Hosting Thanksgiving Day this year? I’ll always remember my silliest Thanksgiving mistake. Years ago, while getting accustomed to newly married life, I cooked the turkey upside down. I didn’t figure out that the turkey was upside down until after I posted the picture to Facebook. After sheepishly discovering the mistake, I tried to make the best of the situation. The turkey just didn’t taste the same. Luckily, I didn’t have guests over that night. Cooking the turkey right isn’t the only thing to figure out when you’re hosting Thanksgiving Day. There’s also the cleaning, the shopping, and the decorating. This year, preparation can be stress free with a few simple tips.

How to Plan Thanksgiving Day 2015

1.) Clean the house in advance.

Create a cleaning schedule. Check out my free printable cleaning schedule to keep you on track before Thanksgiving Day. I made the cleaning schedule because the other weekend, I was kid free in my home for hours. Instead of taking some quality me time, I cleaned the whole time. Getting behind with your cleaning schedule is the worst when you’re hosting during the holidays.

Stick to a schedule to maintain organization. One item that has done wonders in my home is the Steamboy Steam Floor Mop. The mop helps me get the clean floor look without the chemicals. Instead of a pricey cleaning solution, the item only uses water. You can use the mop on wood, laminate, and carpet.

2.) Shop in advance for non-perishables.

A week before Thanksgiving Day, shop for everything you need that won’t perish. Buy canned items as well as any cooking utensils that you will need. Another item to buy would be snacks, the key to happy guests. When you have snacks, you can take the time on your cooking without your guests going hungry. Healthy snacks are a great idea. Guests won’t get completely full, and they’ll get some much needed nutrients.

One of my favorite healthy snacks are Peeled Snacks Peas Please and Dried Fruit. So many snacks claim to be healthy but are made with multiple ingredients. The ingredients in the dried fruit snacks are simply organic fruit. With the Peas Please crisps, you get the nourishment of eating peas without the healthy, bland taste. Instead, the Peas Please crisps have a pleasant, salty and savory taste that is very satisfying.

3.) Purchase a turkey.

Is this your first year to prepare a turkey? Buy a turkey that doesn’t require you to be an ultimate chef. The Jennie-O Oven Ready Bone-In Turkey Breast is simple to make. You take it out, put it in a pan, and cook it. It’s that simple! Cooking a turkey can be so easy that even someone who doesn’t like to cook can do it. Jennie-O is already my go to brand for turkey. I use their ground turkey all the time for dinners, so they’re a brand I would trust for a special occasion too.

4.) Set up decorations.

Create a well decorated home in minutes. Buy a 6′ Airblown inflatable Thanksgiving turkey from Gemmy. Set up is as simple as plugging the item into the wall. The turkey inflates without any additional work from you. I’ve already been using the Turkey inflatable this week, and for the past month, I’ve used the Yoda Halloween inflatable with much success. Check out how much fun my kids had with the item on my Instagram page. Since the turkey is so large, it makes the room or your outdoors look very festive. You won’t need to do much else to decorate your home.

5.) Get treats for the whole family.

Thanksgiving is so special because of all of the delicious food. Eating during the holidays can be hard when family members have certain eating restrictions. With Vermont Nut Free chocolate Thanksgiving products, you can provide a tasty treat to anyone with a nut allergy. Regardless of allergies, the chocolate is excellent! The caramel pumpkins had the best taste that appealed to my kids and my husband. Keep kids happy with a surprise Turkey Pop at their place setting. Having a few extra treats around on a holiday can go a long way in getting the kids to help clean up after themselves too.

What are your favorite ways to prepare for hosting Thanksgiving? I’ve set up some simple tips for newbies, and I’d love additional advice! Share your tips in the comments section or on my Facebook page. Do you have some awesome, free printables or a creative activity to keep kids busy? Feel free to share the link on Facebook and I’ll read, and maybe even share it with my followers. Looking forward to the holiday season!