Whether it’s your first, second, or tenth time hosting a holiday dinner, cooking for your entire family and then some can be stressful. Thankfully, there’s a few tricks you can use so that the big day won’t have to be hectic. Here are our top 5 tips for keeping your cool while hosting a holiday party:

Plan in advance & make a cooking schedule

Stationery comes in handy almost all of the time, but Thanksgiving especially. Get yourself a planner to write down all that needs to be done for the big day so that you can visualize everything coming together. Create a cooking schedule to stay on track and the turkey will be done before you know it! Find cute and colourful stationery and planners at Indigo Spirit.

Don’t cook everything on the same day

We came across this tip and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share it. Cook items like gravy and potatoes ahead of time to save you the hassle on the day-of when you have bigger things to worry about (i.e., the turkey). Store the pre-made items in high-quality glass containers like these ones from the Hudson’s Bay.

Create a beautiful ambience

Immerse your guests as soon as they walk in the door to set the mood. Create a beautiful ambience by lighting some candles and turning the lights lower. You can find fall-scented candles at Bath and Body Works and all natural candles at Saje Natural Wellness.

Go all out with decorations

Infuse holiday spirit into your home with decorations. From table centrepieces and linen napkins to autumn-inspired knick knacks, every little detail counts. As a bonus, you can leave the decor up until it’s time to switch it out. Pick up these bronzed pumpkins, wooden serving tray and cutting board from The Real Canadian Superstore.

Visit the bakery

While cooking the entire dinner, cut yourself some slack when it comes to dessert. Visit your local bakery to grab some sweets, and instead spend the time presenting them nicely – who has room for dessert anyways? Pick out a selection of cupcakes and sweets from Le Dolci.

Share your holiday planning tips by tagging @shopstc, from our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

All items selected and shot by the lovely Mandy, from @mandy_sparkleshinylove