Hosting Thanksgiving For The First Time
By Bethie Annie
@BethieAnnie (818)
Dayton, Ohio
November 21, 2015 2:18am CST
I am excited to be hosting my families Thanksgiving dinner. I am also very nervous at the thought of being the hostess. I bought a house in April and for the first time I find myself ready to play hostess. My family is a little slow, so this was only decided today.
Short notice is never fun, but I know there will be no Thanksgiving for my mother and sisters if I don't do it. I can not stand the thought of discarding the holiday where we give thanks just because times are tough.
I already have my Turkey, the main dish in a Thanksgiving dinner. There is much more to do, and I have never hosted before. I am excited to share my home and food with my family, even if I am nervouse. I need to learn to be a great hostess in a week.
What makes a person a good host or hosstess?
3 people like this
4 responses
@Vivenda (583)
• Portsmouth, England
21 Nov 15
Plan well, but don't panic if things go wrong! Remember that the food's not the main thing. I remember being terrified by the thought of hosting my first family Christmas - but we all survived. Also, don't be afraid to accept offers of help.
1 person likes this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
21 Nov 15
@BethieAnnie I don't eat meat but I'm pretty sure that good gravy can rescue most kitchen disasters.
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
21 Nov 15
I have to start planning tomorrow. I went through it in my head, but I need to make a written plan. I hope others help, my mom will, but my sisters aren't really in a helping place.
1 person likes this
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
21 Nov 15
@boiboing half of my guests don't eat meat, so chicken gravy is only half a fix. Thus, the introduction of the toufurkey!
1 person likes this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
21 Nov 15
Put the needs of your guests ahead of your own and accept that it might not be as much fun for you as you'd like. Then you'll be fine.
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
21 Nov 15
Good point. Your advice is brutal honesty. This is about doing for others, which means I better overcome my selfish wants. I think I can. I have a week to figure out how to accept things as they are, and not to try to force things to go my way.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
21 Nov 15
@BethieAnnie If you can afford it, book yourself a nice treat for a few days after. You'll deserve it. Last time we had my parents, my sister and her partner to us for Christmas, my dishwasher broke down on Christmas eve. All I did was cook, feed everybody, then wash up then start cooking again. It was hard work.
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
21 Nov 15
@boiboing I have kids, so I pretty much do that on a regular basis. I wish I had a dishwasher, but my kitchen doesn't have the space. I can motivate myself by giving myself a treat. For me, time relaxing is a treat!
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
21 Nov 15
My mind also works quite fast. I'm not sure if that is a blessing or a curse! My mom will help with the food. I want to make everyone feel welcome, and connected. Hope I can.
