Want to be the hostess with the mostest? Follow our easy entertaining tips and fun party ideas. We've got simple party plans for every occasion -- from a Mexican-themed fiesta to a classy wine-tasting party.

Now that you're married -- and have the Waterford and Calphalon to prove it -- you might feel obligated to host the extended family for Thanksgiving dinner. But if the only turkey you've ever prepared came in an Oscar Mayer package, don't worry -- you can still make the big bird. Chef David Kamen, an associate professor at The Culinary Institute of America, walks you through the process.

4 to 6 Weeks in Advance

• Figure out how many people are coming to your dinner and when you want to serve the meal.

• Decide if you want a frozen or fresh turkey. Frozen turkeys tend to be cheaper, but you'll need room in your freezer. For a fresh one, you'll need to pick it up at the butcher closer to Thanksgiving.

• When you've figured out your guest list, use the calculator at butterball.com to figure out how big of a turkey to get -- and how long it'll take to defrost (if frozen) and cook.

• Preorder or buy your turkey. If your bird is frozen, stick it in the freezer right when you get it home.

[Nest Note] The plan below is for a 17-pound turkey served at 4 p.m. on Thursday. This will feed 10, with plenty of leftovers.

Monday (3 Days Before)

• If you've frozen your turkey, put it in the refrigerator today to slowly defrost it.

• Buy groceries for the rest of your meal. Here are some gadgets and ingredients you'll need:

                 A sturdy roasting pan
                 A digital probe oven thermometer with a gadget that goes outside the oven
                 White kitchen twine (you'll need eight inches to tie the turkey legs)
                 Your stuffing ingredients
                 Olive or vegetable oil
                 Salt and pepper
                 Flour
                 2 quarts of chicken broth for gravy (unless you're using homemade turkey broth)
                 Veggies to roast with turkey (see "Tuesday")
                 A fine-mesh strainer

Tuesday

• Cut up a half-cup of vegetables per pound of turkey.

• Put veggies in a plastic container and refrigerate. You'll be putting them under the turkey while it roasts.

Wednesday

• Pick up your turkey if you preordered a fresh one.

• Take off any packaging and pull out the giblet bag (reach into the cavity, pull out the neck, and you'll find the bag). If you want giblets in your gravy, mix everything except the liver with the cut vegetables.

• Rinse the turkey with cold running water and dry it with paper towels.

• Pour about 1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil on your hands and massage it onto the outside of the turkey.

• Sprinkle salt liberally on the outside and in the cavity.

• Put the vegetable and giblet mixture in the roasting pan and then put the turkey on top. Cover the bird with clear plastic wrap to keep it from drying out and put it in the refrigerator until Thursday morning.

• Make your stuffing but do NOT put it in the turkey until you're ready to cook.

Thursday
9 a.m.:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

• Stuff the turkey: Place the bird, feet up, in the sink, and hold a leg with one hand while using the other to pack in the stuffing.

• Secure the legs: Put the turkey back in the roasting pan on top of the vegetables. Then take an 8-inch piece of kitchen twine and tie it around the bird's ankles and underneath where the tail would be, so the legs no longer stick up -- and so they'll cook evenly.

• Stick an oven thermometer into the bird's inner thigh, between the thigh and the cavity. Make sure it doesn't go into the bone.

10 a.m.:

• Put the roasting pan in the oven and hang the thermometer's temperature gauge outside the oven door. Cook the turkey for 20 minutes.

10:20 a.m.:

• Turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees and cook at that temperature for four-plus hours.

[Nest Note] The exact timing is tricky, since you'll likely open the oven to pop in other dishes. But this is why you invested in the thermometer; it'll tell you exactly when the meat is ready.

• Focus on preparing for the rest of your meal: Make the side dishes, set the table, and get anything else ready you might need.

2 to 2:30 p.m.:

• Check the bird: After four to four and a half hours, check the thermometer. Once it reads 165 degrees, you can pull the bird out of the oven.

[Nest Note] Don't worry if the button popper that came with your turkey hasn't popped. It's placed in a different area and is set for a different temperature. If you wait for it, you risk a dry turkey.

About 3 p.m.:

• Transfer the turkey from the roasting pan to a cookie sheet.

• Move the stuffing into a pan or casserole dish and stick the thermometer in that. Cook the stuffing 300 degrees until it's 165 degrees (about 15 more minutes) to kill harmful bacteria.

• Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil (so the skin doesn't get soggy) and let it sit for 30 minutes before you begin carving. This will keep the juices from running out.

• Make the gravy.

[Nest Note] Start soaking your pans now -- it'll make them easier to clean later.

About 3:30 p.m.:
Carve your turkey (this should take 20 minutes).

• Take off the drumsticks by bending them backward or cutting through the joint.

• Cut off the thighs by slicing through the flap of skin between the thigh and breast. Then carve the dark meat into slices parallel to the bone.

• Remove the breasts from the carcass in two pieces. Cut down along the sides of the center (keel or breast) bone. Remove the piece on one side of the breastbone and then do the same on the other side. Cut those pieces across the grain.

• Take the wings off the same way you removed the drumsticks.

About 4 p.m.:
You're ready to eat! Serve everything, and take a moment to enjoy the fruits of your hard work!

Throwing a housewarming is the perfect way to meet neighbors and introduce your new digs to friends and family. Here’s how to pull it off with style.

What’s the point of throwing a housewarming party?
It’s a coming-out shindig for your new life together in your shared pad and a way to make people feel welcome in it. Okay, and maybe to gloat (just a little) over your new space with all that cool wedding swag on display. Don’t worry if you’re not living in your dream home yet. You still have every reason to throw a housewarming if you’re renters or even if you’re simply moving into his old place (or vice versa).

Can you have one to celebrate a new renovation?
It’s still cool to throw a party to show off your revamped kitchen or new deck -- just call it an open house, not a housewarming party. What’s the difference? An open house is less about your big-picture household and more about a new feature of your home. It’s also a more laid-back affair where guests can come and go, and gifts aren’t part of the equation.

Should we wait if the place isn’t quite the way we want it yet?
A home is always a work in progress, so there’s no need to wait until your nest is at its camera-ready best to send out invites. No one will notice if you haven’t slipcovered your sofa or repainted your bathroom the right shade of blue (trust us). You can have an informal get-together as soon as the movers unload the last box, or you can wait until the house is (mostly) ready for show.

What should we serve?
Housewarming parties are typically just cocktail hours with your basic drinks and hors d’oeuvres. But the party should suit your tastes and your new abode. If your place has a great backyard, an outdoor barbecue might be best. Or, if you want to show off the kitchen, try an a.m. brunch.

How do we invite people?
If the idea of another envelope-a-thon after the wedding and thank-you note blitz makes you cringe, you’re in luck. Evites are totally acceptable. If you don’t know your new neighbors’ emails yet (or even their full names), just slip casual invites under their front doors.

Are gifts a given?
Housewarming gifts are optional (don’t look so depressed). If people ask about the stuff you need, the polite answer is, “All we need are friends and family to help us celebrate.� If some guests do happen to bring presents, don’t make a big fuss of opening them in front of everyone. It’ll make the people who showed up empty-handed feel really lame.

Do we need to give a house tour?
Absolutely…it’s the main attraction! Your guests won’t show up at the same time, so plan on giving a couple of tours. Just keep it brief (5 to 10 minutes tops), and when you guide people through rooms, have some interesting talking points, like a cool piece of art from your honeymoon or a funny story about when you moved in. While one of you shows people around, the other should be by the front door to greet newcomers and have them sign the guest book. (A Polaroid guest book will make remembering names of your new neighbors a lot easier.)

See our favorite housewarming and hostess gifts (in every price range!)

Oh, summer, we’re so not ready to see you go. Okay, not so fast. We've still got some quality party-time left. Not to mention some favorite summer cocktail recipes to whip up, like Nest Rebecca's Spiked Rosemary Lemonade. Yum!

It's easy to throw an elegant earth-conscious party with these tips from Maria McBride.

Wine Bottle Vases

The lean, elegant silhouette of a wine bottle lends itself to a second life as a bud vase. It’s shaped to hold a well of liquid and its narrow neck makes it a superior vessel for long-stemmed flowers and foliage. Fill the bottles with shoots of ivy; these hardy plants are easy to root and, once established, make a natural sun shade. Let your centerpieces inspire conservation-minded conversation -- remind everyone that homes with well-placed shrubs and leafy vine cover help reduce energy costs by shading the building. It pays to go green.

