Your home is your happy place, but during the holidays, the hustle and bustle and crowds of folks coming through your door can leave you a little overwhelmed, especially if your home is small. But just because you don’t have a huge space to dedicate to your holiday hosting doesn’t mean you can’t host the Thanksgiving meal of the century! Check out our top four tips for hosting Thanksgiving in a small space so you can enjoy the holiday instead of stressing about it.
Make Your Furniture Do Double-Duty
One of the hardest parts of hosting Thanksgiving in a small space is making sure everyone has a spot at the table. Unfortunately, small spaces might mean that you don’t have a huge sprawling dining table, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have enough room! Hack your furniture into doing double duty for the occasion by:
- Repurposing your kitchen counters as a buffet station
- Using side tables and end tables to hold appetizers and snacks
- Creating more seating by pulling up chairs, stools and cushions
- Leveraging bookcases and other surfaces to hold plates, utensils and cups
Borrow Instead of Buy
Some small homes make storage difficult, and that means you might not have all the implements you need to serve a holiday meal to a crowd. After all, who has the cabinet space for 20 place settings? If you find yourself in this quandary, instead of making more purchases and adding clutter to your small home, opt to borrow items that you need instead. Does your neighbor have a food processor you could borrow for the day? Perhaps your book club buddies have some platters you can use. Borrowing items not only saves you money and time but also ensures that you don’t have to try to force more storage out of your already small space.
Small Kitchen? Go Potluck!
A small home might mean your little kitchen can quickly get overwhelmed with all the cooking needs that come along with the festivities. But never fear, where large crowds are expected, potluck-style can come to the rescue. Instead of trying to force your small kitchen to work overtime and make all the dishes you will need, outsource some of the cooking to your guests who are willing to bring homemade items. Most guests would be delighted to bring their own dish and share their favorites with others. Delegate some of the meal, such as sides, appetizers, drinks and desserts so you can focus your energy and your kitchen resources more efficiently.
Cater to the Kids
Hosting a large crowd in a small space is overwhelming it itself, but having little ones running around can increase the stress. The best way to make sure kids are safe and happy at your gathering is to make sure they are properly entertained during the whole event. If you are planning to have children during Thanksgiving in your small space, designate a special area for them to play in and set out age-appropriate games and toys to keep them away from kitchen dangers. When it comes time to eat, help serve the kids first and place them in a comfortable area to enjoy their meal. After all, little ones are happiest when they are fed and occupied, and your space will feel much larger when the kids are content.
If your home is making you feel the squeeze and you think it’s time to move up, the NC Housing Finance Agency has mortgage products that may be able to help you purchase a home they can afford for the long term. Learn more about all the ways the Agency can help make home happen for you at www.nchfa.com/home-buyers.
