Thanksgiving 2020 will be a different one for sure! While this has been a crazy year, to say the least, the holiday season is finally upon us and ready to lift our spirits! Starting off with Thanksgiving, we know it can be a very stressful holiday, whether you’re the one hosting or the one attending. That’s why we decided to round up some tips that can help you out:
Hosting Without Going Crazy
Even though this year has been crazy and the whole Covid situation just adds more stress to the already stressful holiday season, it shouldn’t stop you from having a cozy, small Thanksgiving dinner that complies with all of the health and safety recommendations. This means that if you are hosting, whether it’s just your immediate family or a small group of your closest friends, you should still enjoy little things like setting your beautiful table. Even if you are having a two person thanksgiving dinner, or having a virtual celebration through zoom, it will help you to get in the holiday spirit to decorate your house and set your table!
Tip #1: Go Outdoors - if possible
Because you hold most of the responsibility as a host for your guests, it’s a good idea to take as many precautions as you can to keep everyone safe and Covid-free. You could request that everyone attending takes a test before thanksgiving and only attends if the results say that they are negative, and it would be great to encourage your guests to wear their masks as much as possible. An easy way to make sure that most guests (and you!) will be more comfortable attending? Take it outside! If the weather allows, having an outdoor celebration is safer because of the fresh air and the fact that there’s more space for everyone to practice social distance by spreading out. The nighttime view and fresh outdoor ambiance is a great combination to have for your thanksgiving dinner!
Tip #2: Choose a color palette / theme
When decorating your table, you might be lost at first. The best way to start is to figure out a color palette or a theme that you can use as a guide. This will help you find the napkins, plates, runners and any centerpieces or decorations that will all go together seamlessly. For thanksgiving, if you’d like to stick to the theme then you can go with warm tones like oranges, reds and browns. If you’d like a more modern table, go with sharp whites, blacks and neutral tones. If you’d like a different, unique table, go with neutrals and fun accent colors like blue or green. If you want to go for a more elegant theme, go with either silver or gold accents with a neutral color base. And if you’re undecided, head to Pinterest and search up some table inspo to get you going!
Tip #3: Choose your centerpiece decoration:
This of course, depends on what you chose for tip #2, because it has to go with the theme or color palette that you chose. Here at Rosebox, you can order some of our acrylic rose boxes that are the perfect centerpiece decoration for your table! You can select different sizes and shapes for your Rosebox that will fit your table perfectly, we have round, square and rectangular options. As for the colors for your roses, you can go two ways: either choose a color that’s present in your palette, or go for an accent color. If your table is neutral toned, then go for a Rosebox color that will stand out, like blue, pink, yellow or red. If you need help choosing your Rosebox, you can always contact us and we’ll be more than happy to help!
Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Especially if it’s your first time hosting! Hosting can be very stressful in itself, but if there’s something we’ve learned about American culture, it’s that Thanksgiving is a big deal. And even if it’s smaller--or even virtual--this year, it can be too much for just one person! Ask your friends to come over earlier to make sure that everything is set on time. You could also try and take care of as many things as possible the day before, even setting the table the night before can help relieve a lot of stress during Thanksgiving Day. If you know that your strong suit isn’t the kitchen, then order catering from your favorite restaurant or divide up the meal between your guests so that everyone is bringing something. This last tip will also alleviate your guests’ stress of finding something to bring to your home to say thank you for inviting them!
Guests: What Should You Bring?
Your parents probably taught you that it’s bad manners to show up empty handed to a place where you were invited. They were right! Especially if it’s a holiday dinner like Thanksgiving is. This year has been stressful enough, so figuring out what to bring to your Thanksgiving dinner should not be a source of even more stress for you! We got you covered with a few ideas on what to bring:
A bottle of wine!
Or actually, some type of alcohol / adult beverage might do the trick here! This is a tried and true idea because it (usually) never fails, and there’s something for every budget. You don’t have to get the most expensive bottle of whiskey or wine, especially if it’s a small dinner with your closest friends. If your hosts know their way around their alcohol, then it might be a good idea to do some research or call up that work friend of yours that knows everything there is to know about wine for some tips. It can also be a very thoughtful gesture to get them their favorite type of rum or their favorite cabernet brand, if you know it. They’ll love the fact that not only did you bring something, but you brought something that you know they’d like!
Something for dinner… or dessert!
Once you get invited to your Thanksgiving dinner, it’s a good idea to ask the host if there’s anything you can bring to the dinner to help them. If it’s more of a thanksgiving potluck or friendsgiving, usually the host will divide up the menu between all of the attending guests. This is the easiest way for you as a guest because you already know exactly what you should bring. If the host is taking care of the food for the night, but you still want to bring your famous salad or make that mashed potatoes recipe that’s been in your family for generations, then you should always call the host before hand and ask them if it’s okay to avoid any mishaps or uncomfortable situations the day of. If you’d like to bring a dessert, whether it’s a tub of ice cream for your casual gathering or a home-made chocolate cake, it’s also best to check with the host before buying or baking it, because it could be quite awkward to have two of the same dessert on the table afterwards.
A gift for the host
If it’s not a potluck situation, the host refuses to have you bring over any food because they “have way too much food”, and a bottle of wine or whiskey isn’t an option, then you should go with a gift for the host! There are many different options for this idea and you can adapt them to how well you know the host. For example, you can get them a nice home decor piece like a good coffee table book which they will likely love. But if you know the host and they have a thing for cars, then getting one that’s about cars will make it a very thoughtful gift and they’ll enjoy it twice as much. Something small like a nice candle can also do the trick, or you can always go with a versatile gift like a rose box, which goes beyond the basic flowers. You can choose different shapes and sizes, and also choose between fresh roses or preserved ones that can last up to three years with proper care!
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