Thanksgiving is a time for friends, family, and food, and our apartment homes at Arcadia Run are the perfect place to host Thanksgiving dinner, or even a ‘Friendsgiving’ gathering. If you’re stressing about how to clean, cook, and have everything ready in time, don’t worry. We’ve compiled a list of tips for how to host a stress free Thanksgiving meal at your Arcadia Run apartment home. Check them out below:

Make a Plan

First things first, figure out who will be joining you for Thanksgiving. Once you have a head count, you can start planning the seating arrangements and calculating how much food you will need. Ask that everyone RSVP as soon as possible, so there aren’t any last minute additions.

Divide and Conquer

Between all of the shopping, prepping, and cooking, there will be a lot to do! One of the best ways to reduce stress before everyone comes over is to divvy up the responsibilities. If you’re out at the grocery store, have your roommate start cleaning the apartment. When you get back, you can team up and get everything done in less time!

Less is More

When it comes to decorations, try not to go overboard. You’ll have your hands full with preparing the food and eventually the cleanup, so you don’t want to add to the list of tasks with tons of decorations. Keep it simple and classy with a festive tablecloth, a wreath, or a few seasonal candles scattered throughout your apartment home. A few simple touches can go a long way.

Bring Your Own….

If you’re having more than 3 or 4 people over, it’s completely fine to ask guests to contribute something to the celebration! Make sure you specify what you would like people to bring over, so you don’t end up with 3 cheese platters! Once you’ve made your lists of everything you need, see what you are still missing and ask guests to fill in the gaps. Some easy things for people to bring would be a bottle of wine or champagne, desserts, or appetizers.

Clean As You Go

Thanksgiving dinner is wonderful, but the aftermath can be a hassle, especially if you’re hosting! One way to cut down on the giant pile of dishes after your meal is to clean as much as you can after every course. Once people are done nibbling on appetizers and you’re about to serve dinner, clear and put away all of the appetizers. Remove empty dishes from the table throughout the meal and give them a quick rinse before putting them in the dishwasher. Save the larger dishes, such as the turkey pan, for after dinner.

All of these tips will help reduce your stress when hosting Thanksgiving, but the most important thing to remember is being thankful that you are sharing the day with friends and family. For more information on how you can make Arcadia Run your home, visit us online.