possibly can 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 at the least two stable days doing nothing however cleansing the home, and that’s along with every other issues that wanted to be carried out, like getting ready meals. These days of home cleansing would usually embrace staying up actually late the evening earlier than in a frantic effort to get all of it completed, and generally even waking up early the following morning (on the day that the gathering was deliberate) to complete up. Speak about 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 carried out. 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 might usually really feel earlier than having folks in our residence earlier than implementing my new plan.
These terrible emotions had been utterly gone, and it was such an incredible feeling to know that I’d be internet hosting folks in our residence, and but I felt completely no stress from an enormous listing of issues I wanted to get carried out, and no exhaustion from late nights in a frantic effort to get the home presentable.
When you’re the messy kind like I naturally am, I can’t even categorical to you the peace of thoughts that my new home cleansing system has introduced me. That feeling of peace and calm is actually indescribable, and it makes me much more decided to by no means return to my previous messy methods.
2. I Choose 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 12 months, we determined to do one thing a bit completely different. Since my sister-in-law works nights, and he or she obtained off of labor very early within the morning (round 6:00am), we determined to have a Thanksgiving breakfast/brunch quite 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 on. We ALL agreed that it was an incredible meal, and that we preferred 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 slim down the menu. So after going by means of all the choices, I made a decision on this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole from The Pioneer Girl, swapping out the bacon for breakfast sausage. (I want 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 every part and put all of it collectively within the casserole dish the evening earlier than, coated 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 categorical 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 exhausting work into this home, reworking and adorning each space myself (usually with assistance on the massive tasks 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 in opposition to the entryway credenza, shifting the aspect desk out of the room, and establishing a folding desk and chairs in the midst of the lounge for our meal.
We really sat on the desk for hours, speaking and laughing and having nice dialog. However afterwards (round mid-afternoon after 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 likewise 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, loosen up, 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 many who have requested up to now, sure, these ottomans that dwell within the entryway do get used.)
Right here’s the view from the opposite finish of the room…
All the things was moved and raveled, however you recognize what? I completely LOVED IT! I like having folks in our residence, and I like seeing them snug and relaxed in our residence. 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 appear to be…
4. A Totally-Useful Lavatory Is A Should!
Our hallway toilet has some points, and when it’s simply Matt and me in our residence, I are likely to overlook about them. I’ve simply realized to dwell with them.
I’ve already defined the bathroom subject right here. And since I completely hate the concept of changing a bathroom as a consequence of issues that ought to be cheap and simply replaceable (however usually are not even out there, and due to this fact, aren’t replaceable in any respect), I’ve delay changing the bathroom. So for over a 12 months now, each single time that rest room is flushed, I’ve to take away the tank lid, jiggle a bit factor to get the water working into the tank, after which be certain the flapper is overlaying the outlet by means of which the water goes into the bowl.
Once more, when it’s simply the 2 of us right here, that looks like a non-issue. I’ve turn out 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 keep watch over that rest room 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. When you’re DIYing your method by means of your private home like I’ve carried out, and also you’re to the purpose the place you need to begin internet hosting visitors, simply guarantee that the toilet is absolutely practical. You don’t want a stupendous eating room (a folding desk and stackable chairs are advantageous), and also you don’t want an ideal household room. However you do want a completely practical toilet.
I’ll be heading to House Depot this afternoon to get ours taken care of in order that I can begin being absolutely current when we now have folks in our residence, quite than feeling like I’ve to babysit the toilet. ?
5. I Actually Can’t Wait To Construct Our Addition!!
Whereas I completely beloved hosing Thanksgiving, and was happy with our present association, and I’m completely completely satisfied to maneuver furnishings round to make folks really feel snug in our residence, I need that addition extra now than ever.
Oh, I dream of the day that I can have my eating room (which is at the moment getting used as a short lived sitting room for Matt’s profit) again as a practical eating room. And after I can have a big household room with tremendous cozy furnishings and a big TV that lives completely in that room.
I’m extra motivated now to see simply how rapidly we are able to make that occur. I actually don’t know what Matt will say (he holds the purse strings and governs the timeline in terms of the actually massive tasks since he’s the price range man), however I hope to plead my case that we have to do this ahead of later, after which hope that he sees it my method. ?
So total, I totally loved being the host for Thanksgiving this 12 months. I’m so glad I’ve taken steps to make internet hosting simpler and stress-free, and I feel with just a few 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 beautify 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 the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You possibly can 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 tasks and progress, you possibly can subscribe beneath and have every new put up delivered to your electronic mail inbox. That method you’ll by no means miss a factor!
