An Organized Thanksgiving
by Maria Gracia

Thanksgiving is meant to be a time of remembrance, family and thanks, not a holiday of stress and chaos. Here are 9 easy ways to stay organized for an enjoyable, stress-free Thanksgiving Day:

1. LEAVE COOKING AND CLEANING BEHIND. These days, many people opt to go out for Thanksgiving, instead of cooking and cleaning at home. If you're an extremely busy person, this may also work for you. If you don't want to miss the feeling of being at home, perhaps you might have the main course at a restaurant, and later have pie and coffee at home. In addition, lots of supermarkets and restaurants offer fully cooked Thanksgiving dinners. You simply pick everything up and place it on your table ready to be served, and if you must add a personal touch, make one special dish of your own.

2. PREPARE FOR TRAVELING. If you're traveling this Thanksgiving, be sure to make your packing list well ahead of time. Check items off as you're putting them into your luggage. Bring this list with you and use it to repack when you're ready to return home. By the way, I usually suggest that you travel a few days before Thanksgiving and come back a few days after the Thanksgiving rush. Otherwise, you're going to spend a lot of time in airports, on the road, in line, etc.

3. LET'S TALK TURKEY. First, determine how much room you have in your freezer and refrigerator, and how many people you will be serving. Then, order your turkey. If you need more storage space, perhaps a neighbor or relative can help you out. Rather than defrosting a frozen turkey in water on Thanksgiving Day, defrost it a few days ahead in your refrigerator instead. This saves tons of time!

click here to continue reading...

Top News Headlines from CNN Woman gets windpipe made of stem cells Doctors have given a woman a new windpipe with tissue engineered from her own stem cells in what experts are hailing as a "milestone in medicine." The breakthrough allowed Claudia Castillo, 30, to receive a new section of trachea without the risk that her body would reject the transplant. Wednesday Nov 19th, 4:40 AM Alleged al Qaeda message for Obama posted A purported message from al Qaeda's deputy leader posted on Islamist Web sites on Wednesday told President-elect Barack Obama that "a heavy legacy of failure and crimes awaits you." Wednesday Nov 19th, 5:52 AM 6.2 quake strikes Panama, Costa Rica A 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook coastal Panama early Wednesday, near the border with Costa Rica, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Wednesday Nov 19th, 5:40 AM Obama selects attorney general, sources say Former Clinton Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder is President-elect Barack Obama's choice for the position of attorney general, according to two prominent Democrats involved in transition matters. If confirmed, Holder would be the first African-American to lead the Justice Department. Tuesday Nov 18th, 6:13 PM Pirate 'mother ship' destroyed, official says An Indian warship has exchanged fire with a pirate "mother vessel" off the hijacking-plagued Horn of Africa, leaving the ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden, an official said Wednesday. Wednesday Nov 19th, 5:44 AM Food from NPR A Vegetarian Thanksgiving Even if you don't live meatlessly yourself, you might have a vegetarian or vegan at your Thanksgiving table. Offer your meat-free guests something more substantial than a cobbled-together plate of traditional vegetable side dishes. Tuesday Nov 18th, 9:39 PM TiVo To Help Couch Potatoes Get Pizza Domino's Pizza is offering a new service thanks to TiVo. Now you can order a pizza with a click of the remote. If you're fast-forwarding through a Domino's commercial, you'll get a prompt asking if you want to order a pizza. The technology is a boon for companies that worry that people aren't watching their ads anymore. And for consumers, it could be a bit faster than text-messaging for a pizza, which Papa John's offers, or ordering from Pizza Hut's Facebook page. Tuesday Nov 18th, 5:41 AM Comfort Foods For A Weary World In turbulent times like these, don't we all need a little comfort food? As world leaders converge in Washington, D.C., this weekend for the Group of 20 financial summit, we asked cooks about soothing foods from their homelands. Saturday Nov 15th, 9:10 AM Thanksgiving How-To: Horror Stories Have you fried a turkey — when you only meant to roast it? Or seated an uncle next to someone they refuse to speak to? Whether it ended in laughter or tears, share your story here. Thursday Nov 13th, 10:01 PM Beefer Madness In "Eat Local country," food writer T. Susan Chang says, neighbors get together to buy "beefers" — whole steers — from a nearby farm. Her share — some fresh ground beef, steaks, tongue and even a heart — provided for a year of memorable eating. Tuesday Nov 11th, 9:00 PM

Today's Latest from Entertainment Weekly 'Twilight': The EW review Owen Gleiberman's verdict on the teen vampire romance; Lisa Schwarzbaum on Disney's ''Bolt'' Sexiest Man: Jackman vs. Hamm Our pals at People have chosen the ''Australia'' hunk; Mandi Bierly wants a recount! You decide! 'X-Men' + 'Gossip Girl': OMG? WTF? Tell us what you make of ''GG'' man Josh Schwartz writing the next installment of the superhero saga 25 sexiest TV shows on DVD Arresting cop dramas, scantily clad spies, affairs to remember: A viewers' guide to hot (and very hot!) TV 50 greatest sidekicks ever! Here's No. 50-26 on our list of the best men and women to ever stand by, well, better men and women Working Parents from BusinessWeek Sling-Wearing Moms Take Aim At Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson learned the hard way -- don't make new moms mad. The company, which makes extensive use of new media, posted an ad for Motrin on its web site on Saturday aimed at new mothers who carry their... Tuesday Nov 18th, 3:36 AM What Makes A Good Family? I'm sure many of you have read with horror the stories about the children that have been abandoned in Nebraska under the state's safe haven law. In July the state legislature, following the lead of most other states, passed a... Monday Nov 17th, 4:16 AM How Not to Drink at Teen Parties Parenting teens often feels like starting school a few days after the semester has begun. Things come at you fast. One day you're wondering whether your daughter still needs a child sitter and the next it seems you're supposed to... Thursday Nov 13th, 2:46 PM The Best Places To Raise Kids If you haven?t checked out BusinessWeek?s annual ranking of the Best Places to Raise Kids, please take a look and let us know what you think about the finalists. So far, the story and accompanying slide show have attracted more... Wednesday Nov 12th, 1:56 PM Sick at Work Dear BusinessWeek colleagues, Please forgive me for coming to work sick today. I know I looked like death warmed over on Friday, and I did my best to convalesce over the weekend. I dutifully stayed in bed, drank tea with... Monday Nov 10th, 11:30 AM