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Hosting a Thanksgiving meal can be a serious undertaking! It can take a lot of planning to fine tune your guest list, menu, and your prep plan for both food and home. Check out our latest free printable – a Thanksgiving Day Planner Pack that will help you organize the details of your day!
Have you ever hosted a Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving meal?
Thanksgiving memories
If you have, you know how much prep work is involved in getting that big meal on the table! I remember my mom prepping food for DAYS leading up to our annual Thanksgiving Day get-together with our cousins and grandparents. She would bake or cook anything that could be made ahead of time the week before Thanksgiving. (These foods always including a day dedicated to baking pumpkin bread and then another day making applesauce!)
The days before the holiday were spent cleaning the house, grocery shopping, setting the table, and then starting to cook all of the different dishes.
When Thanksgiving Day finally arrived, she would wake up SUPER early to get the huge turkey in the oven. On most years we would sit down to eat
The holiday tradition evolves
My Thanksgiving holiday certainly looks a lot different as an adult. Part of that is because of this website – which started out predominantly as a deal blog. (Some of you probably remember that!) From about oh, 2010 to 2018 or so, Thanksgiving would find me stuck on the computer posting lots of deals. It was just one of those less-glamorous parts that came with being your own boss and working in that niche. During those years, we would usually head to whichever relative was hosting a meal (and didn’t mind that I was bringing my laptop!!).
I digress.
For years before I started this blog and a couple times since, I have definitely found myself hosting an occasional Thanksgiving meal!
p.s. Before we go any further – make sure you take a look through my Thanksgiving content! I have so many free printables, recipe ideas and decor tips on the blog.
Our Favorite Thanksgiving Sides and Desserts
If you need a little food inspo, check out some of our favorite sides and desserts!
- Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie Recipe
- Easy Slow Cooker Applesauce Recipe
- Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe – 5 Cheeses!
- Homemade Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- Easy Fall Pumpkin Dip Served in a Pumpkin
It’s a lot of work and a little planning goes a LONG way!
I am really excited to share this printable Thanksgiving meal planner! There are 5 pages included in the pack (besides the cover) and these sheets will help you plan your event from start to finish.
Here’s what’s included:
- Ideas and Brainstorming Page: Use this page to work on location, timing, budget, food ideas, potential guest list and to jot down any notes you want to remember.
- Food Planning Page: Here’s where you can do a deep dive into your Thanksgiving menu. Think about what dishes you want to make and create your grocery list. You can also plan on which days you will need to prep certain foods.
- Decor and Gifts Planning: Are you going to need hostess gifts? Guest favors? What will your table centerpiece look like? This page will help you get some ideas on paper.
- Guest List Page: Use this page to really work out who you are inviting, who can come, how many kids will be attending, etc. This page also has a section where you can note any dietary restrictions or allergies.
- Decorative Print: The last page in our printable page is a cute print that you can hang up or stick in a frame for quick and easy decor!
Thanksgiving Planner Pack Printable
Get the printable: Thanksgiving Day Planner Pack
You can grab our printable right here. Simply enter your email address in the box and opt-in to receive our free newsletter. Check your inbox for this printable, which you will receive as a subscriber bonus. NOTE: This file is for PERSONAL USE ONLY. You may NOT sell the digital file or sell the printed work. You may NOT redistribute the digital file or printed work.
I hope that this pack helps you out as you fine tune your holiday hosting endeavors! If you end up giving it a try, definitely circle back and let us know how it worked out for you!
Here are a few more free printables you might want to check out:
Free Printable Thanksgiving Placemats for Kids Pack
Printable Thanksgiving Activity Pack for Kids
Free Printable Thankful Sign for Fall and Thanksgiving