You've invited everyone to celebrate Thanksgiving 2014 with you in your new home … a joy-filled day with family and friends, good company, great food, celebrating old traditions and creating new ones!  The first holiday gathering in your new home celebrates more than the season, it celebrates the start of special memories in a new place.

To mark a great Thanksgiving 2014 in your new home, consider these ideas:

2014 Decor

Most likely, you've spent your decorating budget on long-term furnishings for your new place.

 

• To add a little holiday panache, create a centerpiece of beeswax candles, gourds, mini pumpkins and dried leaves.


• Or place some bare branches in a vase. Have everyone write something they're thankful for on a paper leaf and tie it to the tree. As you gather for the meal, let everyone choose a leaf to read.


• A floral basket with late blooms from you new backyard blend nicely with branches of dried berries and white pumpkins.

For more simple and beautiful centerpiece ideas, check out these great options or search "2014 thanksgiving decorations" on Pinterest to see what others are doing.

Realize, too, that your new home may be décor enough since many friends and family will be seeing it for the first time.

The Feast

Whether your plans include an elaborate spread or simpler fare, everyone loves to get involved. So, let Great Aunt Lydia bring her famous fruit salad, and let the kids make the green bean casserole. Part of the fun is in the doing and the best memories include both the old traditions and the new.

Speaking of new … try a simple new recipe like Sweet and White Mashed Potato Swirl, or an easy make-ahead fresh cranberry Jello salad or a cranberry mimosa. Simplify the day by making some of your meal in a slow-cooker. If you're adventuresome, try a Cajun-style deep-fried turkey.

If your new home is smaller, consider serving buffet-style. If you live in a warmer clime, perhaps adding a portable outdoor heater can extend your dining area to the patio.

The best advice?

Enjoy the time with family and friends. Don't make your menu so complex that all your attention is on the meal preparations instead of your guests. If there are ways to minimize the mess — foil pans, paper plates, etc. — and simplify the cleanup, so much the better. You don't want to miss out on family tag football in your new backyard because you had dishes to do and pots to scrub.

Need a new home for the next holiday?

If you're not yet in your new home, we can help you find one for the next holiday. Give us a call … we might even help you find a Black Friday special over the holiday weekend and get you well on your way to celebrating next Thanksgiving in your new place.

Compliments of Virtual Results