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Moms View Message Board: General Discussion Archive: Archive November 2005: Thanksgiving
Okay so for the first time in my life I get to host a family (in laws) turkey day. I am SOOO excited. I want to wow them with my martha stewart ability, so that maybe I can host another holiday. Let the record state, I have been part of this family for 16 years, this is the first holiday that we have been allowed to host! We typically go to my bro in laws, who has a huge house, but it is paper plates and we eat. I want this to be NICE. I am not kidding about wanting impressive (but easy ideas). I am not a great cook, so the atmosphere needs to be excellent
If you've got the space on the table, how about, instead of a formal "centerpiece", do four (or more depending on the length of the table) taper candles inside small pumpkins!! (I saw this in Martha's mag!!!) Cut the stem off the top and make the hole large enough for a taper to fit into! It really makes the table look nice and festive!
I've seen small gourds be the placecards. Just paint or write their names on with a Sharpie.
You can do all white pumpkins and gourds- makes beautiful centerpeices. Or placecards using the smaller ones.
Kaye, I know you want to go above and beyond to prove that you should have been allowed to host things in the past, but don't over due it either. We are talking about in laws here and no matter how nice you make it, they will "talk" You could come off as trying to be better than they are. They could also feel like you don't think they do things "right". My family sounds like your in laws. We always had HUGE turn outs for Thanksgiving dinner. My mom was one of 7 kids and all of them had at least 2 kids. We used to have Thanksgiving dinner at a hall. I know that sounds so unpersonal, but as a kid, it was soooo much fun. I bet we had at least 80 people there. Kids running all over the place with lots of space and nothing to break. LOL Everyone brought side dishes and we had paper plates and such, but it was so informal and a great time. GREAT memories. Dh's famiy on the other hand has this formal sit down dinner with china and table clothes and all of that. Don't get me wrong, it is really nice and the table is beautiful and everything is nice, but it is so stuffy feeling to me!! Not relaxed and fun at all. I think you can do a great mix of nice, but informal. Just try not to go too overboard with impressing that you over do it and everyone feels like it is stuffy!! I know you will do a great job. Just something to think about from the paper plate person!! LOL
Vicki, I guess my issue with my inlaws (actually my bro inlaw) is his house is super formal untouchable, but we eat off paper plates and have to rush through the meal because the kids might touch something. We are all there less than an hour total. These people will all be staying at my house, so I want it to be bed and breakfast nice, comfy, casual and welcoming, but NICE. I am a eat off the china gal on a regular basis, I would rather wear my plates out from the dishwasher, than from the dust, if ya know what I mean. My family was like yours, we had our meals in a coffee shop (my grandparent owned it) it was huge, lots of kids laughter and fun. We have used paper plates too, but we still prefer real stuff.
I don't know how much space you have but I've always found it helpful if there is a tv, game system, board games, etc. set up in a separate room for the older kids to play in. They are less likely to bother the adults for every little thing and I feel like they are able to have more fun too. I think that simple glass bowls with seasonal fruits make nice centerpieces. Think pomagranates, apples, pears and blood oranges. Napkins can be folded into a pocket shape with a chrysanthemum inserted and a namecard attached to the stem. Have you looked at the Martha Stewart Living site? She has a great Thanksgiving section. Beautiful baskets of soaps, spare toothbrushes, combs and hand towels in the bath, reading material in the guest rooms (I like to read myself to sleep), linen spray on the sheets and pillows, baskets of muffins and the coffee machine set for those early risers the next morning. I would be really excited to host a family event like this. Remember to have fun and not to stress!
"They always felt like I was a little underclassed to be joining the family..."
LMAO Connie u and me think alot alike. id do that too or accidentally forget to clean the turkey and and serve the wine in paper cups and of course it will be something off the cheap shelf. sorry i am a bit warped. if u need warped ideas let me know lol we can have fun to destress ya.
Sorry Kaye, I guess I read that all wrong. We actually sound more alike than different now. LOL Dh's families big old formal sit down dinner to me has always felt like they are trying to put on this "high class" show. Maybe that is why it always feels so stuffy to me. I guess I have always felt the same way, like they feel they are better than me and dh married down. LOL I married dh just after I turned 20. I did not go to college and now I am a stay at home mom. His sisters on the other hand both went to college and are in "the medical field" and had people watch their kids while they worked. They just can't understand how I feel my life is complete when all I do is stay home all day. There was one time that I had a little too much wine and had heard enough and told them that if it weren't for moms like me that have no real life, that their kids wouldn't have class parties and go on field trips and have girl scout troops and all of that stuff. That I am the one that gets to do all of that with my child and other peoples children while they are so busy working. And to me, that is what my life should be about and I couldn't be happier with it. They literaly had their mouths hanging open. LOL I NEVER really stand up to them and go off. Did that day though. LOL
Gourds and Pumpkins
I'd completely forgotten about this idea but we did this for the teachers at my dk's school last year. We bought smallish pumpkins (about the size of a small bowling ball) and hallowed them out, refilled them with potting soil and planted pansies and other small flowers in them. One of the women made some gorgeous ribbon bows and attached them to bamboo skewers and we placed those at the front. They were able to take them home as gifts afterwards and they lasted quite a while. The other cute idea I found was this:
That is adorable Cori! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
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Actually I find turkey day food easy to cook, so I am not all worried about that. What I want is great place card ideas, center piece ideas, appetizers that I can cook ahead. Really anything you do that makes your holiday very special. It is kind of a long story, but I have been dying to host something and it kills me each year that we have it, where there really isn't a hostess but space. My hubby is a little freaked out, we will be having about 16 extra people in our house and he isn't so sure how that will work. But I gave him the plan and he thinks I am nuts. but he can see how it will work, he is questioning the fresh cut flowers for each sleeping area *S*. Anyway, any ideas? I have great stuff for the kid table, I am doing little pilgram/turkey finger puts, a map table cloth, a mayflower centerpiece, and little boat place cards. It is the adult table I am struggling with. 