If you're hosting for the holidays (especially for the first time)

Are you nervous?

I wasn't, until today.

How are you dealing?

Re: If you're hosting for the holidays (especially for the first time)

This is about my 12th time hosting Thanksgiving so at this point I am not nervous. I started hosting Thanksgiving just after graduating from college. When I started hosting I was really nervous.

I would create a menu and list everything you want to serve. Then create a time line working backwards from when you have requested guests to come over. Make sure you have some thing for guests to nibble on that you don't need to cook so even if you are running late - they can eat and entertain themselves. I set the table the night before to eliminate one thing to do that day. I also bake before hand to eliminate things to do the day of the holiday. Can you request that guests bring something specific? In my family people take pride in certain dishes - so they bring them. It is one less thing for me to cook/worry about and it gets them involved too. Lastly, just go with the flow.

One of my first thanksgivings my mom was "helping me" and she put my metal roasting pan with my fully cooked turkey on it and my plastic carving board into my HOT oven. I realized it about 2 minutes later, but my oven was ruined. I called poison control who said we could eat the turkey. If I can survive that, you can survive anything.

Re: If you're hosting for the holidays (especially for the first time)

This will be our second year hosting Thanksgiving. Its DH's family so I just put the pressure him to do all the cooking.

Re: If you're hosting for the holidays (especially for the first time)

This is our 1st time and I am very nervous.
Even though our family is very laid back, I'm still nervous about making sure everything is ready on time, that I have enough and that it taste good. I'll even take decent

Re: If you're hosting for the holidays (especially for the first time)

We just moved in 2 weeks ago, most of the boxes are still in the garage, waiting to be unpacked, and we are hosting Thanksgiving for 16 people!! We're doing it sort of potluck style. I'm only making a couple of dishes. The only thing I'm sort of concerned with is how everyone is going to fit!!

Re: If you're hosting for the holidays (especially for the first time)

I'm hosting for the first time... I'm not so much nervous, just stressed!! It's only 8 people ( my parents, ils, and my sister and bil) BUT both sets of parents are out of town, so all 4 of them are staying here. Which means, cleaning every square inch of the house, setting up 2 guest rooms, and serving breakfast and lunch the next day, too! all of this after dealing with a leaky roof and 2 car accidents within a month of each other!!! I need a vacation, not for my house to be invaded for three days! Lol I wouldn't ever volunteer to do this lol- my mom asked me to cook this year so she could have a break.... And ils got invited by default bc Dh is an only child...we'll see what happens!