I'm less concerned about what to wear fashion-wise - everybody's got their own style, and we don't all have a designer collection. And of course we all know how to pack an overnight bag (toothbrush, etc). But there are a few things that not everyone might think to bring along. Here are my tips on what to bring for Thanksgiving weekend when visiting out of town in-laws or family.
Let's start with the most obvious:
- Appropriate attire for Thanksgiving dinner
- This depends on who you're visiting, what their style is, and how fancy of an occasion you make Thanksgiving out to be.
- Wear something that looks nice, wears well, and is comfortable but not inappropriate.
- For the ladies, a nice pair of a jeans, or a casual dress or skirt with a sweater or nice top is appropriate most of the time.
- For guys, a nice pair of jeans or khakis (or similar casual dress pants) with a polo, button-down or sweater always looks clean-cut.
- Pajamas if you are staying the night (duh)
- This should go without saying, but if your normal pajamas are your underwear and a t-shirt, you might want to invest in some bottoms if you're staying with family/in-laws
- I advise bringing something that's not too heavy (no flannel) unless you know the room you'll be staying in is habitually frigid. Nothing like overheating in someone's guest bedroom with no way to cool off besides getting naked. You can always add more blankets or put on your sweater if you get cold.
- Reusable grocery bags/canvas bags
- These are useful in so many ways. You can roll or fold them up, so they pack easily. Some even are self-contained (like Chico bags, my favorites).
- If you have been asked to bring any food for the meal, this is a nice way to transport it.
- We use these to contain all the things we bring with for our dog (toy, biscuits, bowls, food, poo bags).
- If you're going Black Friday shopping, some extra, sturdy carrying capacity may come in handy.
- We also use these to carry leftovers home (see below), as well as birthday gifts (or Christmas gifts in December).
- In my family, holiday gatherings also serve as a "crap-swap" opportunity. Hand-me-downs and books exchange hands pretty frequently, so you never know when you might need an extra sack to carry all your loot.
- Layers/Outdoor Wear
- I don't know about you, but for me family holiday visits often involve an excursion into some fields for a dog romp, or a post-dinner walk through the neighborhood. Sometimes there's a trip to the shooting range as well, but I generally skip that one.
- You'll want to bring a warm jacket and hat/gloves just in case the air gets nippy. Fortunately in the Midwest it looks like it's going to be a mild Thanksgiving this year.
- Your outdoor wear may come in handy if your sleeping arrangements leave something to be desired in the warmth department as well. Think of it like camping, only inside with fewer bugs.
- Containers for Leftovers
- This is one that many people might not think to bring. I've begun the habit of tossing a few Ziploc containers into our reusable grocery bag. Then, when the big meal is over and everyone's had their fill (whether it's later that night or the next day), if there are leftovers to be taken away we can get in on some of that turkey or those mashed potatoes.
- This way, you're also not robbing your hosts of their containers (which somehow never quite make their way back to their owner and end up mismatched in your cupboard 5 months later).
- In my particular case, I'll be celebrating my 25th birthday over Thanksgiving and I fully intend to bring some extra birthday cake home with me!
- Holiday Gifts - optional
- Depending on your situation, you may not be seeing everyone at Christmas/holiday time, but they're here now for Thanksgiving. If you live far enough apart that you won't see them again for a while, and if you've already squared away their holiday gifts, it might be easiest to quickly wrap them and bring them with now. Or maybe I'm crazy.
- Electronic Entertainment
- Seems like everybody has a smart phone these days (except I don't). For those that do, this may be less of an issue.
- For those of us who don't, bringing along a laptop and a DVD or a Tablet with its own data plan can be useful when stranded in a no-WiFi zone (like my parents' house).
- Photos of Children/Pets/Events
- If you live far enough away from family/friends that you have added to your household or experienced a life event since the last time you saw them, they might like to see some pictures of your new addition or your big event (or meet the new children/pets per your situation).
- In our case, my parents don't have the internet and we haven't seen them since our wedding in September. Aside from the wedding album I put together for them, they haven't seen our photos from the reception or our honeymoon, and they haven't met our new cat, Jasper.
That's all I can think of. Let me know if I've forgotten something, or if you have any tried and true holiday visit packing tips to share! Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
PS - if you saw Twilight this past weekend, and you haven't read my review already, I recommend it. ;)
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