Approximately 3 years ago, I spent my first Thanksgiving away from home. Lucky for me, I had just started dating my husband, and he was kind enough to invite me to Alabama to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family. The day of, we arrived at his aunt's house and shortly thereafter, the food was served and everyone was instructed to take their seats. His aunt escorted us to our table, which to my surprise was not the adult's table or even the children's table, but a small metal table with two lone chairs, sitting on the back porch in the fifty degree weather. Needless to say, it was a slightly lonely dinner (the other 20+ guests were seated inside) and I left that night feeling slightly unwelcome. As this holiday comes around again, I started to think about Thanksgiving Day and different factors that can make or break the celebration. Although this day can be stressful for the host, overall the holiday should be warm, festive and fun. To ensure both you and your guests have the best turkey day possible, here are a few dos and don'ts for Thanksgiving Day:

Don't wait to the last minute to send out your invitations. Most likely, a majority of your guests will be invited to more than one dinner. Remember to send those Thanksgiving Invitations out early so your guests have plenty of time to adjust their schedules and make the appropriate plans. We recommend sending out your invites a month before the event, perhaps even more if several of your guests are from out of town.

Do try to be as accommodating to extra guests as possible. Thanksgiving is a holiday that celebrates spending time with friends and family and being thankful for what we have. Not all guests have the ability to travel home, so if your cousin Ann's boyfriend is all alone and has no where to go, review your guest list and if you have room, send him an invitation as well.

Don't forget to set a precise time for the Thanksgiving festivities to begin. This may seem like common sense, however it is all too easy to tell your guests to stop by in the “early afternoon.” Before you know it, it's 10:00 am, you're drinking your morning coffee, and Aunt Ida is knocking on the door, wanting to chit-chat and catch up before all the other guests arrive. By setting an exact time for all your guests to arrive, this will give you the opportunity to clean up, prepare the food and set the table, all in timely, stress-free fashion before your guests arrive.

Do offer a variety of meal options. Not all guests are a fan of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, so review your guest list and try to be as accommodating as possible. Remember to ask guests if they have any special dietary restrictions and try to offer more than one vegan dish to accommodate your vegetarian guests as well.

Last but not least, DO remember to relax and have fun. As mentioned before, this holiday is about sharing with family and friends, so if Grandma offers to help, accept it. Don't get too caught up in the cooking and cleaning, and try to remember to take some time to kick back, unwind and truly appreciate all the warmth and festivity this holiday has to offer.