Your Fridge, Food, and Family: 3 Tips To Stay Sane During Thanksgiving

Now that it’s officially November, we’re well into the holiday season are are only a few short weeks away from Thanksgiving. (That’s right, everyone—cue the mass panic and mad turkey dash!)

While T-Day is obviously a particular favorite for everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t get a bit stressful. Put it this way: You’ve got like, 20 different dishes cooking and baking in your kitchen all at once, family arguing over the remote control in the TV room, and kids running amok through the house, asking when dinner will be ready. Below, here are a few pro tips to help you keep your sanity intact:

Fridge: If your fridge isn’t well organized for Thanksgiving, it can become your worst nightmare. When you’re trying to shove an entire family feast’s worth of food into a compact space, things can get frustrating. To prep your fridge for Thanksgiving, make space and make room, removing any items that you wont need for the big day beforehand. Make sure not to refrigerate things that don’t need to be refrigerated, either—if it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, why waste the space?

Family: Do yourself a favor and keep the fam well-occupied while you’re busy going nuts in the kitchen. Give everyone a task or chore to do to prep for the feast, or set out some movies, snacks, and games to keep everyone occupied, happy, and out of the kitchen, especially the kids.

Food: The worst case scenario when it comes to Thanksgiving is getting too much food… Or not getting enough. This holiday can be particularly overwhelming, so it’s important to prep far in advance and to really think about what you need, that way you’re not getting way too much or way too little when you’re at the grocery store. The biggest mistake you can make? Not creating or forgetting your shopping list!

How do you stay organized and sane during Thanksgiving?