This isn’t your typical Thanksgiving checklist. Nope! It’s a “last-minute Thanksgiving Day checklist”.
It’s not a countdown of what you need to do weeks before and then the day after Thanksgiving.
It’s a “did you remember”, smack you upside the head, type of checklist.
All too often you forget something small.
Why?
Because you are trying to remember SO many big things that need to get done before Thanksgiving.
You probably have some type of checklist. Whether it’s printed, online, or just in your head.
Those big-picture checklists are great. But they often don’t include the little things.
The things that you curse yourself for forgetting. And then you are calling guests (while they are on their way over) to stop and grab.
This last-minute checklist is for those “dang!”, “grr” and “oh-fart” (or other @#!& word) things that you don’t want to forget.
The Ultimate Last-Minute Thanksgiving Checklist
- Did you double-check your food staples (what you always have in the pantry or fridge) when you made your grocery list?
- Do you have enough sugar, salt, flour, eggs, etc?
- Do you have enough plates, flatware, glasses for every guest?
- Are they clean?
- How about enough chairs, or places for each guest to sit?
- Do you need to ask anyone to bring folding chairs or floor cushions?
- Is there enough room in your fridge for the food?
- Are you making a turkey?
- Is it completely thawed?
- Do you know when it needs to go in the oven?
- Have you planned out when to start each dish, based on cooking time?
- Have you confirmed what food your guests are bringing?
- Did you pick up ice?
- Do you have enough toilet paper and are the soap dispensers full?
- Did you double-check that you have enough platters, serving dishes, and serving utensils? (I’m always forgetting about serving utensils!)
- Do you know where you will serve the food: on a buffet table, or on the dining table, or the kitchen island?
- What if you have overflow? Where will it go?
- Did you iron your tablecloths and napkins?
- Have you scheduled when to pick up any ordered food (turkey, ham, pie…)?
- Is your dishwasher empty (so you can load it later)?
- Do you have enough containers for leftovers?
- What about containers to send leftovers home with your guests?
- Wine: did you plan enough time for the red wine to breath and the white & sparkling to chill?
- Do you have space in a closet or a separate place for coats?
- And last (and very important for some of us) – did you grab the Black Friday ads? Do you have a shopping game plan??
*Tip: To help minimize any stress you might feel from hosting Thanksgiving – set your dining table the night before. That way you have one more thing checked off your to-do list that you won’t need to worry about it on Thanksgiving day.
Hope you have an enjoyable and less-stress Thanksgiving with your loved ones!
Don’t forget to download the ultimate last-minute Thanksgiving day checklist!
Or if you are looking for any last-minute table setting items, go to my Shop My Table page.
Check out easy DIY projects to decorate your Thanksgiving tablescape:
Tablescapes for Thanksgiving: