Holidays & Seasonal

Inside: Looking to score the best Black Friday deals for parents? This is the ultimate Black Friday & Cyber Monday Cheatsheet—Parenthood Edition to help you score the best parenting deals and save hundreds!

With the start of the holiday season comes another huge event that gets us all excited—Black Friday & Cyber Monday.

I remember when Black Friday meant you had to be up at 3 am the day after Thanksgiving to wait in line in front of your favorite store to snag your epic deals.

Nowadays, you don’t even have to leave your couch!

With hundreds of retailers jumping on the cyber sale train, you can score the product you need in the comfort of your fuzzy socks.

To help you find the best parenting deals this year, I’m sharing all my holiday shopping tips and tricks to help you score what you’re looking for.

Right here, I’ll be posting daily updates to the best Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals for parents.

Below, I will outline the best deals on:

• children toys
• household products
• pregnancy products
• baby gear
• & everyday products to make mom life easier

Pro tips

1. Bookmark this page

This post is your Black Friday & Cyber Monday Cheatsheet!

To help you grab ALL of the deals that you are interested in, I created a COMPLETE list of Black Friday & Cyber deals all related to parenting.

2. Amazon Prime is Your Friend

To take advantage of the Amazon Black Friday sales, make sure to become a Prime Member! You’ll get free 2-day shipping and access to all of the great lightning deals and sales.

Best Black Friday Deals for Parents

Remember: These items are on sale during Black Friday, November 29th,  and Cyber Monday, December 2nd. Some links will only be clickable once the sale begins on these days.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please view Mastering Mom Life’s Terms, Disclosure & Disclaimer Policy and Privacy Policy. I wholeheartedly believe in all of the products I recommend and use them all! 

Toys

Baby & Toddler Electric Piano Keyboard, Xylophone, Drum Set

Amazon Fire Kids Edition (Save $40)

Elsa Ice Palace by Little People

L.O.L. Surprise Winter Disco

Large Olaf Frozen 2 Plush (30% off)

Busy Town Wooden Activity Cube 

Home & Family

Glass Meal Prep Containers (35% off)

Bed in A Bag Bed Set (50% off)

Character Wearable Blankets (50% off)

12-pound Weighted Blankets (Save $20)

Dyson Motorhead Cordless Vaccum (Save $120)

Ninja Professional Kitchen System (Save $100)

Hamilton Air Fryer (30% 0ff)

Dream Town Kids Toddler Pillow (25% Off)

Baby Gear

Waterproof Diaper Bag Bookbag (Save 35%)

Travel Portable Potty for Potty Training (Save 60%)

Nest Camera: Great baby camera and monitor! (Save $40)

Chicco Bravo Travel System (Save $100)

Graco Slim 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat (50% off)

ErgoBaby 360 All Carry Positions (50% off)

Diaper Caddy Organizer Portable Holder for Changing Table

Keep looking back for more sales that I’ll be adding! Don’t forget to bookmark this page or save it to your favorite Pinterest Board!

Get Your Black Friday Sale Tracker

To help you track all of the sales that you have your eye on, don’t forget to download the FREE Black Friday Sale Tracker! Sign up using the form below to get the download directly emailed to you 🙂

Happy saving money!

Read more articles like this one!

• How to Make the Perfect Christmas List
• 10 Fun & Frugal Toddler Christmas Traditions
• How to Think of Perfect Christmas Gifts

The busyness of mom life doesn’t stop just because it’s the holiday season. But you don’t have to be a slave to stress!

You don’t want to be the mom fighting in the frozen aisle for the last pie crust. You want to be the super relaxed mom who is sipping on a Pumpkin Spice latte, with her to-do list already done!

And it’s totally possible with the Thanksgiving Digital Planning Spreadsheet!

With a bit of organization, you can tackle the endless holiday duties without stress. Download the FREE Thanksgiving Digital Planner Spreadsheet to help you create your menu, plan your shopping list, delegate tasks, HAVE A SAFE & HEALTHY HOLIDAY, and so much more.

No printing needed.

Stop stressing.

