Read on for ways to keep your cool when you’ve got guests coming out of your ears and the biggest meal of the year on the stove.Put on Your Game Face
This might sound a little intense, but let’s take a cue from football stars on this one: get in the zone. Just as important as having enough sugar and flour for the pies is being mentally prepared for the day. You might not need to rehearse the image of you sliding the turkey into the oven, but you might want to be ready for Aunt Gladys’s questions about why you haven’t gotten a “real job” or why it seems you’ve “put on some weight, dear.” Picture yourself sailing through the day cool, calm and collected, enjoying the company of your loved ones, and responding to any hiccups with grace under fire.
Figure Out What Can Be Done Ahead of Time
Lots of dishes do well made a day or two ahead of time. Cranberry sauce, breads, rolls, pies, and dips will all stand up to the test of time. Assemble your stuffing (just don’t put it in the raw bird) and chop all your vegetables for cooking and crudite. Finish your cleaning, and set the table. Anything you can do ahead of time means more time for Trivial Pursuit and family gossip.
Ask for Help
“I know this goes against every perfectionist hostess’ rulebook,” says Quinn, “but it’s really OK to ask your guests to help.” Guests want to help and can feel guilty kicking back while you’re working yourself into a frenzy. Give them an easy job, like setting the table or opening the wine, suggests Quinn. But a word to the wise: “If you are the guest and your hostess is adamant about you not helping, take a cue and hold back your desire to help anyway. There’s nothing worse for me as a hostess than to see a guest washing my dishes. By the time the food is eaten, I’m ready to take a break. If I see one of my well-meaning guests, slaving away in my kitchen, I’m compelled to go help—even when I don’t want to.”
“Bring a Dish To Pass”
Every hostess’s favorite words. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving but aren’t down with cooking the whole thing from soup to nuts, delegate. There’s no reason why you can’t just make the turkey and call it a day. Assign appetizers, sides, and pies and make the whole meal a family affair.
Make a Timeline
Give yourself a cheat sheet to do list of when you need to do what. Start backwards from when you’d like to sit down at the table to eat. This way, when you’re interrupted by arriving guests or the parade, you won’t go back to the stove, scratching your head and wondering what you’re supposed to be doing next.
Get Outside (and Get Everyone Else Out There, Too!)
After dinner you’re likely full of seconds of pumpkin pie and want to flop on the couch. But try taking a walk around the neighborhood or organizing a game of touch football, and see your spirits pick up again and a feeling of camaraderie fostered among guests. The brisk air and activity will stave off that yucky lethargic feeling and give you a second wind.
Be Warm and Welcoming, But Don’t Go Nuts
You’ve made their beds and given them clean towels. Maybe you’ve even set out some fancy soaps, water bottles, and a stack of magazines by their bed. You’ve provided for their comfort and now you just need to make sure they don’t let the cat out: “Give a quick informational tour of the house and any ‘house rules'” suggests Lisa. “Make sure your guests know they can eat or drink anything they want. Show them where you keep the extra towels.” But remember: “Most adult guests do not need to be coddled.”
Take 5
Count to 10, slip into the bathroom, step outside. Do whatever it takes to make sure you are giving yourself the sliver of quiet time you need to prevent nuclear meltdown. Better yet, do what you can to keep expectations in check so that you don’t even get to meltdown mode. And remember: at the end of the day, it’s really not the meal that matters.
Source: Yahoo Shine
