Thanksgiving is a holiday that’s designed for making beautiful family memories. Few celebratory dinners can conjure up warm feelings the way the Thanksgiving meal does. However, while it’s a time of joy for all who gather, for the lucky host of the holiday, all that prep work can feel more than a little overwhelming. Want to pull off a fun, family-oriented holiday with a lot less stress? Just follow these 7 tips for hosting Thanksgiving, and watch that Thanksgiving table come together with minimal effort!

Well before the week of the holiday, it’s important to start working on Thanksgiving dinner ideas. This is where wise planning comes in. Don’t reach too high and craft a menu packed with complex, never-before-tried recipes. Instead, pick family favorites that are solidly in the chef’s comfort zone. Then, consider the available oven space to create a mix of dishes that can be baked in the oven or cooked on the stove-top to make Thanksgiving Day more manageable.

Some other points to consider when developing Thanksgiving dinner ideas:

In recent years, turkeys have been a little harder to come by, so pre-ordering the bird is one of the most important Thanksgiving hosting ideas. Also, remember that a big turkey will occupy most ovens for several hours, so other dishes may need to be prepared and frozen in advance of the holiday—more on that in a minute—unless the menu plan calls for smoking or pressure cooking the turkey.

Once all those menu ideas come together, it’s time to make a detailed shopping list. And, while many people write their lists by recipe, a better option is to craft lists by grocery departments. This will save time and frustration for whoever does the shopping, since they’ll be able to grab grouped objects without running up and down the aisles in search of different items. This tip also lowers the likelihood of forgetting key list items, only to discover what’s missing on the morning of the holiday.

The week before Thanksgiving is not the time to make elaborate family meals, or tackle a new work task. Instead, take a break and order take-out or opt for simple dinners. And, if possible, take at least one personal day in the time leading up to the holiday in order to get a head start on prep work.

Everyone has some favorite must-have dishes they’ll expect to see on the Thanksgiving table. From sweet potato pie to stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles and those heavenly pumpkin muffins, the menu demands are endless…but the day-of cooking time simply isn’t.

So, how can an overworked host keep all the guests happy without pulling an all-nighter on Thanksgiving Eve? Instead of waiting until Wednesday night or Thursday morning to start food prep, highlight dishes on the menu that can be cooked and frozen before the holiday—sides and desserts are great options. Even for dishes, like salads, that can’t be cooked ahead of time, take a few moments earlier in the week to do chopping or other prep work in order to reduce the amount of time spent in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day.

One of the best tips for hosting Thanksgiving is to avoid doing all the work alone. Instead of preparing every dish on the menu, ask each guest to bring a side dish, dessert or beverage, instead of a Thanksgiving hostess gift.

In this way, it’s possible to reduce the stress—and cost—of acting as the Thanksgiving host. And it helps guests feel like they’re contributing to the meal in a real and important way. Just be clear about who’s bringing which menu items, to avoid doubling up on certain dishes and missing out on other ones.

Beyond assigning dishes to guests outside the home, be sure to recruit family and friends inside the house for prep help. Depending on their ages, children can help with everything from ingredient gathering to vegetable chopping. Spouses can be handed shopping lists, and partners can divide the cooking work between oven and stove top dishes. The point is: with a meal this big, it’s important not to try and do it all alone. Even during the meal, accept help from guests who offer to assist with bringing dishes out from the kitchen or refilling beverage pitchers. When everyone chips in, the Thanksgiving host feels less burdened, and the guests feel thankful for being able to give back, which is what the day is all about!

The star of every Thanksgiving meal is the turkey, but prepping this dinner staple takes serious planning. If working with a frozen bird, make sure to thaw in the refrigerator up to four days in advance—breast side up, and in the original packaging—but at least two days prior to cooking. Since leakage may happen during this process, be sure to keep the turkey in a roasting dish or on a tray to prevent spillage. When it’s time to roast, set the oven to 350 degrees and cook the turkey at a rate of 13 minutes for every pound. Finally, make sure to let the cooked bird rest for at least 30 minutes before carving and serving.

Decking out the home and holiday table with fall-themed decorations is a great way to enhance the Thanksgiving meal. But, from crafting table runners to setting individual place cards, hanging door wreaths or setting up porch décor, these efforts are very time consuming.

Want to reduce the stress of getting the home holiday ready? Start setting up the porch and other exterior décor right after taking down Halloween decorations. Then, on Wednesday night or Thursday morning, set the Thanksgiving table with napkins, glassware, plates and cutlery, along with any centerpieces, place cards or other decorations that are making it into the mix.

The extensive list of dishes involved in a Thanksgiving meal takes up tons of spaces. And arriving guests may be thirsty, and unable to wait until the meal is ready, to have that drink or toast. To save space, and keep early arrivers from wandering into the kitchen, set up a dedicated drink station at least an hour before guests are set to arrive for the Thanksgiving meal.

What should be included at that station? Non-alcoholic beverages, cups and ice are an obvious choice. If wine, beer or other spirits will be included, be sure to set out the appropriate glassware, along with bottle openers. And consider placing alcoholic options on a taller stand, or designating a grown-up station supervisor, to make sure underage guests don’t accidentally imbibe too much and spoil the genius of other Thanksgiving hosting ideas.

What are your top tips for hosting Thanksgiving? Share in the comments below!