Start organizing.

Go digital!

Use the spreadsheet on ANY device so you can stay on top of all of your tasks. Download the FREE digital planning spreadsheet now!

Want to take control of both Thanksgiving & Christmas??

Check out the Busy Mom Holiday Survival Guides!

Receive ultimate tips, tricks, and hacks for each holiday so you can be prepared and organized for the whole holiday season.

• Learn how to create your own “Task-Giving”

• Find out priceless holiday family travel tips

• Effortlessly create your Christmas List

• Easily stay on budget for each holiday

• Plan out your family Christmas Cards

• Track Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales

PLUS receive over 45 checklist and templates to help you stay one step ahead of the game!

Get the Busy Mom Holiday Survival Guides for a super special price too!

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Happy Stress-Free Holiday Planning!

You got this, mama 🙂

Inside: These Disney gift ideas for mom are almost practically perfect in every way! Keep reading to find out 7 unique gift ideas…

You don’t need to fork up your savings and bring mom to Disney World for her to feel the magic of the Mouse. Sprinkle some pixie dust on the Disney lover in your life with these magical gifts!

As a Disney fanatic, any one of these gifts would soar me into the sky singing “I can fly, I can fly, I can fly!”.

These gifts are not only magical but unique. She’ll be the belle of the ball with the best castle and everyone will ask her where she got her Disney gear!

Let’s dive into the gifts sprinkles with pixie dust…

10 Magical Disney gift ideas for mom

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please view Mastering Mom Life’s Terms, Disclosure & Disclaimer Policy and Privacy Policy. I wholeheartedly believe in all of the products I recommend and use them all! 

1. Ambrie Disney Leggings

No true Disney mom can get away without owning a pair of Park Inspired leggings.

Leggings + Disney = Best Outfit Ever

Ambrie is not only my absolute favorite Disney inspired apparel, but it is also my favorite leggings in general. They are soft, uber comfortable and come in a jaw-dropping range of sizes.

Plus, these leggings are penny-pinching affordable. As a stay at home mom, I don’t always have the budget to buy novelty apparel, but with Ambrie’s prices and sales, I’m able to afford the best Disney apparel!

I personally own 5 pairs of Ambrie Disney leggings!

Plus, they make matching family Disney apparel like shirts, dresses, and blouses in women’s, men’s, and kid’s sizes.

My family owns about 4 different matching outfits that we rocked at Disney World this year. We received so many compliments about our clothes!

All thanks to the Ambrie.

These leggings (or anything Disney apparel they make!) are sure to add some magic to your day.

Use this link to get $5 off of your order!

2. Main Street Welcome Sign

Making your home feel like a Disney paradise is easier than ever! I love homemade, personalized, handcrafted items to add much-needed Disney magic to my home.

There’s nothing like your first stroll down Main Street. The sweet smell of sugar cookies from the bakery, the bustle of people going in and out of main street stores, the fresh baked smell of waffle cones from the ice cream parlor, and the twinkle in everyone’s eye as they see the beloved castle at the end of Main Street.

It’s perfection!

This sign is the perfect piece to add to your home to remind you of the happiest place on earth.

You can find this handmade Main Street Welcome Sign here!

3. Haunted Mansion Sign

“Welcome Foolish Mortals” …cue the infamous eerie voice!

From the unnerving stretching room to the spooky doom buggies, The Haunted Mansion is a Disney classic. Celebrating its 50^th Anniversary, there’s no better way to bring the love of the ride to your home than with this awesome sign.

You can find this handmade Foolish Mortals Haunted Mansion Sign here!

Interested in more Disney Signs? Take a peek at these fun plaques!

• Lilo & Stitch Ohana Plaque
• Hollywood Studios Tower of Terror Plaque
• Disney Cast Members Only Sign

4. Adventure Book from Up

This book scrapbook is a picture-perfect gift! It’s a DIY expandable scrapbook album so you can create your own adventure.

5. Mickey Waffle Maker

No Disney day is complete without chowing down Mickey waffles! This Mickey waffle maker is perfect for any breakfast Disney lover. It’s easy to use and nonstick so you don’t have to spend much time cleaning up after your delicious Disney park inspired breakfast.

