It is Saturday - two days after Thanksgiving.  I spent the last day and a half in couch-potato mode after spending days thinking about, planning and shopping for, and finally preparing and eating a big Thanksgiving dinner.  This morning I emerged from this mode, walked into the kitchen, and found my little Thanksgiving dinner "to do" list posted on the wall.

Before I retire this tool for another year (I promise to post it PRIOR to Thanksgiving next year), I thought I'd quickly share it with you, especially since it can easily be adapted for a Christmas dinner, or any big meal for that matter.

Every year I do the same thing.  Thanksgiving morning seems to be going smoothly, then, when everyone shows up just before meal time, that is when I realize that I didn't make the stuffing yet, and I didn't throw the squash in yet, and the potatoes need to be mashed, and the gravy needs to be made - all right now. 

This year was different.  On Wednesday night I made a list of everything on the menu, with a "to do" list for each item.  Using Excel, I mapped out the morning in 15-minute increments.  I spread the work out (as much as possible) over the course of the whole morning.  When tasks overlapped, I delegated.  It worked out perfectly!  The timing wasn't an exact science, but it definitely helped me avoid the crazed mad-dash at the end. 

Check it out and adapt it to whatever big meal you're making.  You don't need a computer program to do this - it is simple enough to work out on paper.  Good luck!