Thanksgiving is a holiday that has left a lasting imprint on my heart. It’s a time I remember coming home from celebrating Thanksgiving with family, only to receive the news from the hospital that our father won’t make it much longer. Losing my dad that evening was probably the hardest thing I’ve endured in life, but in any season we still give thanks. Even though it’s been 10 years since his passing, holidays are never quite the same. I know my dad is rejoicing with Jesus and looking down at us here on earth. Our hope is in Jesus Christ knowing we will one day meet again, which is a day I look forward to very much. Even though this day brings back so many memories, Thanksgiving is still one of my favorite holidays. It’s a day where I am reminded of how truly blessed I really am. How truly blessed we all are. This time of the year brings my heart so much joy. Because this time of the year is so special to me, I wanted to share a fun post with you all. Here are three essential tips for hosting the perfect Friends-Giving.
1st tip: What type of foods you need to prep for your guests.
2nd tip: Table setting.
3rd tip: What to wear.
So let’s get started!
I’ve teamed up with HoneyBaked to share these 3 tips with you all. I am a huge fan of HoneyBaked. I love that you can pre-order online a few days ahead and then pick-up the day of your party. I also love that everything is ready at pick-up, so all you have to do is bake. This ham feeds up to 16 people and you’ll easily have left overs for sandwiches, salads and even breakfast for the next day. Their ham is so fresh and smells heavenly! I love to add potatoes as a side dish with the ham. One of my favorite recipes is boiling the potatoes, preferably Yukon gold potatoes. Once they are soft I put out the water and add salt, butter, dill and garlic. Green beans are a must with this dinner! I love to season mine with garlic, salt, pepper, lemon, parmesan cheese and then bake them in the oven. It’s good to add a fresh salad for some variety. Roasted veggies and a side of dip are also perfect to add to the table. For dessert I always have a pumpkin pie and cheesecake to go with tea or coffee. You can never go wrong with fruits at the table also.
Looking for ways to set your table for a Friends Giving dinner? Fall colors always stand out to me, so I chose to go with brown, green, and red tones to add with white and pops of red. Target was helpful in finding the perfect dishes and decor to set the table so perfectly! Try to go with about 4 colors and stick with those colors for setting your table. For flowers, I always buy mine at Trader Joes only because they have a huge selection and they are so affordable. I was shooting for more of a relaxed look for the table runner, so I went with burlap and added greens. There is even some artichokes used as a part of the decor because they’re cheaper for decorating and you can eat it after. I even added some red apples for a final touch. I love the romantic look of it all together while still being on a budget.
Last but not least, what to wear as a host for Dinner. I am always so worn out by the time I finish making dinner, I tend to wear something comfortable and loose fitting. For this look I went with a black lace sheer top and a silver pleated skirt. If you wear something more relaxed and loose fitting, no one will ever know your stuffed. Try to stick with grays, blacks, reds and colors that are suitable for the evening. I’ve added some dresses down below that you can choose from for ideas. These are all from Asos and they have a 2 day shipping option to get them in time for your party next week!
I hope these 3 essential tips help you host the perfect Friends Giving or even Christmas dinner. Thank you for reading darlings!
xoxo, Alena Gidenko
Thank you to HoneyBaked for sponsoring this post! Disclosure: All thoughts are my own.
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