I don’t know about you, but as Canadian Thanksgiving is only a week away, all I can think about is Thanksgiving. Despite the usual business at work and home, I can’t help but daydream about the perfect way in which I will set the table for the main fall holiday. I get stressed about planning the meal, the ingredients, the perfect pairing of dishes, the decor… as I continue my internet search for the perfect recipe and decor idea, I will share what I have found so far to make it easier for those of you, who procrastinated like me or haven’t decided what they are doing yet. After all, it is never too late to celebrate!

Worry-free Thanksgiving To-Do List:

1. Pick your theme. I found this amazing website with 22 (!) different themes for your next Thanksgiving feast. You can also mix and match and create your own special theme based on your cultural background/cuisine preferences
   

   
   1. Develop your own menu. You can use the formula used in the CountryLiving magazine and plan 2 main dishes, 4 appetizers/salads and 2 items for deserts + drinks or create your own formula based on your and your quests/family preferences
2. Pick your holiday drink. There are so many resources that you can browse through when thinking about drinks. You can start by considering what would be your base drink (e.g. wine, gin, vodka, baileys), or you can pick the main ingredient (e.g. pumpkin, cranberry, salted caramel, chocolate, apple, etc.) and work from there. There are also more sophisticated drink recipes as well as the ones for mocktails to suite every taste.
3. Think about decor & environment: try to integrate fall elements, for example:
   • rustic-looking wooden boards or plates – pair them with grey/orange cloth napkins
   • vintage china  for more traditional/up-scale look
   • pumpkins or apples (real or plastic ones) – little ones look very cute
   • candles – they will create the right atmosphere. Think about fall scents or few big ones to make it easier to light them/maintain them through the evening
   • copper cups & other drinkware continue being popular
   • right music – soft music that does not distract your guests yet creates an atmosphere of enjoyment and is well aligned with your overall theme would be the best pick. For example, if you picked the traditional/up-scale cuisine, then classical music would be appropriate. If you like this holiday for its historical reasons, then finding something “historically” relevant may also work. It depends on your taste and the atmosphere you want to create. I personally think that it is more entertaining to have quiet music in the background then no music at all.
4. Activities. Finally, think about the very reason this holiday came into existence. If you are not religious and do not feel comfortable praying or giving thanks to God, you can always come up with some activities that help you and your family/quests to recall all the good things in their lives to be thankful for. Take pictures and create memories.

Happy Thanksgiving!