Even though it just turned October; now it the time to start planning your Thanksgiving meal preparations.

THANKSGIVING DAY Helpful Tip 1: Do not wait until Thanksgiving day to start cooking your Thanksgiving meal. Start ahead of time. You can make side dishes and gravies and freeze them. You can make pie crusts early. You can dice onions and peel and slice potatoes and refrigerate them. You can make and store some food items a week ahead of time. Other food items are better left to just hours ahead of the final meal preparation. But you don't have to wait until the last minute and make everything simultaneously. That type of disorganization in the kitchen could be stressful, especially if you're not an old pro at making Thanksgiving dinner (and you have a load of guests on the way).

THANKSGIVING DAY Helpful Tip 2: Defrost the turkey on time. There is nothing more stressful than knowing family or other guests are expecting the prime attraction for Thanksgiving day only to realize it's still frozen hard as a rock. Plan ahead. A frozen turkey can take as long as three days to defrost. Read the cooking directions on your frozen turkey. And make room in your refrigerator to defrost it for the suggested time span.

THANKSGIVING DAY Helpful Tip 3: Make sure you have the right cookware before Thanksgiving day. Don't assume. Visually check your kitchen cabinets for these items. It might have slipped your mind that you loaned your best roasting pan to a friend three months ago (who has yet to return it). Also realize that if you're cooking a turkey big enough to feed twice as many people this year as last year, you might need a bigger pan than you own. Don't wait until you're ready to prepare the turkey to find this out. Shop early for appropriate size cookware. Also stock up on any serving trays or cooking utensils that you'll need to prepare and serve the turkey and side dishes. The right tools make any job easier and less stressful, including that of cooking.

THANKSGIVING DAY Helpful Tip 4: Shop for some food storage containers before Thanksgiving day. You can count on eating Thanksgiving leftovers for a few days. The latest popular food storage containers are plastic with snap lock lids and can go from fridge to microwave and back. Pyrex glass storage containers are always good too and glass stains less. But both types can go in the dishwasher.

Your ultimate goal is to enjoy Thanksgiving day from start to finish. Creating a little plan for Thanksgiving before the big day can go a long way toward making this happen.