5 Tips for a Stress Free Thanksgiving

*Thank you BJ’s Wholesale Club for sponsoring this post. Regardless all thoughts and opinions are my own and I only recommend products and brands I truly love. 

Does anyone else get major anxiety this time of year? Not so much about any one particular thing but more just generally about everything going on. So much stuff with the kids, planning out the holidays, work, etc. It is quite possibly the craziest time of the year.

So to make things a little easier for the festivities next week I’ve compiled some tips for a stress free Thanksgiving. Well maybe that’s false advertising and I mean a less stress Thanksgiving. You know what I mean. Here they are:

1. Have frozen appetizers on hand. I say this for any event or visitors or really any day in life but it’s especially useful this time of year. I remember a friend once telling me how she had a family member she didn’t like coming to visit and was super stressed out about it. But she talked to a therapist who told her one way around that – and to help have a good visit – she should be EXTRA welcoming and a good host. So when that family member showed up, she gave them a big hug, welcomed them in, and had appetizers waiting to start off the visit well. I love this idea of just being prepared and welcoming to visitors whether or not it’s someone you like or have planned for. And it doesn’t have to be hard or expensive to do this! I shop at BJ’s Wholesale Club and keep their exclusive Wellsley Farms frozen appetizers, like their Steak and Cheese Spring Rolls and Assorted Mini Quiches, on hand for this scenario and make sure I’m stocked for Thanksgiving. That way when our guests show up I can quickly and easily have delicious food to serve and be a good host to start things off on the right foot. I also use my simple Berkley Jensen brand white serving plates, like the Set of 2 Porcelain Divided Servers, from BJ’s to make our appetizers look extra yummy.
2. Ditch the dishes. The number 2 piece of advice I have for this time of year (and I went back and forth as to whether this should really be number 1) is to ditch the real dishes and just use paper plates, napkins, etc. It’s not going to make the food taste any differently and it will make clean up so much easier on you. We always use Berkley Jensen paper goods for this purpose, like the 10” Paper Plates, 154 ct. – I get such a good deal on them from BJ’s Wholesale Club and they do an awesome job!
3. Meditate. Some of my friends think I’m crazy when I talk about meditating but it doesn’t hurt to try it. Especially when it can be so helpful this time of year. I typically find a meditation video on YouTube that speaks about what I’m dealing with (usually peace and contentment) and follow along. It’s especially great to do before bed or first thing in the morning. It gives me a chance to just exist and be present before jumping into the craziness of each day!
4. Plan it out in advance. Everything is less stressful with a plan. Know what is happening for each hour. When people are arriving. When each dish needs to go in the oven. When to turn on some music and relax. And don’t forget when to have your first glass of wine…
5. Ask for help. Don’t feel like everything has to be on you. Ask each guest to bring a different dish. Ask for some helping hands in cleaning up. The holidays shouldn’t fall completely on YOU although I know as moms it often feels like does.

So there you have it – how I’m surviving this time of year with some extra help from BJ’s Wholesale Club who helps me be prepared and save money for the holidays! What are your tips for relieving stress during the holidays? Let me know in the comments below!