6. Disney Alex and Ani Bracelets

One of my favorite Christmas memories is my husband giving me this little perfectly wrapped gift box with a huge grin on his face. I anxiously unwrapped my gift to find a little black Alex and Ani gift box.

My heart started pounding so fast in anticipation of what was inside.

I slowly opened the box and found the bracelet I’ve wanted for soo long—a Disney Alex and Ani bracelet that read “Happily Ever After.”

Ever since that Christmas, my husband now gets me one new Disney bracelet a year! There are so many beautiful designs out now that it’s so hard to just want one.

You can find Disney Alex and Ani bracelets here!

7. Disney Mom T-shirt

Leggings—check

Mom bun—check

Disney t-shirt—check

No mom outfit is complete without a fun mom shirt! Plus, make it a Disney mom shirt and it’s double awesome.

This t-shirt is one of my favorites!

There you have it! These Disney gift ideas for mom are almost practically perfect in every way and any Disney fanatic would love them—including me!

Now all you need is some Disney wrapping paper and you’ll be good to go 🙂

Happy Disney Shopping!

Interested in more gift guides? Check out this Ultimate Stay At Home Mom Gift Guide!

Wait! Do you love free printables??

Become part of the Mastering Mom Life Insider tribe and get instant, exclusive access to my Mom Treasury filled with FREE printables + worksheets to make mom life easier!

Inside: Want to make an amazing Christmas list to easily accomplish your gift-giving and shopping? Follow these 3 steps for how to make a Christmas list!

Finding the perfect gift for your friends and family can be a headache and a half.

Your mom likes homemade gifts, your hubby collects model cars, your brother only wants gift cards…

How in the world do you organize your gift-giving??

If you want to easily accomplish all of your gift-giving and Christmas shopping– a Christmas list is the way to go!

The great thing about a Christmas list is that it’s easy to make, can help you complete your Christmas shopping easier, and can help you accomplish all of your gift-giving. If you are wondering how to make a Christmas list, here are 3 easy steps to help you!

To further help you make a Christmas list, I created a FREE printable Christmas List Organizer for you!

How to make a Christmas List in 4 Easy Steps

Step 1:

Think of everyone you want to buy/make a gift for

The first step in making a Christmas list is to actually make a list of everyone you want or need to give a gift to. This includes friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, community members, teachers, and so on.

The whole point of a Christmas list is to complete gift-giving in the easiest way possible. So you want to make sure you have EVERYONE on that list so you don’t have to keep forgetting and remembering people while you are out shopping. So, making your list of people is the first step in “how to make a Christmas list”!

Step 2:

Use your list of people to think of gifts for each person

The second step is to use that list of people you made in step 1 and brainstorm gifts you want to get each person. I find that one of the hardest parts of a Christmas is actually thinking of WHAT to give each person.

You don’t want to give them something they won’t like but you also don’t want to spend your whole Christmas season worrying about the perfect gift and stressing over each person.

Luckily, I found the perfect solution to this problem that helps you get each person a gift they will love but that won’t drive you insane. It’s simple to think of each person on your list and their likes/interests.

By doing this it will help you come up with great gifts for them that they will love and enjoy but that also won’t take too long to think of.

If you’re not too sure how to do this, check out my post “How to Come Up With Perfect Christmas Gift Ideas”!

My free Christmas List Organizer has a perfect template to help you write out everyone on your list interests and likes too!

Step 3:

Set a budget

The next step is to set a budget for your list. A budget is important because it can help you set a boundary on how much you want to spend on gifts. Even if you are making your gifts and going the “DIY” route, you still want to make a budget for supplies.

A budget will help you decide how much you want to spend on each person and how much you want to spend in total. Knowing your budget can also help you efficiently Christmas shop because then you will know how much you can afford for each person and how much to can spend!

PLUS — Step 4:

Become a Christmas Master with the Christmas List & Budget Planner!

