How to Host (Your First) Thanksgiving

As a participant in the Walmart Grocery to Go program, I’ve received a personal invite and payment for my time and efforts in creating this post. As always, all opinions are my own and were in no way influenced by Social Chorus or Walmart.

2014 has been a pretty big year for the Sandmeiers with new jobs, an out-of-state move, buying a house, starting a business, filming House Hunters, traveling, etc., but that is all nothing compared to what I'm taking on next week.. That's right, folks; I'm hosting Thanksgiving for the first time (*cue gasps*)!

Brandon has to work his normal 11-7pm on Thanksgiving Day (before you start feeling too bad for him, know that his company is amazing and caters a Thanksgiving feast for it's employees--he's actually looking forward to working that day!) which means most of the food preparations are going to up to yours truly. Since this is Mr. Jax's first Thanksgiving and since I'll be hosting friends and family, I want the day to be perfect, which is why I've created this step-by-step fool proof guide to hosting Thanksgiving.

1.) Set the Scene
If your home is like ours, you don't have a whole lot of Thanksgiving decor (and maybe a little too much Christmas decor..). If this sounds like you, there's still time to make a change! Here are some adorable DIY Thanksgiving decor ideas that you can make this weekend:

How perfect are these FREE printables from The TomKat Studio?

These festive jars that I found on Craft River are so pretty (and inexpensive to make)!

A unique (and adorable) way to hold utensils from Baby Mama Juice

2.) Create the Menu

Before setting out on your grocery shopping adventures this weekend, try to sit down and prepare a menu; this will make life MUCH easier in the long run! Scour the internet for recipe ideas and unique sides, desserts, and appetizers to add a little pizzazz to your meal. Here are a few ideas to help get you started:

Roast Turkey with Spice Rub

Ginger Pumpkin Cookies

Spinach, Strawberry, & Feta Salad

3.) Grocery Shop Until You Drop!

Ah yes, here comes the part we all love the most: wasting precious gas while looking for a parking spot, fighting our way through crowds at the grocery store, and waiting in line for hours on end (okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration.. but you get my point!). 

As the mamma of an almost 11-month-old who isn't the biggest fan of grocery shopping (once his free cookie is eaten or dropped, he's over it), this is something that I dread. Instead of dealing with the headache of shopping/standing around comparing prices/entertaining the babe, I decided make a cup of hot chocolate, sit back, relax, and grocery shop from my phone. 

'Say what?!' you ask?

Thanks to Walmart Grocery To Go, I was able to make my list (and check it twice.. oops, wrong holiday!), browse the aisles of our local Walmart from my phone, and order everything I needed for our Thanksgiving feast.

Easy? Yes.

Fast? Mmm hmm.

Money saving? Umm, yeah!!

After selecting the items I needed (including a turkey, stuffing, fresh milk, dessert ingredients, etc.), I chose a time that worked best for me and submitted my order. That was it! The extremely friendly and helpful delivery drivers (Noah and another gentleman whose name escapes me.. sorry!) couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating.

I can definitely get used to this!

Okay, so we probably won't be needing the Hawaiian pizza for Thanksgiving but I'm showing y'all a few other great things I was able to buy!

I cannot recommend Walmart Grocery To Go enough! If you're looking for a less stressful Thanksgiving, I highly recommend you giving them a try. Register with Walmart Grocery To Go use my link to get $15 off your first order (that's ON TOP of Walmart's already unbeatable prices)!

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, you silly goose (err.. turkey?).. what are you waiting for??