Is Thanksgiving fun for you or a source of stress and frustration? Planning ahead makes a difference when facing a major holiday. These ideas will help you have a nice time without wearing yourself out.

Most people are good about planning the Thanksgiving food, but there’s more to a holiday meal than that. How many people are coming? Do you have chairs, table settings and linens for everyone? How about serving dishes and bowls? What about making the table and/or buffet look inviting? To make your life easier, plan and set the table and buffet up this weekend. That way if something needs to be washed or polished or ironed, you have plenty of time.

With that much eating going on, Thanksgiving invariably involves one or more spills. Do you have flooring in your dining room such as a rug or carpet, or even wood floors, that should be immediately cleaned? Plan ahead for this with the cleaners of your choice and a selection of white work towels at hand. Spills can then be handled quickly and gracefully, minimizing any embarassment for the guest.

Your final step is creating a plan for the Thanksgiving meal. Gather your recipes and create a shopping list. Don’t wait for the mad dash on Wednesday – get it done early next week. Make a plan for cooking everything – taking into consideration any oven or stovetop limits. Work your timing backwards from the planned dinner schedule, adding an extra half-hour or so for unforseen events. Cook anything you can ahead of time, leaving you only the last minute foods to prepare.

With these upfront steps, you can have a lovely holiday without the stress that last-minute problems bring. This will give you time to enjoy the day with your family and friends.