My Christmas List Planner help you accomplish ALL of these steps in the easiest way possible! It will help you write your Christmas list and make sure you don’t forget anyone, brainstorm gifts for each person, help you plan a budget AND includes 4 different shopping lists.

Here’s everything that my Christmas Planner will do for you:

• Help track Christmas gift ideas,
• Help you come up with a budget for each person and help you stick to that budget,
• Keep track of the gifts you need to purchase,
• Track sales for the items you want to buy,
• Includes shopping lists that will help you master your Christmas Shopping and stay organized!

This 15 Page Planner is the ultimate Christmas Planner Resource! I already started using it and feel like I’m ahead of the game.

Get a Special Offer for the Christmas List & Budget Planner Here!

And there you have it! Here is your guide on how to make a Christmas list in 4 easy steps.

Now if each member of your family wants a different gift, you can easily organize your list!

Don’t forget, a Christmas list will help you accomplish your gift-giving and Christmas shopping easy so make sure to make one!

Inside: Want to accomplish easy family gift-giving this Christmas? Don’t stress! Keep reading to make this your easiest Christmas yet!

Gifts can be homemade with care OR bought with love. It can be homemade and cost $3 or a special gift that your family was always wishing for.

That is why I love Christmas!

Whether it’s a handmade item or a special purchase- I love to see people filled with joy when they open their gift.

I know it can be a little overwhelming to think of Christmas gifts to get everyone so I made this 4-step guide to easy Christmas gift-giving to help you get a jump start on holiday shopping AND stay within budget!

The best way to accomplish easy Christmas gift-giving is to make a list, decide on a budget, focus on great heartfelt gifts, and shop smartly!

It’s super easy and I’ll show you how to achieve great gift-giving from start to finish!

5 Steps to Easy Christmas Gift Giving

Step 1

Write down everyone’s name (lists are your friend!)

The most important step to easy gift-giving is to actually make your Christmas list. Don’t forget to grab the FREE Christmas List Organizer for FREE Christmas List templates!

This list is composed of everyone that you want to get a gift for- whether it’s a handmade gift, a store-bought gift, or just a card. This list will be the master list of EVERYONE who you want to give a gift to. Think of family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, bosses, and even your secret Santa!

Step 2

Decide what you want to get for who is on your list

A major step in gift-giving is actually figuring out what the person would like to receive. Think of their interests, wants, and needs. What’s something that you can get them that they would know that you were thinking of them and that it’s a personal gift.

I wrote a really helpful article about “How to Come Up with Perfect Christmas Gift Ideas”- check it out to help you complete this step!

Step 3

Decide on how much you want to spend on each person

A huge factor when it comes to easy family gift-giving is the amount of money you want to spend on someone.

I’m a strong believer in budgets so I usually have an overall budget that I want to spend on Christmas and then divided that budget into smaller budgets for each person.

Remember, it’s not the amount of money that you spend on a person that shows them how much you care.

Tip: Decide on what you want to give the person and then think of a budget. I know some people think this is backward but it always helps to figure out what you think the person would like.

Then if you find that your budget doesn’t allow you to purchase something that you know they would like, then you can scale down that gift idea and give them another version of it.

That way, you’re not spending money on something that someone isn’t going to like!

Some families even agree with each other a budget that everyone must follow. That way, no one is spending more or less on the other person!

I even find that some gifts that are DIY are usually a little cheaper so I use the rest of my budget to do something special for the person or add the extra money to save for the next year!

Step 4

Shop smartly

The next step to easy family gift-giving is to shop smartly. This simply means, to be intentional about what you buy and what you need.

So, if you know your husband will love the new watch series, then maybe sign up for certain store updates so you can see when they have sales and deep discounts. O

r if you are planning to make something for each of your family members, try to buy bulk instead of buying all of your supplies individually.

Utilize your Christmas List that you made in Step 1 and try to stick to the list as much as possible. This will help you prevent spending money on things that you really don’t need to buy. And if you find a really good deal on something that isn’t on your list, then either add it to your list as mark it checked or swap out what was on your list for your new find.

