Halloween has come and gone and November is FINALLY here which means…THANKSGIVING! Of course, this means Christmas is getting closer and our lives get busier. From shopping to traveling to cooking and staying on top of “life in general” time can slip away from us and we can feel too exhausted to prepare for gatherings with friends and family. Planning the perfect Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) dinner doesn’t have to require hours of work and decorating or even a lot of money. Keeping things simple and basic should be your motto in life.
Of course you will have turkey and all of the fixings to go with it like mashed potatoes, veggies, bread, corn and all the wonderful desserts like pumpkin pie! But when it comes to the aesthetic/vibe you can make it appear like you have your sh*t together. What’s even better….you can do it all at one place, TARGET!
Don’t think it can get any easier or better than that? How about if I told you, you don’t have to bust out the nice plates or do the dishes? Ain’t nobody got time to do the dishes. Now, making things easier on you doesn’t stop there. I will be linking products to this blog so you can order online and don’t even have to leave your house! Yes, that’s right you can make your Thanksgiving feast look elegant and well put together even with paper plates and plastic ware. I’m here for you, to save you time and money. Oh, and make you look like the coolest party host ever.
Let’s get decorating!
First fill your home or apartment with your favorite fall scent. Of course we are going with the theme of items from Target. I like grey flannel or the $3 pumpkin spice candles (these can be found in the bargain area!). Now that you have a great scent filling your home, throw on some of your favorite tunes. This is where I leave it up to you – but I won’t judge if you pick up and play some Christmas tunes.
Now that you have set a great vibe, let’s start with your table.
Just like you layer your clothes in the fall, you will layer your table. Start with a white table cover, then add your tan table runner. Want to spice it up even more? Add some fake leaves and acorns or candles.
Now that you’ve got a beautiful table, let’s set up your plates and flatware. Start by placing a brown dinner plate in front of each chair, then on top of each brown plate, place a white and gold desert plate and finally top them with a decorative napkin. Sure, Target and many other places offer a package deal with decorative plate packages but it gets to be a bit much and somewhat tack. This gives it some what of a mismatched elegance. Of course you’re going to want to order multiples so your family and friends can go back for seconds (or thirds) of your great cooking!
You’re table is almost set. Now you need the flat ware and cups. I am a huge fan of mason jars so naturally I have to include them. Display your gold flatware in mason jars and add a bow tied around the jar with twine or tan ribbon. If you want to spend a little more, set out a mason jar for each guest to drink from and offer them a chalk sticker and chalk to write their name on it.
If you don’t want to invest in a large amount of mason jars and want to use paper cups keep the color scheme going with brown plastic cups.
And that’s it – your table is set. But your decorating doesn’t have to stop there! Target has a great selection of fake pumpkins (I recommend the white ones) that you can place throughout your home. Of course you can pick up real white or orange pumpkins from a local vendor or farmers market.
Now last but not least. Get yourself a banner! These look amazing hung from a mantle 
over a fireplace. If you don’t have a mantle, hang it over a back patio door, in an entry way, in your kitchen, find a place! You can also find premade banners or word banners in the bargain area of Target as well.
A special extra
If you want to add a personal touch to your guests places at your dinner table, these pumpkin place card holders are super adorable and you can just place them on top of your laters of plates and napkin we created.
So, you have this beautiful set up that won’t cause you any extra time spent on dishes, what’s next? ENJOY IT! Take the extra time to spend with your family, relax, watch football, make memories. Don’t let the chaos of the holidays or the planning of Black Friday shopping festivities get in the way of you enjoying all the hard work you just put in. This is your day too and you deserve to enjoy it as everyone else does.
*Disclaimer this is not a partnered or sponsored post.