Things To Do: 1 Week Before Thanksgiving

Here's your Thanksgiving Checklist for things to do one week before Thanksgiving with a handy printable.

At the bottom of the post are all the printables published so far for planning your easiest Thanksgiving Day yet, or click on the links to prior posts on planning Thanksgiving for more time-saving tips.

Table set for Thanksgiving with table decorations. — My Thanksgiving table last year, with small pumpkins I wrote people's names on for place cards.

We're in serious countdown mode for Thanksgiving, now that it's about 10 days away. This week is all about things to do 1 week before the big day, but this is also a great week to check back on previous weeks' checklists to make sure you're all caught up.

The goal is to start next week with many things already done.

As I've shared in prior weeks, let's review the schedule for our Vegetarian Thanksgiving email series. Next week is our final week!

I've added links to the first four newsletters sent out so far, for those of you who missed them! ⬇️

📧 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Email Series

Here's a quick look at the email series schedule that we're working through together, so you won't feel like your life is being held together only by a slender paperclip this year.

Week 1 (October 17): Guest list and handling reluctant carnivores.

Week 2 (October 24): Meal brainstorming and things to consider.

Week 3 (October 31): Finalize menu and create a 3-week plan (with Printable Planning Sheet).

Week 4 (November 7): Activities 2 weeks before Thanksgiving.

Week 5 (November 14): Things to do 1 week before Thanksgiving.

Week 6 (November 21): Checklists for the final days leading up to the big feast.

1 Week Ahead Checklist

Here are 2 checklists of things I recommend you do this week. One checklist is all about food, and the other is focused on the table. At the bottom is a printable for your convenience.

Food Checklist

Create a cooking schedule leading up to Thanksgiving Day. This schedule is for anything you plan to cook ahead and freeze or refrigerate. Mark on a calendar what dishes you're making when. I provided a list of types of dishes that make-ahead-and-freeze well last week.
Make ahead and freeze dishes. If you haven't done this yet, no worries, but make the dishes you plan to freeze this week.
Finish your shopping list and get shopping. If you haven't done this yet, make your list this week. And get your shopping done, except for perishables, such as greens, fresh herbs and dairy.
Test new recipes. Test any last recipes you haven't tried. It's a great way of preventing Thanksgiving surprises you don't want.
Review the past weeks. Review the checklists I've shared in prior weeks to check off anything more you need to do. Go to the links above, to quickly access prior weeks' posts, and their checklists, tips and printables, or if you just want the printables, I've listed them at the bottom of this post.

Non-Food Checklist

Table linens. If you plan to use any table linens such as tablecloth, napkins or placemats, make sure they're washed, ironed and all ready to go.
Centerpiece. Decide on your centerpiece and any other table decorations this week. If you plan on having fresh flowers as the centerpiece, order them this week.
Seating plan. Create a seating plan for Thanksgiving Day, and make place cards. Or do what I do: purchase tiny pumpkins at the grocery store, and use a marker to write guests' names on them as a place card. It's easy, fast, and becomes part of the table decorations. As a note, these are real pumpkins, and are sometimes sold in net bags, as a mixture of orange and white mini pumpkins about 3 or 4 inches in diameter. (See the photo at the top of this post.)
Serving pieces. Dig out your serving platters and serving spoons, and polish them up for the feast. And polish any other silver, if applicable. Most of us have stainless these days, but I can still remember having the job of polishing all the silver for my mom as a young girl.