Shopping smartly will help you stay on budget AND help you accomplish your gift buying!

Don’t forget to utilize sites like Groupon and always try to price match to save some extra dollars! Many major stores price match Amazon too.

Step 5

Wrap your gifts with love

In my opinion, a huge part of gift-giving is about presentation!

I’m not talking about spending an absurd amount of money on wrapping paper that’s going to be ripped to shreds in 2.5 seconds.  I’m talking about putting effort and love into your wrapping and gift presentation.

Because you spent so much time and effort making a list of things people would like, going shopping for it, and spending money on things for others, you want the presentation of the gift to reflect that same tone- that you care for the person.

Bonus Step: Grab your Christmas List & Budget Planner!

If you truly want to accomplish easy gift-giving for your family and friends this year then you are going to LOVE my Christmas List & Budget Planner!

One of the best things you can do to help you accomplish all that you have to get done is to use a Christmas Planner!

This planner will help you complete all of these steps and allow you to brainstorm gift ideas, track gifts, stay on budget and even track prices for the gifts you want to buy! Here’s everything that my Christmas Planner will do for you:

• Help track Christmas gift ideas
• Help you come up with a budget for each person and help you stick to that budget
• Keep track of the gifts you need to purchase
• Track sales for the items you want to buy
• Includes shopping lists that will help you master your Christmas Shopping and stay organized
• PLUS a digital Christmas planning spreadsheet that you can update on any device!

Get the Christmas List & Budget Planner for a super SPECIAL limited OFFER price HERE!

Well, there you have! Here was the 4 step guide to easy gift giving!

Remember, it’s not about price– your gift can cost thirty cents to make, but can still be made with all the love in the world. Gifts aren’t about what you spent, but about the individual person!

Don’t forget the 4 steps:

• make a list
• decide on a budget
• focus on great heartfelt gifts
• shop smartly!

I hope I was able to help you easily and efficiently come up with amazing, perfect gifts for your loved ones.

Happy gift-giving!

Wait! Do you love free printables??

Become part of the Mastering Mom Life Insider tribe and get instant, exclusive access to my Mom Treasury filled with FREE printables + worksheets to make mom life easier!

Inside: Want to find out the 3 easy steps to coming up with perfect Christmas gift ideas?? Read on!

I went out shopping with my mom and she picked up this beautiful gold Pandora ring. She put it on, smiled and then put it back.

A light bulb went off in my head. It was only July but I knew I needed to make a note to buy this for her.

It would be a perfect Christmas gift!

Christmas isn’t just a holiday– it’s a state of mind! And I don’t know about you, but I always have my radar on and thinking of what I can gifts I can get for my family.

But finding the perfect Christmas gift can be hard. Luckily, I found a great system and method to help you plan and brainstorm Christmas gift ideas for family and friends!

Thinking of Christmas gift ideas can drive you crazy. But if you give yourself enough time to find that perfect gift, it can be so much more than just an item– it turns into a heartfelt, meaningful treasure.

The key to coming up with great Christmas gift ideas is to think of the person, their interests, wants, and needs and then try to add a personal touch to something you know they would like!

That’s it- super simple right??

Today I’m going to help you think of perfect Christmas gift ideas for all of your loved ones by using this super easy method! This Christmas gift ideas brainstorm will also work for your friends, coworkers, and anyone else you need to buy a gift for.

Trust me, after you use this method you’ll be giving gifts that are personal, heartfelt and that everyone will love and cherish!

Let’s get down to it!

How to Come Up with the Perfect Christmas Gift Ideas

To come up with perfect Christmas gift ideas, you want to follow these simple steps!

First, you want to think of each person on your Christmas list individually and then brainstorm their interests, wants, and needs. Then all you have to do is try to find something that falls into those categories!

Next,  add a personal touch to the gift as well to add a bit of personalism.

Let’s dive into each of these steps!

The BEST part about this method is that it works on your whole Christmas list, from thinking about what to buy your mom to what to buy your coworker!

Step 1: Make a Christmas List

The absolute easiest way to keep track of everyone you want to buy a gift for is by making a Christmas list. That way, you can pinpoint each person individually and then brainstorm a perfect gift(s) for them.

