The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, discussing wellness and weight loss for real life, clearing up the myths, misinformation, bad science & marketing surrounding our nutrition knowledge and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store. 

Today we are discussing the best ways to prepare for Thanksgiving Dinner, or any gathering you may find yourself attending or hosting. During this episode, Jenn goes over some tips from the book The Art of Gathering, which talks about how to get the most out of events. She discusses how to honor other people’s time, some great things to implement as a host or as a guest, and even some great ideas to make your holiday gatherings unique. Tune in today to learn ways to shift your events to focus on connection and people, rather than food and logistics, creating a memorable occasion. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

●   [7:25] How did COVID impact Jenn’s last few Thanksgivings?

●   [11:13] A new way of looking at Gathering - based on the book The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

●   [16:01] How can we honor other people’s time? 

●   [29:28] Creating an alternate universe experience at your event.

●   [32:25] What would happen if you had a device-free meal?

●   [35:47] How to create restrictions that don’t feel overwhelming. 

●   [38:00] How can you create one conversation at the table? 

●   [39:42] Creating a tone for the event upon welcoming people and how to end an event. 

●   [45:29] How to decide what role you can play if you aren’t hosting the event.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

●   When you get together for the holidays, everybody assumes people will have the same experience, but it can actually be quite different. Hosts will view it differently than guests. Guests without children will experience it differently than those who have children. 

●   As a host, don’t be afraid to set boundaries or ground rules to protect your energy and the purpose of the gathering.

●   What things can you do to create a memorable experience for yourself? What contribution can you make? Leave your phone off or put it away, get people beverages, start a toast, create meaningful conversations, etc. 

●   The main thing is that connection and people are more than the food and logistics.

QUOTES: 

“Who we say no to is just as important as who we say yes to.” - Jenn Trepeck

“Part of why people congregate in the kitchen is because it's such a confined space that it creates energy, and you feel the density and connection.” - Jenn Trepeck

"We've been misled. If you google how to be a host, it will talk about logistics and food instead of the people." - Jenn Trepeck

"How can you create one conversation at the table?" -  Jenn Trepeck

“I always say 'keep the main thing the main thing;' how can we make the main thing people and connection more than the food and the logistics?” - Jenn Trepeck

RESOURCES:

Become A Member of Salad with a Side of Fries

Jenn’s Free Menu Plan

A Salad With a Side of Fries

A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram

The Art of Gathering Book