It's never too late, rethink your guest list for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas and New Year's Eve

As Covid-19 cases spike during the winter months, I feel I must weigh in as an entertaining expert. It is my responsibility to share my opinion about entertaining in 2020 and early 2021. I am pleading with people to rethink your holiday gatherings and to please keep all the celebrations very small. Follow the CDC guidelines and keep everyone you love healthy and safe. Limit your gatherings to people living in your home, or in your quarantine bubble. Family gatherings look like they are number one in spreading Covid -19.This is the year to use technology to gather around the table. I know we all want to be together, but this year will be an exception, and I urge you to reconsider large family gatherings. It will be different in the upcoming years, but we want everyone to be present and with the threat of spreading a deadly virus, it's best to err on the safe side.It's never too late. If you've invited the whole family, opt to send a zoom invite. Zoom has suspended it's time limit on meetings, so you can all see each other via your computer for the duration of the meal.Over the last few months, I have been asked to contribute to holiday features on blogs and magazines with subjects like: "How to set your table for the Holidays",  "Holiday Potluck Recipes" etc. But quite honestly the timing, in my opinion, is off.I cannot stress enough that traditional gatherings is the not right message from entertaining experts this year. So I am taking a moment to tell you all that parties and entertaining will need to wait until it is safer and wiser to gather around the table. Some of you will say I don't want to wait, so I encourage you to take your parties outdoors and wear masks.Here are some great tips to host a larger gathering outdoors. If you want to take all the safety precautions, then here are some great tips for dining outdoors. Here's an entertaining feature that I thought was timely and felt good about contributing to. If you are going to host a larger crowd outside, make sure you start planning now for all the safety precautions, so you're well prepared to ensure the safety of everyone attending.This too shall pass, but let's make sure we protect our families and friends. Please wear a mask, distance and wash your hands. God bless us all. May 2021 bring better times. Until then, let's stay away from each other...at least until next year.xx Annette