Interests

The next step after actually creating your Christmas List and write down everyone you want to buy gifts for is to zero in on one person at a time and think of their interests. Here are some things to help you brainstorm someone’s interests:

• Things they love to do,
• love to wear,
• love to eat,
• love to drink,
• places they love to go,
• things they love to watch,
• things they use on a daily basis
• favorite colors

Use the “Christmas Gift Ideas and List” in my Free Christmas List & Budget Planner to write down all of these ideas!

If you are stuck and can’t think of any particular interests then feel free to ask someone who knows that person well. Ask a parent or a sibling or a best friend.

Even keep an eye on that person and try to watch what they like to do. Try to pay close attention to when they talk because usually, people mention what their interest in everyday conversation! So be sure to pay attention!

Wants

After you brainstorm someone’s interests, you want to think of things you think they want. Maybe it’s something they mentioned earlier in the year. Or maybe it’s something you know they would want because they expressed interest in it already.

Sometimes when we brainstorm perfect Christmas gift ideas we want to be able to give someone something that you know they would love because it’s something you know they are interested in. But also you know they’ll love it because it’s something they want!

Needs

A secret key to thinking of amazing Christmas gift ideas is to also keep in mind something that a person needs. Which is very different than something they want!

When you give someone something they need it becomes useful to them and makes it extra special.

There are some gifts that are something someone loves, wants, and needs all in one gift! Score! Sometimes we don’t always know what someone needs so you can feel free to ask a relative or friend to double-check if there’s something you can give them.

BONUS: Be sure to download the Christmas Gift Tracker so you can start your Christmas list and get organized! The tracker includes a section to write out each person’s interest, wants, and needs so you can easily brainstorm and have all of your gift ideas organized in one place. To download, CLICK HERE!

CHRISTMAS PRO TIP:

To help you come up with amazing Christmas gift ideas, have a place you can secretly keep all of the little hints people drop throughout the year. Try making a note on your phone about things they love, want or need.

That way, when Christmas comes around you have a whole list of things that you know would make great gifts!

I usually write little snippets on my notes tab on my phone all year long and then come November when I start my Christmas List my gift ideas are already done!

Step 2: Add a personal touch to the gift

No matter what gift you choose to buy or make for someone, always try to add a personal touch to the gift.

Maybe you want to write the year under it or personalize it with initials or something you know they would love. I always find that gifts with personal touches are so appreciated and everyone really loves them!

Even a handmade card to go along with the gift is so heartfelt and personal!

Some gift ideas with personal touches:

• An ornament with their name
• An ornament signifying a significant life event that year
• A blanket or pillow with their name or initials embroidered
• A book bag or cosmetic case with their name or initial
• A robe with their initials
• A handmade card or gift tag
• A mug or cup with photos
• A piece of jewelry with an initial

Step 3: The 4-gift rule

I know of some families that have the 4-gift rule. To keep all of their family gifts the same amount they give 4 gifts:

1. Something they want
2. Something they need
3. Something they wear
4. Something they need

4 gifts may seem like a lot to give to one person but each of these items can be small and heartfelt. Or maybe you want to make sure they each person in your family is getting an equal number of gifts.

(This comes in handy when the kids are counting each other’s gifts to make sure everyone is even, haha!).

Budget Pro Tip: To help you set a budget for each person on your list, write down each person’s interests, wants, and need. Then decide how much you would like to spend on the person based on what you would like to get them and what you think they would like. I find the inexpensive gifts are the ones that my friends and family love the most because I either make them or give them thrifty finds that they’ve never seen before. Don’t think that expensive gifts are the better ones!

Free Gift Tracker Printable!

If you want to really think of the perfect Christmas gift ideas for your family and friends then you are going to LOVE my free Christmas Gift Tracker!

It includes a place to track each person’s likes, wants, needs and helps you find the perfect gift for everyone on your list.

Download it now!

Well, there you have it!

