3 Tips for a Sane Thanksgiving
By Perri O. Blumberg, REDBOOK
No matter how much you plan ahead, Thanksgiving always ends up being stressful. These three tips will keep you calm on Turkey Day.
1. Don't cook it all yourself!
You'll wind up exhausted (and enraged). Use the free site potluckness.com to assign dishes and desserts in an organized way. It's simple: Guests click to bring things you've requested, like apple pie, stuffing, even gear (e.g., an extra high chair or serving platter).
2. Get a head start.
Ward off that panicky feeling you wake up with Thanksgiving morning by making a dent in your to-do's the night before. Chop veggies, prep one side dish, set the table, stock the bath-rooms, and arrange a bar so guests can serve themselves when they walk in. Now rest easy!
3. Keep the kids out of the kitchen.
It'll make for a much calmer day, says Lisa Kothari, a party-planning expert based in Seattle. Her fave activities: Have the older children teach the younger ones the story of Thanksgiving and then put on a play, or start a game of hot potato with a mini pumpkin. Or put them to work! Tasks like carrying coats to the bedroom and making place cards are easy for little hands.
More from REDBOOK:
Permissions: Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
