9 Tips for Having a Stress-Free Thanksgiving

It’s almost the end of November, which means Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It’s a wonderful time to come together with your family and spend time together.

But it can be a lot of work to get your house ready to have people over. Plus, with dinner being one of the most famous meals of the year, there can be a lot of pressure to get it right. Below are some tips to help your Thanksgiving go smoothly.

Have a Plan
Planning as much as you can ahead of time can make sure you don’t forget anything. Make a plan for the week or two before Thanksgiving, as well as the day of. This will make sure you have enough time to get all your shopping and cooking done without having to make a last minute trip to the store.
Create a Menu
Deciding which foods you will serve ahead of time is important. Seeing all the food you plan on having can help you narrow down the meal to just your favorite dishes. It also lets you see where there may be room to try a new dish.
Order Groceries Online
It can take a lot of time to go through the store and buy all of the groceries you will need for dinner. This can be extra stressful with all of the people that will be in stores during the holiday season. Most grocery stores, Walmart, Amazon, and Target all offer options for you to order groceries online. You can pick them up at the store or have them delivered, letting you avoid the crowds and lines while still being able to cook your meals.
Cook Food Ahead
A lot of the foods you may serve for dinner can easily be made a day or two before Thanksgiving. This will save you the stress of cooking everything the day of, as well as trying to figure out where there is enough space in your oven for all that food.
Divide the Food
With all of the family members coming over, dinner can be a lot easier if each person brought a side dish or dessert. This would save the time, hassle, and extra expenses of cooking these dishes. It also lets everyone focus on one dish, so nothing gets forgotten and cooked up last minute.
Have Help Ready
Asking some family members to come over early and help with specific things can help a lot during preparation. Assigning specific tasks makes sure everyone knows what they should be doing, so it should get done quickly.
Hire a Cleaning Service
With the time it takes to create a delicious meal for your family, there may not be any left to focus on your house. With the added difficulties of trying to clean for guests, it may be easier to turn to help. A cleaning service has an entire team of experts, so they can thoroughly and quickly clean your home.
Have Dinner Delivered
Several places will deliver full Thanksgiving dinner, saving you time and energy that can be spent on other things. Honey Baked Ham, Omaha Steaks, Williams Sonoma, and Whole Foods are just a few of the places that offer this option. You can pick which entrees and sides you want, chose how many people you’re having over, then have the whole meal delivered right to your door.
Don’t Cook at All!
Plenty of restaurants are open on Thanksgiving despite it being a holiday. Many even offer special buffets so everyone can enjoy their favorite foods. You and your family can easily have a stress-free day when someone else is cooking for you. Take advantage of the extra time you’ll have and focus on spending it with one another.

There are many ways to have your perfect Thanksgiving, all of which can be stressful. It can be easy to get overwhelmed and focus on making everything perfect. Try to plan ahead so you can relax and have fun with your family on Thanksgiving. It’s important to remember the day is about spending time with people you love, and that the food comes after that.There are many ways to have your perfect Thanksgiving, all of which can be stressful. It can be easy to get overwhelmed and focus on making everything perfect. Try to plan ahead so you can relax and have fun with your family on Thanksgiving. It’s important to remember the day is about spending time with people you love, and that the food comes after that.