Sometimes thinking of the perfect gift can be tasking but try not to overthink it. Just use your heart to guide you because the best gifts are the ones that are given in love!

Don’t get caught up in buying the most expensive gift or spending a lot of money either. The best gifts are the ones that come from the heart and are given in love, no matter the cost!

Happy Christmas List Making!

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Become part of the Mastering Mom Life Insider tribe and get instant, exclusive access to my Mom Treasury filled with FREE printables + worksheets to make mom life easier!

Inside: Want to make a delicious Thanksgiving dinner? Find out my 6 steps on how to plan your Thanksgiving menu like a boss. Stress-free planning & cooking!

In the blink of an eye, you’ll be eating pie and storing leftover turkey….are you ready??

I’m not!

I’ve always loved Thanksgiving because it’s full of gratitude, family, and stuffing yourself until your buttons pop. But a lot of people don’t realize HOW MUCH goes into preparing for Thanksgiving!

Between headcounts, keeping track of 20 dishes, figuring out the menu, and decorating your table– it can be overwhelming.

So today I want to help you easily prepare for Thanksgiving starting with planning the Thanksgiving menu!

These 6 steps will help you easily prepare your Thanksgiving menu and keep the Thanksgiving “prep” as stress-free and organized as possible!

I know it seems like Thanksgiving is a waaayyyyssss away, but I believe the easiest way to tackle something is to start early and plan ahead.

I always start my Thanksgiving planning about a month before Thanksgiving so I can have enough time to contact family members, see who’s coming, and figure out who is actually hosting the dinner. Knowing these little details early will help you easily prep for the big Thanksgiving meal!

6 Steps to Easily Plan Your Thanksgiving Menu

Planning your Thanksgiving menu does not have to stressful or overwhelming! Let’s start with the 6 steps to easily plan your Thanksgiving menu!

1. Headcount

First things first, before I start to think about what I want to cook, I always think about WHO is coming to Thanksgiving dinner.

You want to get a headcount for who will be attending so you know how much to prepare.

It’s an easy step to overlook but finding out who is coming will help you analyze not only how much food you need but also who can help and bring a dish. That way, you are not the only one cooking for all of the family and friends who are coming to dinner.

Having a headcount and a list of people who are coming will help you accurately plan your Thanksgiving menu. Knowing who is coming to dinner also helps you with planning your Thanksgiving menu because you’ll know what dishes you have to make or cannot make due to dietary restrictions and dietary preferences.

In the Ultimate Thanksgiving Planner, I include a Thanksgiving Guest List that will help you plan and organize who is coming, not coming, and tentative. That way, you can plan who is coming all from one sheet!

2. Dish It Up

The next step is to make a list of dishes that you want to serve at Thanksgiving. This dish list will help you create your actual Thanksgiving menu.

Make a list of dishes that you want to make- either dishes that are traditional, new dishes you want to try, or even research new dishes to mix things up!

To help you make your list, I created the Thanksgiving Menu Dish List that is a part of the Ultimate Thanksgiving Planner! The Dish List is super easy to use and really convenient because it has an area for you to write down everything you want to make, put it in a list and then eventually check off if you are definitely making that dish.

3. Pick Up the Phone

Completing step one is important because it will help you accomplish Step 3, which is to contact the family members & friends who will be coming to see what dish they would like to bring.

It’s a tradition in my family for everyone to bring one item when we get together as a family. Whether it’s a case of water, a couple of bags of chips, a fruit salad, or some hamburger buns if we’re having a barbeque. So, my family is quite familiar with bringing a dish when we get together for a meal or to just visit together.

Even if your family is not accustomed to this type of tradition, I always find that Thanksgiving dinner is such a HUGE meal to cook all by yourself!

So, Step 3 is to take your guest list and contact each family or friend to see what they would like to bring from!

BONUS: Download my FREE Thanksgiving Prep Checklist to take the overwhelm out of Thanksgiving planning! Click HERE to download the free prep checklist!

Maybe they have a special dish they are known for that you can add to your menu list or maybe they just want to bring a pumpkin pie or take care of the drinks.

