Reba McEntire may be the queen of country, but did you know she’s the queen of Thanksgiving, too?
Over the years, the country icon has perfected her Thanksgiving routine, making sure the day doesn’t become stressful while juggling cooking, catching up with family, and everything in between.
In a 2024 interview with First for Women, Reba shared her best advice for anyone trying to manage it all at once.
“Delegate, that’s how you relieve the stress,” she advised. “I know so many women who want to do it all themselves. That ain’t me.”
Instead of putting all the pressure on herself, the “Fancy” singer teams up with her two sisters, Alice and Susie, to handle the day together.
“That’s why I go to Alice’s house and Susie’s house for Thanksgiving,” Reba explained. “We all delegate. Everybody brings something. Nobody is held responsible for the whole kit and kaboodle. We all clean up. We all help, and it makes it more fun, and it doesn’t make Alice dread Thanksgiving for the next year.”
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She also reminds herself that at the end of the day, it’s not about perfect food or perfect hosting. It’s about the people you get to spend the day with.
“I look forward to the gathering together,” she added. “Don’t sweat the small stuff, and if everything is not clean and perfect, and your china don’t match, get the paper plates out, that works every time.”
This year, Reba has a lot to be thankful for as the holidays approach. It will be her and her longtime partner Rex Linn’s first Thanksgiving together as an engaged couple!
Back in September, they revealed their engagement during a red carpet interview at the Primetime Emmy Awards.
But the Happy’s Place stars had actually kept the news a secret for quite a while before. Rex originally proposed on Christmas Eve last year.
“We were going to make the announcement when we got back to L.A. in January, and the fires happened. It wasn’t appropriate,” Reba told PEOPLE in October.
“The time never presented itself until the Emmys when it just happened,” she added.
And just like they weren’t in a hurry to share the news, they aren’t in a hurry to say “I do” either.
Reba and Rex say they are happy taking things slow, and right now, they are both too busy to even think about planning a wedding.
“We’re totally enjoying being engaged,” Reba said, admitting that she and Rex haven’t set a date yet. “Work comes first, so we’ll see.”