Can you believe that it’s already time to start thinking about Thanksgiving? This crazy year has really flown by–while also seeming never-ending at times–and it has made me very reflective about everything that I have to be grateful for this year. With everything that 2020 has thrown at the world, I’ve never valued my health, my kids and family, and my business and team members more.
Of course, Thanksgiving celebrations are going to look different this year, due to social distancing and COVID precautions. Instead of the traditional large gatherings–with family and friends traveling from near and far to come together for a meal–most of us will be enjoying much more intimate celebrations with immediate family and those in our designated “pod.” That doesn’t mean that your Thanksgiving should be any less meaningful, though. If you invest in the right essentials to make the day about a grateful mood–rather than the material aspect of things–I have a feeling that you’ll end up loving both the vibe and the aesthetic you create.
Read on for my top tips for gathering the Thanksgiving essentials that every modern hostess needs to make for an unforgettable–and oh-so-gracious–small-scale holiday gathering!
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Setting the Mood for Gratitude
More than anything else, I want my Thanksgiving to foster opportunities for sharing stories of gratitude and growth. Obviously, it’s a time where we look inwards, traditionally, but now I think we’ve come to realize that the pandemic is a global problem–it’s not a US problem or a New York problem. When we look at what that means, we can easily start to feel very helpless. Thinking back on the things we’ve learned and the things we’re grateful for–that’s a way to feel more celebratory.
In preparation for Thanksgiving, I have been thinking about cultivating an atmosphere of connection, first and foremost. How can I get everyone to engage in meaningful conversations? How do I make things fun, lively, and in the spirit of the season? Decor and ambiance is part of that, but so are things like games and activities everyone can partake in.
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It’s All Fun & Games
I have a friend who launched a card game called “We’re Not Really Strangers.” There are three sections–connection, revelation, and reflection. It asks questions to inspire deep conversations. I love games that foster connectivity and help break the ice. One thing I am planning on doing for Thanksgiving this year is bring games like that into the mix, because they support the spirit of connecting on a human level. When you play games or do puzzles with friends and family, you usually see secret talents in people come out and I think that’s just so much fun!
And if more traditional games are more your thing? I always say that there’s never a bad time to learn backgammon!
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Shopping for the Season
After you’ve set the mood for Thanksgiving celebration full of good cheer and warm feelings, it’s the time to shop for the tabletop and serving essentials that will bring the good vibes full circle with a warm-and-cozy autumnal aesthetic. But where to start if you aren’t in love with the glassware and dishes you have on hand? Creating a collection can be a hard thing with dishes and glasses, unless you’re buying a fully matching set. So how do you create unity when you’re not starting from scratch?
What I do is go on Pinterest and look at centerpieces and tablescapes that resonate with me, and I’ll deconstruct that and start looking at the plates and the cutlery and things that resonate on a smaller scale. Then, I take a look at all of it and ask: “Why does this appeal to me?” The things that I generally gravitate to tend to look vintage and look like they have a story and a historical reference to them–maybe with some modern elements mixed in.
Tabletop Must-Haves
When you look at your tabletop assortment, you start to think that you really can mix and match your candle cups with glass and ceramic, but then you unify the plates by having them all have the same chargers. Maybe, on top of the plates you have really unique napkin rings that look handmade or vintage but they all match as a set.
There’s a way to create a cohesive mood by sourcing inspiration, deconstructing each piece of your mood board, and then putting it back together with real-life items. Instead of shopping in silo–which is not very meaningful–I recommend doing it in totality so that you never lose sight of the whole picture.
If you’re going somewhere else for Thanksgiving and are hoping to bring a gift for your host that truly speaks to the spirit of the holiday, two of my favorite options are a Staub cocotte pot–especially in hues of white or deep red–or a classic silver ice bucket.
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