Top 10 Time-Saving Thanksgiving Hacks To Celebrate this Year
By Catalogs Editorial Staff
Contributed by Info Guru Lindsay Shugerman
You start out with the best of intentions. You’ve gathered an entire board of Pinterest posts showing adorable Thanksgiving table decorations, mouthwatering recipes, and gorgeous accessories to make for your front door, side table, and fireplace mantle.
But the months of get-ready time you had have now dwindled down to a few weeks, and you’re starting to seriously look at those “Thanksgiving Get-Away” ads from the airlines. Don’t panic! You can have a beautiful, delicious holiday without pulling a month’s worth of all-nighters — or fleeing across state lines.
Here are ten simple Thanksgiving hacks that won’t cut into your already-busy schedule or your dreams of making the gathering memorable.
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10. Let someone else cook the turkey

You can order a fully cooked, smoked turkey big enough to feed a crowd. All you have to do is warm it!
9. Use nature’s bounty instead of time-consuming crafts

If you’re looking for Thanksgiving hacks, cutting down on the Pinterest and craft magazine holiday projects might be a good place to start.
Sure that handmade turkey centerpiece is adorable. But it also takes a good three days to make! Make it easier on yourself by decorating with nature instead. A pretty bowl or basket filled with fresh fruit or colorful gourds is every bit as beautiful as a complex craft. Placecards created by writing names on tiny pumpkins look adorable, and not a single guest will miss the individually crafted Pilgrims and Native Americans you pinned last summer.
8. Thanksgiving Hacks: Make a master shopping list

Save your list on your computer or phone, but also print out a couple of paper copies. Keep one posted in your kitchen, but the other in your purse, and make off what you buy on both. That way you (and your family) will never have to wonder what you still need or already bought. Trust me, this will save you countless trips to the store for “one more thing.” It’s also a great way to see if your plans are a bit too much for your budget, kitchen space, or guest list, so you can make changes before you start shopping.
7. Delegate

6. Thanksgiving Hacks: Opt for semi-homemade

It doesn’t mean you need to open cans and boxes to heat and serve (although that’s okay, too.) Semi-homemade is about using something like stuffing mix, then adding some fresh vegetables, extra sage, or fresh broth. Or grating orange peel into premade cranberry sauce. Mixing store-bought gravy with some fresh drippings. It works, and no one will care when the plates are full!
5. Prep in advance

4. Use an oil-less turkey fryer

Here’s the scoop. Up until recently, turkey fryers required gallons of oil. It was messy, expensive, not-so-healthy and a fire hazard, too. Thankfully, a new generation of oil-less turkey fryers use infrared heat to give you the same quick-cooking and rich flavor, but with only a spoonful of oil mixed with your favorite rub.
3. Let the kids make the table decorations

2. Thanksgiving Hacks: Buy the pie

1. One word: Potluck!

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Thanksgiving is supposed to be fun for the host, too. Decide what’s most important to you, then look for ways to make the rest easier.