This post is brought to you by Blue Apron. While this was a sponsored opportunity, all content and opinions expressed here are my own.
When I reached out on my stories a week or so ago asking whether you guys will be staying home for thanksgiving or visiting family, I was surprised to discover that 80% of you were planning to be home. I guess this is 2020 right? Things are so crazy this year, even our holidays are going to look different.
I’ve been cooking our entire Thanksgiving dinner for just our family for many years. Living very far away from family and the short time off over the holiday has rarely made it practical for us to head home for the holiday. For some reason, thanksgiving has often felt like the more stressful of the holidays this time of year to me. Probably because the classic Thanksgiving meal is so involved, and cooking the entire thing myself without anyone bringing some of the sides/desserts makes the process a little overwhelming. You guys know I’ve had enough stress this year, and I’m sure a lot of you are in the same boat, so I thought I would share a few tips for reducing stress on Thanksgiving for those of you doing it on your own for the first time, or for anyone that could use a more relaxing holiday this year!
1. Set the table table early or skip the fancy table settings.
I LOVE a good pretty table vignette as much as the next girl, but it takes time to put this together, and adding that to all the cooking and baking happening day-of can add a lot of additional stress. Try setting the table the day before while your desserts are baking. And if the idea of that is giving you added stress, consider skipping the fancy setting altogether. Remember, the purpose of the meal/holiday is to gather together in gratitude. Your family will remember the conversations and the love around the table a lot more than what runner you used. It’s okay to let go of some of these less important things so you have the mental space to enjoy the day with everyone else. A beautiful table setting isn’t required for a beautiful experience with your family, so if thinking about a fancy thanksgiving table is stressing you out, consider this your permission to skip it!
2. Order a thanksgiving meal kit.
Just thinking about my Thanksgiving grocery trip always stresses me out. The store is always packed, I end up going back and forth looking for different ingredients, not to mention, grocery shopping during a pandemic is stressful already. And when you’re doing the whole dinner there’s the trouble of gathering up all the recipes, and making sure we have everything we need for the full meal. Stressful!
Consider making your life easier this year, by having Blue Apron deliver a Thanksgiving meal kit right to your door. You guys know I’m a big Blue Apron fan and use it at least 3 times a week to help alleviate some of the mom stress of meal planning and grocery shopping. Well this season they’re offering full Thanksgiving meal kits, customizable to be delivered right to your doorstep with all the recipes and ingredients for an absolutely scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner without having to round up recipes or grocery shop. Anything you can take off your plate this time of year is going to alleviate a ton of stress, and this is such an easy way to make the holiday a little more relaxing.
Ordering through Blue Apron is quick and easy, and the Thanksgiving meal kits come with up to 8 servings, so they’re perfect for those small family gatherings. The recipes are easy to follow and practically foolproof. You can click here to get started with Blue Apron and get $20 each of your first 3 boxes!
3. Make/prep any food that you possibly can the day before.
I feel like a good part of the stress of thanksgiving dinner is juggling all the different recipes, baking time, baking temperatures, etc. with one oven, and making sure it’s all done and ready at the same time and early enough in the day to take a turkey nap before having dessert. Try prepping anything you can the day before so it’s smooth sailing on Turkey day. Bake your desserts early! You’ll be amazed how much spreading out the cooking process will alleviate stress on Thanksgiving day.
I hope these tips help you have a little more peace of mind and a little less stress this holiday, and if you have any tips to share, please leave them in the comments!
