Your Thanksgiving Survival Guide
Holidays are a special time of year, but they can be stressful too!
As 2023 is drawing to a close, the holiday season is upon us! This is a time of joy and cheer, spending time with loved ones, eating good food and having fun. However, it can be a stressful time as well, especially if you are hosting or attending multiple different gatherings.
When I was married to my ex-husband, we had to go to at least three different Thanksgiving dinners every year to be able to see the whole family, and that makes for a busy day! If you are in a similar boat, or if you are hosting a big gathering yourself, there is a lot of careful planning that goes into making your day a success!
In the interest of making your holiday as stress-free as possible, I have put together some tips to help you get through things seamlessly:
Coping with Holiday Gatherings when You Have Toxic Family Members
As moms, it is important to make time for self care during the Holidays
Caring for Your Mental Health While Traveling
Enjoying Thanksgiving Even with Jet Lag Symptoms
Also, even if you are a host or a parent, don’t forget that this is your holiday too. That means, you should be having a fun day too! Just because you have a lot to manage, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get to relax during part of the day and enjoy yourself!
One of our favorite Thanksgiving Weekend traditions is watching a movie marathon while all our food is cooking. And, if the movies spill over into the rest of the weekend, it is something we can all enjoy together! We usually do some sort of Epic trilogy like The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean. This gives us something fun to do while the turkey is roasting.
If you have a lot of family or friends visiting, you can also do a board game either before or after dinner. Some of our favorites are Risk, Monopoly or Hearts. A family game day is a great way to relax and unwind too!
Whatever you decide to do this holiday, just make sure that you include activities that you enjoy too, and that you aren’t spending the whole day worried over other people’s needs. Holidays are about caring and sharing, so if you are hosting, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
Finally, here are some tips from Bon Appetit about:
The 7 Most Common Turkey Emergencies (and How to Fix Them)
I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving! Be well my friends.
Nicole Dake