The Thanksgiving Plan.

Good morning! Are you ready for it friends? Thanksgiving is ON. It's 4 days away. I've been compiling my lists, recipes, cleaning to-do's and cooking to-makes and taking inventory of my supplies and dishes for weeks. I am a crazy person. I should have opened with that.

This is the first Thanksgiving that I have ever hosted.

I AM SO EXCITED.

Okay, I'll be honest. I'm a smidge-bit overwhelmed, too.

Like, how do I set a formal table? And um, apparently I should be tablescaping?! What is a tablescape, for real? I NEED CLOTH NAPKINS. Do I have enough water glasses? I don't have a pie server!

I'm not really trying to host the most perfect Thanksgiving dinner ever. I'm just aiming for decent food and you know, a clean bathroom. My family is cool as can be and doesn't require fanciness or formality, thank goodness. But still - I want it to be comfortable and for everything to go smoothly, as far as the meal is concerned. I wanted to share my plan with you friends, especially for those of you who are hosting or cooking something up yourselves.

The Dinner Menu:
- Turkey (bravely prepared by my parents - I couldn't take the pressure of the turkey and a clean house :) Cop out, I know.
- Stuffing & Gravy (via Williams Sonoma here, because I'm not trying to be some kind of hero and prepare absolutely everything from scratch. I'm a real human girl.)
- Cranberry Sauce (it's so easy to make it from scratch you guys, PLEASE try it this year!)
- Roasted Vegetables (something like this)
- Macaroni & Cheese (something like this)
- Mashed Potatoes (normal-ish kind)
- Sweet Potato Souffle (a much healthier version of this - let me know if you'd like to see the update)
- Rolls

The Dessert Menu:
- Pumpkin Pie (duh.)
- Traditional Apple Pie
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Tartlets (make them!)
- Probably ice cream too.

I am not preparing all of this. My mom, my sisters and myself are pulling this meal together, thankfully. But if you are still looking for some guidance on your menu, how to prep for the meal, and some tips and tricks for pulling off a Thanksgiving meal, here are a few resources I have found insanely helpful:

*Williams Sonoma's Guide to the Easiest Feast Ever.
*Williams Sonoma's Thanksgiving Tips & Tricks.
*The Pioneer Woman's Thanksgiving Recipes Galore
*Real Simple's 15 Tricks to Making Thanksgiving Easy
*Designsponge's Guide to Making a Magnolia and Fruit Garland for the Table

And in case you want to get fancy for your shindig this year, I've been crushing on this modern nude manicure, this hair blogger's Youtube braiding tutorials and this guide to dressing your family for the holidays.

What are you making this year? Are you trying out anything new-fangled or sticking with the tried-and-true basics? Do youhave any resources to share with the class? Pinterest has ruined me for Thanksgiving :)

Good luck with all your prepping, shopping, planning and executing! xox.