Materials
3 used wine bottles
Bottle brush
Adhesive solvent
Water
3 10-inch ivy shoots

Directions
1. Clean used wine bottles with bottle brush. Use adhesive solvent to remove any label remants.

2. Fill each bottle halfway with water. Remove several leaves from the end of the ivy stems to easily insert into the bottles. Be sure at least 2 inches of the root end of the stem is submerged in water.

All you need is a stocked bar and a little inspiration for a bash where the drinks are second to the scenery. We'll get you on your way with five surefire ideas for a fab shindig.

A Day at the Races

Why? The Kentucky Derby might only happen in May, but that doesn't mean you can't celebrate like the prize-winning horse owners all summer long.

Setup: Decorate for an outside picnic with red-and-white checkered tablecloths, give each table the name of a prized thoroughbred, and encourage women to wear fun hats. Put the TV or radio on a horse race and pass out faux betting sheets. The losers have to do the dishes!

Music: Crank up country tunes like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.

Nibbles: Barbecue chicken fingers, tea sandwiches, and ramekins of mac and cheese

Specialty drinks: Mint juleps, of course! But if you're not a big bourbon fan, try mojitos (which are made with rum). You'll still get the mint effect.

Green Party

Why? Who isn’t going eco-friendly these days? It’s a great excuse to get your friends together and help the environment while you’re at it.

Setup: Turn your pad into a green scene. Serve food on biodegradable appetizer plates (BranchHome.com sells great sets) and light a bunch of soy candles. Ask guests to bring one thing from their home that they don’t use -- from clothing to DVDs -- and set up a “Recycle Table� in your living room where everyone gets to walk out of the party with a new gift!

Music: Go with artists who have green agendas, like Radiohead and Jack Johnson.

Nibbles: Organic fruit and crudite kabobs, specialties from your local farmer’s market

Specialty drinks: Serve eco-friendly beer. Brooklyn Brewery (BrooklynBrewery.com) and Belgium Brewery (NewBelgium.com) are both wind-powered, environmentally sustainable breweries.

Pink Slip Soiree

Why? We’re pretty much in a depression, so why not party like it’s 1929! Encourage laid-off pals to bring a “personal� business card so they can network with other guests. Whoever exchanges the most cards by the end of the night wins a bottle of booze.

Setup: In true ’20s style, turn your pad into a modern speakeasy. Have the women wear cocktail dresses. Hand out inexpensive pink boas, fake pearl necklaces, and paper fans. Men can don black suits with black or white ties. For a prohibition twist, fill your bathtub with ice and turn that into your bar.

Music: Play jazz icons like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. If you have an old-school record player, use it!

Nibbles: Dole out “stimulus packages�: Chinese take-out boxes filled with colorful candy, warm salted nuts, or gourmet potato chips.

Specialty Drinks: Pink Slip Slammers made with vodka, pink grapefruit juice, and a splash of simple syrup, topped with a raspberry

Modern Luau

Why? Everyone loves a luau. And, at this one, your guests don't have to look at the gross pig on a stick!

Setup: Think clusters of pineapples on the tables, mini tiki torches secured in buckets of sand, grass hula skirts as table skirts, and shells scattered about. Will people be cruising indoors too? Throw in a DVD called Riding Giants for some cool surf vibes in the background.

Music: Make a mix of steel drum music by Steelasophical, reggae by Bob Marley, and mellow Hawaiian tunes by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

Nibbles: Island-inspired faves like coconut shrimp and mini squares of pineapple pizza

Specialty Drinks: Piña coladas, daiquiris (don't forget the umbrella toothpicks), and fruity cocktails with names like Wailin' Marley and Kingston Night

Rolodex Bash

Why? It’s time to get off Facebook for a few hours and actually “friend� people in person. The premise: Ask each guest to invite one of their favorite people. Because who doesn’t want a larger network?

Setup: Have a camera? Take pictures of everyone who walks through your door. Midway through the party, upload them to your TV -- it’s a fun way for guests to check each other out. Before people leave, ask them to jot down their email address in a guest book. Each time you throw the party, it’ll get bigger and bigger because your new friends will be inviting their friends, and so on.

Music: It’s all about the community effort. When you send out your Evite, ask guests to submit their favorite song requests and download it for a fabulous mix.

Nibbles: Anything in bulk, from frozen taquitos to big bowls of chips and salsa. You have double the crowd you’re used to!

Specialty Drinks: Shots, of course…what could be friendlier?