Because Thanksgiving dinner can get quite large (depending on how many people you have attending), it can also get expensive really quick. Having people bring different dishes will help you with the cost as well!

You can even assign different people different types of food! Such as, your aunt will be in charge of bringing side dishes and your mom is in charge of bringing desserts and you are in charge of the main turkey and stuffing. It becomes so much more family orientated when you include everyone!

To help you plan who is bring with dish or Thanksgiving menu item, I created a Thanksgiving Menu Dish Assignment sheet that is included in the Ultimate Thanksgiving Planner!

4. Finalize the Thanksgiving menu

After completing step 3, you know who is bringing what dish. Now it’s time to take your dish list and actually create your finalized Thanksgiving Menu.

Finalizing the menu will help you start to create your shopping list!

I find that when people don’t have their menu finalized its harder to make decisions and move forward with your Thanksgiving meal preparations. You can always go back make changes to your menu later if you need to, so don’t get too worried.

Just try to make a final Thanksgiving menu just so you know what exactly will be served for your meal.

I also created a Thanksgiving Final Menu sheet to help you write out your menu! If you want to get fancy and all Food Network, you can even print the final menu on a cardstock paper and have it on your Thanksgiving table to look Martha Stewart fancy.

5. Use a recipe item list for each dish to make a list of what ingredients you need

Now that you know who is coming to Thanksgiving dinner, who is making what dish, and what the final menu is, you now know what YOU are making. Once you know what dishes you are responsible for, it’ best if you start to take out those recipes and list out what ingredients you need.

I know some people who don’t like to do their Thanksgiving shopping early, but you don’t want to get stuck with the remnants on the shelf.

You can also make your ingredient list early so you know what sales to keep an eye out for.

I obviously don’t buy perishable items too far from when I am cooking the meal but I always keep my eye on sales for my nonperishable items. Maybe the frozen crust is on sale 3 weeks before Thanksgiving and you can just store it in your freezer.

Or maybe the canned cranberry is on sale a month before Thanksgiving and you just stock your pantry with it.

Not only are you beating the holiday supermarket rush but you are also saving money!

6. Create an oven schedule for Thanksgiving Day

Step 6 is optional but really useful– creating an oven schedule for Thanksgiving Day!

Now that you know the dishes you are making, you want to make sure that you are planning your cooking well enough so all the dishes will be done by your mealtime.

I often find that my oven is OVERLY used on Thanksgiving Day, between the turkey, pies, casseroles, and so much more! And because I only have one oven, I found it SUPER helpful to create an oven schedule to help me stay on time and make sure the dishes are done on time.

It can be kind of tricky to make an oven schedule, so I created one for you! In the Thanksgiving Planner, you’ll find a detailed oven schedule to help you manage your oven times.

Tip: It’s always better to cook the dish that has to stay in the oven the longest first!

FREE Thanksgiving Prep Checklist!

Thanksgiving can get really stressful. There are a hundred things to do and a million things to keep track of.

To make menu planning as easy and stress-free as possible, you want to be sure to download the FREE Thanksgiving prep Checklist!

The Checklist is a FREE 3-page printable download that you can use to get ready for Thanksgiving. It includes an area to track what you want to get done each week leading up to Thanksgiving. So you can visually see what you need to get done and your progress!

Download the Prep Checklist Now!

I really wanted to help you make you plan your Thanksgiving menu in the easiest way possible so I created the Ultimate Thanksgiving  Planner! The Thanksgiving Planner includes 14 printables to help you complete each one of these 6 steps, gives a place to organize your menu and help you plan your meal from start to finish!

Grab your Thanksgiving Planner for a SUPER SPECIAL OFFER here!

And there you have it!

I hope I was able to help you easily prepare your Thanksgiving menu and keep the Thanksgiving “prep” as stress-free and organized as possible!

Now you can sit back, relax, and think about how delicious your pie is going to be 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving Planning!!

Want to get your house ready for Thanksgiving guests without running around cleaning for hours on end?? Check out my post “How to Accomplish Fall Cleaning: Easily Get Your House Clean and Shiny for Guests”!