The holidays may be the most magical time of year, but we all know that A LOT of work goes into it! When the house needs cleaning, in-laws are on their way, and no one is offering to help you, you’re at maximum overwhelm!
We’ve all been there. That’s why we created the No-Stress November monthly challenge. It’s a week-by-week strategy that will make your holidays as stress-free as they can be.
There’s nothing to sign up for, everything will appear right here in the blog on three consecutive Mondays, starting November 7 and ending on the Monday before Thanksgiving, November 21.
Our goal is a big one: We want to make you thankful that it’s Thanksgiving! Say goodbye to outrageous expectations and hello to a holiday season that lets YOU enjoy it as much as your guests. Let’s do this!
WEEK 1 - November 7
We have three full weeks until Thanksgiving, so let’s start with the basics. To keep it organized, let’s write all of this down; you can use a Word or Google doc, a plain sheet of paper, a notebook, a page in your planner, or one of our notepads.
⬡ Make Your Guest List
Think about who will be coming. No need to send fancy invites… a phone call is great! Or even a text if they’re anti-phone. Have a long list that goes beyond family? Use Evite for ease and convenience.
⬡ Check Your Place Settings
Once you know how many people are coming, check your place settings. If you don’t have enough, consider borrowing or renting. What else do you need? Tables, chairs, tablecloths? Now is the time to order or locate these holiday must-haves.
⬡ Create a Food Plan
Don’t worry about your recipes yet, just think about which items you’d like to have at your Thanksgiving dinner. This is just a menu, or the first draft of a menu.
⬡ Assign Tasks & Food
Once you have your food plan and know who’s coming, assign dishes for each person/family to bring. No need to do it all yourself!
Do you have guests that don’t like to cook? You can ask them to bring drinks, ice, candles, a centerpiece, or even create a special playlist that will begin upon arrival. Who wouldn’t want a Designated DJ 😊
These are just four tasks… one for each day we have left of this week! That’s doable, right? Write each task in your planner so you can check them off when complete. ✅
Optional: Unpack Your Backpack
Before we wrap up Week One, think back to Thanksgiving's past. This may be an unpleasant task, but think about what caused you the most stress? What do you wish you had done in advance? Or not done at all?
Jot these things down. If there’s something you want to avoid, now is the time to set your intention. For instance, if your mother-in-law implied your knives weren’t sharp enough, you may want to get those knives professionally sharpened now. Then, she and other guests can help you chop and dice without comment. 😉