Thanksgiving Survival Guide

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year? If so, take a deep breath and don't forget to thaw the turkey. :)

Here are a few steps to keep your sanity this holiday season.
1) Don't forget to thaw the turkey.

2) Don't forget to remove the innards of the turkey.

3) Allow yourself plenty of time to cook the turkey.

4) To survive the first three, go to the Butterball calculator by clicking here  to look check that you've got it all right. ;)

5) Delegate cooking and do it wisely. If your Aunt Rose hasn't baked a dessert in her life, don't ask her to bring a pie. No one wants to taste her experiment.

6) Don't skimp on traditions. Thanksgiving is all about family and traditions. Make sure to have everyone participate in old tradition, and invent some new ones.

7) Have everyone arrive early enough so you can socialize while finishing up dinner. Perhaps have some pre-dinner snacks out on the counter. That way you draw them in and then give them an apron. No reason you should do all the work.

8) Spend time with family. The holiday can be hectic, make sure if you do all the cooking some else does the dishes. Every year we travel to another state for a family Thanksgiving dinner. I make pumpkin bread, but I'm unable to help with much more, so I'm always dish girl. I think that's why they invite me. ;)

9) Before you go or after you return, have a 'friendsgiving'. Invite people who may not be able to travel home for the holidays, and share your joy with them.

10) Today is not the day to diet. Yep, forget it. Enjoy the food, family, and friends. After all, that's what it's all about.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do you have any great tips for surviving the holidays? If so, please share.

Jenna Mitchell Grayson returns to her hometown to run a center for children with autism. Divorced and raising a child diagnosed with special needs, she tries to put her life back together in the one place she’d sworn never to return.

Confirmed bachelor, Deputy Walker, has a reputation for being a playboy, but he’s never found the right girl to capture his heart. Not since the girl-next-store, Jenna Grayson, moved away. Now the woman who stole his heart has returned, and he is determined to discover why she left without an explanation or even a goodbye.

Ciara Knight is a USA Today and Amazon Bestselling author who writes 'A Little Edge and A Lot of Heart' that spans the heat scales. Her popular sweet romance series, Sweetwater County (rated PG), takes readers into small town romance full of family trials, friendly competition, and community love.