Hosting The Holidays in Style + Sans-Anxiety (YOUR THANKSGIVING SURVIVAL GUIDE )
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Thanksgiving is around the corner! Breathe. Breeeathe. Breeeeathe. Whatever your plan is, this post is going to get you feeling and looking fabulous! I guarantee you that you have everything you need to make it a beautiful day of celebration. I pray that as you read this post and you face the days leading up to Thanksgiving, that you’d be inspired to take lots of deep breaths and to slow down. My personal intention this year is to be FULLY PRESENT and to slow my roll! hahaha, Get it? Dinner Roll? I’ll slow my roll? haha Wow. Okay, Typically in my FLESH, I am a tightly wound and anxious personality; but JESUS! He’s helped me to overcome social anxiety and here’s how!
By reciting this verse in my head over and over, when anxious thoughts come to ruin my day:
“God did not give me a spirit of fear, he gave me a spirit of love, power, and a SOUND MIND.”
2 Timothy 1:7
I hope this helps you cope with all the stress and anxiety that seem to come in the Holiday Season and that simply gets amplified when we decide to host for Thanksgiving! Yikes. Why did I say my house? I promise you, God’s word has power and it will be like medicine to your soul!
COZY THANKSGIVING OUTFIT
I have selected three different outfit ideas sprinkled throughout this post for you for Thanksgiving. Ranging from comfy to chic, to preppy! I hope something gives you inspiration for what you’ll wear! But more than anything I want to help you navigate the stress that comes through this season!
Being prepared is one of the BEST ways to ward off much anxiety for anything really. Preparation tells your brain and heart, you put the effort needed, and then the rest is up to God. I am a recovering perfectionist so when it comes to hosting a party, Hosting Thanksgiving, Hosting any kind of Holiday party or Christmas gathering; my old self would create an atmosphere in which everyone was on pins and needles because I was desperate for Aunty Petunia’s approval of my sweet potato casserole. And it wasn’t intentional, but I was looking to host to fulfill something in me. To validate something in me.
Now, I know Jesus is my value and I host from the worth he gives me and not for it. I host with the intention of creating a beautiful space for my guests to really enjoy themselves, without aiming for perfection or expecting any compliments; If they come, I accept them, if they don’t, it doesn’t consume me. What freedom! I host now in the hopes that through my effort, people would feel Jesus in my home and find themselves enjoying their time.
I’ve created this free hosting printable as a guide and checklist for you to get your home ready delighting all the 5 senses! It’s a pretty cool list because it gets you thinking about your guests and how they will perceive your space from touch, to smell, to sights, taste, and sound. It makes so much sense to think about these things as we have people over since the experience is perceived from all 5 senses! I hope this is as useful to you as it has been to me. And like we’ve already covered, we are not hosting for our value or seeking approval. Sis, we already have it! God approves of us, however, he is a God of amazing abundance and excellence and he made you and me in his image. If he’s excellent so will our Thanksgiving or Holiday party be as well! I love to be giving because Jesus has given me the best gift ever; The freedom to be me unapologetically. I am a juxtaposition, a HOT MESS, AND A WORK OF ART. All in the same package. But there is acceptance of my shortcomings and also gifts that have propelled me into being the woman I am today. I desire this hosting freedom for you as well!
Preparing the house looks different for everyone but for me, these things have been key to making a space that is comfy and enjoyable to our guests. And listen; Aunty Petunia can still not like me or my casserole, but I’m okay with that. She has the right to her opinion and I have a heart full of Christ’s love to help me overcome any rejection, abandonment, or disdain. And so do you friend. You are worthy of love and connection. You are worthy of freedom!
HOSTING TIPS TO EASE STRESS AND ANXIETY
Hosting is more than having people at your house. It’s creating a safe and beautiful place to make memories that will last a lifetime. And if you host from your worth rather than for it. Your guest will feel welcomed and able to enjoy
Make it your intention to slow down and to ask for help where you can. Give clear directions to what you need. If need be, write those directions down on paper or a whiteboard. Thanksgiving dinner is a war zone! So make an action plan! Written plans feel better because they are out of our head and onto a space where is visible to us and the people around can help and feel like they can see exactly how they can help.
If you feel overwhelmed, jot a list of what needs to be done.
If you can, make meals in advance as much as you can to prepare.
