by Jessica Tanner

Created on: October 28, 2009

This is your year to prepare the Thanksgiving feast. You may be feeling overwhelmed with all of the details. Don't worry, here are some helpful hints on how to organize a family Thanksgiving dinner and make it a memory to last a lifetime.

1. Find out how many will be able to attend for dinner. The earlier this can be determined the better. Start asking your family members now if they can come, how many people they are bringing with them, and also ask if they are willing to bring a dish. By letting people know from the start that cover dishes are welcome and appreciated you will save yourself a lot of work.

2. Once you know the number of attendees you need to determine the location. If you have a large family you may not be able to eat in your home. So start looking for restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving and make a reservation. If you have space in your home, make sure you have enough chairs for seating at the dinner table. You may need to consider a children's table as well.

3. Decide if you will be serving appetizers and dinner or just dinner. Knowing how much food to prepare will help you in planning out the rest of the day. If you plan on appetizers make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare them along with the rest of dinner. Anything that you can make a day or two before and then freeze is a great time saver. Also, this will help you in making your grocery list. Do not wait until the week of Thanksgiving to go grocery shopping. Plan your menu and the items you need to purchase a couple weeks before Thanksgiving. Please also consider anyone who may have a food allergy and make special arrangements accordingly. Many grocery stores are offering specials now to help with discounts for the holiday season. Keep your eyes open for coupons and money saving tips. Again, if a few family members are willing to bring a dish this will help to cut your costs significantly. Do not be afraid to ask for help. People enjoy bringing their own dish or something to drink. All you need to do is ask.

4. Set the time. Some people want to watch the parade, tv specials, and football all day long. Unless you tell them what time to arrive you may have visitors showing up too early. Letting everyone know it is appropriate to show up at a certain in the afternoon will keep out early arrivals. If you have relatives that are traveling a far distance find out early if they plan on staying with you. If they do not plan on staying with you it is always helpful to

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