Countdown to Thanksgiving

Day 10: Getting prepared.

• Firm up your guest list. Call and confirm as necessary.
• Read through all the recipes and make your preliminary shopping lists and to-do lists.

Double-check your serving pieces, equipment, and utensils. My sister lays out her serving pieces with a Post-It Note inside indicating what will go there, that way she doesn&rquo;t forget anything at the last minute. If you don’t have something you need, you don’t necessarily need to buy it, if you only use it once a year, consider borrowing it.

Think about your centerpiece, table setting, and any other decor you might need.

• Shop for staples and equipment. Green produce and other fresh foods will wait until next week, but you can buy root vegetables now, while the selection is better. You can buy the cranberries, and put them in the fridge or freezer.
• Take your linens to the dry cleaner or press them yourself. You don’t want to be ironing at midnight on Wednesday.