The Thanksgiving holiday will soon be upon us, and for many people it is the best time of the year. Thanksgiving is a time for friends and family to gather, enjoy great company and even better food and catch up on the year gone by.
If you are like most people, you are already busy getting your home ready for this special time of the year. From cleaning the house and sprucing up the guest room to making sure your dining room table can accommodate so many guests, you are dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s to make sure that everything comes off without a hitch.
There are other things you could be doing as well, and now is the time to get ready. Whether your Thanksgiving Day home will be filled with a handful of relatives or dozens of visitors, here are some practical tips you can use to make your house feel like their home.
Bring Out Your Favorite Gifts
Now is the perfect time to put your favorite gifts on display. If the people who will soon be dining at your Thanksgiving Day table have blessed you with special gifts, make sure those items are on full display by the time they arrive.
You do not have to be obvious about it, but placing those special gifts on the mantel or displaying them in the guest room is a great way to show your friends and family members how much their generosity is appreciated.
Make the Guest Room Feel Like Home
You will probably be making ample use of your guest room and spare bedrooms as the holiday season gets closer, and now is the time to spruce up the space and make it feel more like home. It is easy to see your spare bedrooms as nothing more than extra storage space, but that simply will not do when your Thanksgiving Day guests arrive.
Spend a day or two carting those stored items down to the basement or up to the attic, then bring in the fresh linens, colorful throw pillows and other decorating accents. Do not forget to give your guests a comfortable place a sit – a well-placed armchair or a sturdy desk is a great way to top off your beautiful guest room.
Set a Coat Rack by the Door
It may seem like a small touch, but placing a sturdy coat rack by the door is a great way to make your guests feel welcome the moment they arrive. Thanksgiving Day weather can be chilly even in more temperate climes, and your guests will appreciate having a safe place to stow their outerwear.
Decorate Your Home for the Holidays
By now the Halloween decorations will have been put away, and it is still a bit early to decorate your home for Christmas. That does not mean, however, that you cannot dress up your property for Thanksgiving.
Start with a beautiful wreath in fall colors, adorned with leaves, pine cones and other natural elements. Add a sprig of green to the doorknob as an homage to the just departed summer and top it all off with a bright door hanging.
If your guests will be arriving after dark, be sure to light up your home with a spotlight or a set of solar lights along the front walkway. The right lighting will make your home more welcoming, but it will also make the journey from outdoors to indoors safer for your guests.
Make Everyone Their Favorite Dish
Chances are everyone at your Thanksgiving Day table will have their own favorite dish, and you can make them feel right at home with a little comfort food. Whether that favorite dish is a side, an entrée or a dessert, there is nothing like a little gastronomical treat to make your guests feel right at home.
The Thanksgiving holiday will be here before you know it, and now is the time to prepare for all those honored guests. You spend a lot of time planning the perfect meal, so spend a few hours sprucing up your house and making it feel like home.