- Hosting Thanksgiving dinner can be daunting. Between decorating, cooking, and entertaining, you can quickly feel overwhelmed and a bit frazzled. It happens to the best of us... But your holiday celebrations don't need to be stressful and chaotic. Here are some tips to simplify your holiday preparations and reduce your stress level so you can enjoy the holiday too. Get a head count in advance - and ask your guests to stick to it. It's hard to plan a holiday when you don't know how many people are going to be there. Ask anyone you've invited to let you know in advance of the holiday if they'll be coming, and if they plan to bring a guest. Be sure to give them a deadline so that you have time to plan the holiday. It's generally a good idea to have a headcount a week or so before the holiday so you can plan. Ask your guests for help. Between the Turkey, side dishes, and desserts, there's a lot to make for Thanksgiving. Asking your guests to each bring a dish, whether that's a side dish or a dessert, can take a lot of stress off of you and create a diverse menu that can be a lot of fun. The best part is your guests will love the opportunity to show off a dish that they enjoy, creating a lot of opportunities for conversation too. Don't overdo it. You don't need to make everyone's favorite dish, you would end up with way too much food. Instead, focus on a small variety of dishes so that everyone can pick what they want to eat. It's very common for home cooks to overdo it and make a lot more food than is necessary. So think through how many people will be attending your get together and try to plan just enough food for that day itself. A good rule of thumb is... For appetizers, two to three portions per guest... For soups and salads, one cup per guest... Entrees, six ounces per guest... Side dishes, five ounces per guest... And desserts, one and a half servings per guest. Order everything in advance. You don't want to be shopping for your Turkey a few days before Thanksgiving, so it's always a good idea to plan your menu and purchase all of your ingredients in advance so you have everything ready. You won't believe how much stress this tip alone takes out of the holiday. Plan, a few shortcuts. Are you making a dessert from scratch but can use store bought crust? Could you purchase pre-cut vegetables for a side dish? These are just a few ideas that could save you hours in the kitchen and a lot of unnecessary stress. Not only that, but your guests won't even know. Prep in advance. If you think about it, there are quite a few things that don't need to be made the day of the party. Soups can be prepared days before and reheated, desserts can be baked ahead of time, and sides can be prepared in their cooking vessels so they're ready to throw in the oven. Take a moment as part of your planning to think through your menu to see what you can check off the list early. Anything that you prep in advance is something you don't have to worry about on Thanksgiving Day. Let your guests serve themselves. You already cooked an amazing meal and we're sure you can't wait to sit down and enjoy the party. Letting your guests serve themselves allows you to relax instead of waiting on everyone, and it allows them to take just the things they want to eat. Does anyone want a second portion? Perfect. They can help themselves again while you are socializing. We hope these tips help reduce some of the stress of the Thanksgiving holiday so that you can focus on enjoying the day with your family and friends. Do you have a tip that we didn't mention? Be sure to let us know in the comments. We would love to hear your tips as well. Would you like to take control of your future and build a business you can be proud of? We can help. As a Disaster Blaster Franchise Partner, our industry experts will help you unlock the potential of the $210 billion restoration industry. Disaster Blaster offers the most revenue streams in the restoration industry, training and support from industry experts, a unique model primed for your success, and more! Call our franchise team today to learn more at 242-1042 or visit us on the web at www.DisasterBlasterFranchise.com. Thanks so much for watching. Don't forget to like and subscribe, and while you're here, check out our other great content.