How to Survive Thanksgiving

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Find out how you can play host or hostess to family and friends this Thanksgiving with ideas to help you pull off the day with grace and ease.

If the thought of Pilgrims and pumpkin pie make you feel like hiding in your room until the New Year's Eve ball drops, you're not alone. Thanksgiving begins the fall/winter kick-off for endless festivities that include shopping, family functions, football celebrations, work get-togethers, gift giving, parties, and food; all which can add up to a tremendous amount of stress in one's already hectic life.

And, what if, aside from all this activity, it's your turn to host Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings and all the family members? Whether you're preparing dinner for a family of four or your extended family, early planning can make you feel very thankful that you didn't wait until the last minute to get your grocery shopping done.

Early Preparation

Lots of little things to do can add up to a tremendous amount of time spent rushing around in a frenzied panic. Doing all the simple tasks before Thanksgiving can make turkey day a cinch.

"I find that if I plan in advance and do things in the evenings after the girls have gone to bed, I don't feel so overwhelmed," says Cari Daddio-Highbloom, a mother of two in Croton on Hudson, New York. Daddio-Highbloom prepares most of her dishes ahead of time, "that way, I only have the turkey and stuffing to worry about on Thanksgiving morning. All of the advance work pays off on the big day!"

Melissa Maver, mother of three children in Medford, New Jersey, agrees. She even makes a schedule of things that need to be done and starts tackling them over a week before the holiday arrives.

Enlist Others

Don't be the holiday martyr and try to do everything yourself because you want to impress Great Aunt Eleanor or Uncle Hank. Chances are, your guests are just happy to be spending time with you and won't care (or even notice) if everything is not perfect. When relatives or guests ask what they can bring, tell them! Don't forget to write everything down so you don't duplicate items.