What is it about Thanksgiving that places a tremendous amount of strain on relationships? Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season which means unrealistic gift expectations and tremendous pressure to meet those expectations. Here are 11 tips to get you through Thanksgiving.
- Don’t fly anywhere. It is the busiest travel time of the year. Why put yourself through long security lines, screaming babies, and bratty kids. Stay home.
- Home field advantage. You took our advice from tip 1. Now, up the ante and insist on having Thanksgiving at your residence. Have the family or friends come to you. You set the itinerary and on a day full of football that is key.
- Follow our Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey suggestions in the Food column.
- Follow our Perfect Turkey Day Spirits guide in the Kandy Koncierge column.
- Cede all television time to your girl pre-kickoff of the first game. Do you really need to listen to Howie, Jimmy, and Terry yap away? Let your girl watch her parades while you go outside and throw the pigskin around with your buddies.
- Did we forget to mention in tip 5 to stretch before you go outside for a game of football? Don’t spend your day in the ER because you forgot to stretch out.
- If you are over 40 don’t fool yourself. You are too old to be out there with the guy’s in their 20’s and 30’s, so offer to referee.
- Remember to do all the shopping either the Sunday or the Monday before Thanksgiving. If you are single the local market or grocery store will be a singles paradise. Play your cards right and you might chat up the right baby to spend Turkey day with you. {Yes, we borrowed a word from Swingers.}
- Got kids? Plan ahead and chat up the neighbor who has kids and lay the groundwork for your kids to play with their kids at the neighbors. Remember to invite the neighbors over for a post-meal piece of pumpkin pie and a cocktail.
- If you are doing a couples Turkey day, plan ahead and start working the phone or text messaging now and invite a couple of your buddies who have girlfriends. You don’t want to be stranded on Thanksgiving with no familiar faces.
- We saved the best tip for last. Find out, if you don’t know already, what your girls favorite brand of lingerie happens to be and pick up the sexiest items you can find. On Thanksgiving morning, wake up early so you can surprise her with a thoughtful, unexpected present. You are guaranteed to immediately see her appreciation and she’ll permit you to be KING of your castle, at least for the day.