Best of Parent Hacks: Thanksgiving

At Amazon: Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well, by Sam Sifton

Things are getting busy. We do a Thanksgiving potluck with my extended family and everyone's got a job to do. I'm trying to figure out how to bake pies in a broken oven. I think the solution may be THE BAKERY.

How are your preparations coming along, either for your meal or your travel? Hopefully these tips collected at Parent Hacks over the years will help you along.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday. I'm so thankful we're here, talking about it, after all these years. You are the best community in the world.

Thanksgiving meal planning and preparation

• 6 easy ways to involve kids in Thanksgiving
• No gravy boat? Simple substitutions for your Thanksgiving table (at The Accidental Expert)
• An organized Thanksgiving (including shopping list and supplies list templates)
• Cook and freeze the side dishes and desserts ahead of time
• Organize the Thanksgiving potluck with Google Docs
• Label the serving pieces
• Cut up the turkey before roasting to cut cooking time
• Online grocery services organize your shopping list for you -- even if you don't buy

Thanksgiving travel tips

• Book a "nap flight" for holiday travel
• A keepsake journal triples as travel entertainment, art preservation, and a grandparent gift
• Toy catalogs make for good kid distraction
• The Travel archive is full of hundreds more great family travel tips!

Thanksgiving activities for kids

• Thanksgiving craft project: Cup cozies
• Non-TV ideas for organizing children during social gatherings? Talk amongst yourselves.
• Special event coming up? Try a practice run beforehand

At the table

• A trick for figuring out which plate and glass are yours at a crowded table
• Speed up after-meal cleanup with wipe-down placemats
• Attach the step stool to the chair or potty with bungee cords

Comments

[Olof]

Thanks for all the tips. We are doing Thanksgiving at our home for the first time since we now have 3 kids and the youngest is only 8 weeks today. I can't wait to cook the meal and actually have leftovers. I LOVE Thanksgiving food.

http://www.knittingwitholof.com/

[Elizabeth Kane]

I think many holiday solutions might involve the bakery...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!