Hosting Thanksgiving in a House We Just Moved Into
For the past three years, I have hosted family Thanksgiving, and thrived while doing it. I’m talking spreadsheet schedules, two weeks of prep, a notion dashboard just for recipe planning, even a pivot table to plan my grocery list. It was like the Olympics for a Type A gal. And not to brag, but I know I got Gold every year. Before 2022, the biggest group I’d ever cooked for was just four people. My first Thanksgiving I cooked for seven, then twelve, and last year fourteen (and one was a last-minute add that day!). I was so proud of my table every year, providing allergen-safe, gluten-free, and vegan options so everyone could safely eat and enjoy together.
When we left New Jersey, where all of our family is, I thought we left hosting behind too. I was planning to cook up a chicken with a mini green bean casserole and some roasted potatoes, buy a pie from the local bakery, and have a simple dinner for two. That was until I got the text:
So what day should we come down?
And all of the sudden, I’m back in the game! Official invites went out, notepads whipped into shape, and I’ve got only a few weeks to get not only the meal planned, but the house in tip-top hosting shape again!
The Challenge
Boxes on boxes on boxes! We unpacked 95% of the house within the first month of moving, which is awesome. We were able to live normally in the house right off the bat and even host family and friends for long weekends not long after we settled in. However, there are probably 10-15 boxes of homeless items that have been plaguing me. It’s things like framed art and corkboards, books for my office, my collection of American Girl dolls, the sewing machine, my lovely fiancé C’s game consoles, items that belong in the shed (which is in dire need of a new floor), and the biggest box of all: the mountain of clothes to sell/donate.
These items have been extra hard, purely because they just don’t have a place to go! We had considered doing a quick IKEA order to finish our library corner, then appropriate the mismatched Billy cabinet to the office/second guest room. This would’ve gotten a few of the boxes put away, but who just has a spare $800 lying around?? Not us for sure!
The Plan
Stack and repack! Some garden items are going to end up on some outdoor shelves we finally put together, but for the most part, it’ll be repacking items more carefully and condensing what we can so the stacks of boxes look neater. That, and hope that Facebook Marketplace delivers me the bookshelves and dresser I’ve been hunting for!
In reality, I’m just hosting family. They’ve seen our house in much messier and boxier moments, so having a wall of neatly stacked boxes really isn’t the worst. The house is clean, the company is great, and the food is delicious. In the end, that’s all that really matters for a good Thanksgiving! When I invite the Homeworthy team next year, then I’ll worry. (and yes I am manifesting that for 2026!)