Outsource the things that don’t bring you joy to make. If you hate making turkey make a Boston Market or Whole Foods run. You don’t have to make everything from scratch.
Your thoughts are what drive your feelings. If you feel stress or anxiety check in with yourself. What are you thinking? Maybe journal and burn that paper if you need to! Then turn your thoughts to different more life-giving ones. I love meditating on God’s word because it really helps but below I’ve set some thoughts that have helped me when I’m in high-stress situations in other hosting events I’ve done. Your thoughts matter. And not every thought is the truth. So check yourself before you ACTUALLY wreck yourself.
POSITIVE THOUGHTS TO NAVIGATE FEELING AFRAID OF MISTAKES
If you feel scared to mess up here’s your new inner thoughts I love to have when this feeling comes for me:
“ What others think of me is none of my beeswax.” (I know, real mature, but it really helps) If you’d rather, you can say, Business. ha!
“Failure is in the same neighborhood as success.”
“I will have grace unto myself for any mistakes I make. I am a human living a human experience.”
“I can always figure things out, with God’s help”
“Any obstacle or challenge is an opportunity for me to learn”
CHIC + TIMELESS THANKSGIVING OUTFIT
Wide Leg Tan Pants / Similar Bandana / Light Blue Tee Shirt / Similar Ivory Women’s Coat (more options below) / Nude Pumps (similar)
Preppy Thanksgiving Holiday Outfit
SHOP SKIRTS + SWEATERS FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER
SELF CARE TIPS AND IDEAS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS
Make margin for your week, say NO tons where you need to, and say YES to what actually serves you and your family. And in the midst of taking care of eeerrrrbody, MAKE taking care of yourself FIRST a priority. A non-negotiable. Trust me. You coming first will set you up and free you to be of better service and a lot more efficient and effective to everyone else!
Don’t forget to put yourself FIRST and take care of yourself;
At the top of the morning: do a 5 -10 minute morning beauty routine, at the end of the night do a skincare routine to wash off the day.
Get dressed just for yourself.
Time to just lay on the couch with a coffee or hot chocolate without any guilt of being “lazy” give yourself self-care.
Read something fun or that brings you joy.
Watch a Faith building YouTube Video.
Listen to some soothing music.
Put a helpful/uplifting podcast on while you do your chores (I love Jody Moore’s Better Than Happy Podcast).
Take a Walk.
Go on a run.
Do a face mask.
Buy a healthy smoothie or make one.
Make some fancy coffee/ tea.
Make some art or a craft.
Whatever it is you do comment down below and let me know what you chose to take care of yourself this season! What fills your cup!? I know for me sometimes it’s as easy as reading my favorite magazine! It doesn’t have to be long, just intentional. You are worth taking care of. Remember that always!
I am so honored that you stopped by in my little corner of the internet thank you for sharing this post with someone you care about! And I leave you with a prayer for you and your family! I believe in you friend!
A PRAYER FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for my precious friend. I pray Jesus that you would cover them in your protection and you’d help them navigate this Holiday Season with your strength, grace, peace, and love. Lord, I pray for you to envelop my friend with your loving kindness and cause them to overflow with abundance and life-giving words for themselves and their loved ones. I pray to God that as they open up their home to host this season that you’d help her know her worth and value lie entirely on you. And that there is NOTHING she/he can do to lose your love. I pray Jesus that you’d overwhelm them with your peace and give them the joy to celebrate even if they’ve experienced any loss in their lives. Lord, you are a God of restoration. You can comfort their broken heart and you don’t need them to pretend to be okay when they are not. But you will tend to their hearts and help them overcome any strong feelings of grief from any loss they’ve faced and once they’ve validated that which hurts deeply, cause a spring of joy and freedom to swell in their souls as they make new traditions or enjoy old ones. Jesus; give them assurance to their hearts that you can make beauty out of ashes. Help them to celebrate and be grateful for the things they do have and to press into moments that are challenging for you give us strength to cope with all things. I pray as they see friends and relatives Lord that your Holy Spirit would guide their tongue and help them to have discernment and wisdom to know what to say, when to say it and when to just listen. I pray that you’d deepen their love and community and that they would know they fully belong!
In the precious and mighty name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen
Tori Wible Photography + Balloon Art by: Lovely Event Designs