Thanksgiving is four weeks from today!  That means it's time to plan!

•Clear space in your freezer and refrigerator.  You're going to need it. Try using one or two items each day.

•De-clutter your house.  Just 10 minutes every day between now and Thanksgiving is over 6 hours of cleaning time! 

•Take stock of your serving ware and table linens (On Thanksgiving, please use a tablecloth and cloth napkins. Using paper ones on holidays makes Elf cry.). Purchase anything you might need.  Shopping now may mean you won't get the best sales, but you'll get the best selection.  I usually avoid holiday themed serverware (like turkey shaped soup tureens). You can only use it once or twice a year and it takes up space and costs money. If you have to have something, at least buy it after the holiday this year so you get the best possible price.

•If you are hosting, schedule the big tasks: the "big" clean, grocery shopping, table-setting and decor, cooking.  If at all humanly possible, avoid grocery shopping on November 16th or 17th. The stores will be a zoo. To avoid that, I either take part of a day off work or I shop as soon as the grocery store opens at 6:00 a.m. Not usually a big crowd then!

•Finalize your Thanksgiving dinner menu.  This year, I will be with my mom and sister. We'll be going very traditional: turkey with gravy, bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts with bacon. I'll make my homemade cranberry sauce. We'll likely have pumpkin pie. And we should add another vegetable to that list. But, all in all, it should be very low-key.