Center'd on Thanksgiving

Featuring Real Simple

Making Thanksgiving Easier

As with many other gatherings and celebrations, there are two strategies that can help you pull off a great Thanksgiving: A little planning, and keeping it simple. With that in mind, we put together this Thanksgiving planning center. A collection of ready-made plans from Center’d and easy-to-follow tips from Real Simple that are designed to help you transform Thanksgiving from a stressful conglomeration of late guests, redundant ambrosia salad, and dry turkey to a holiday you can remember for all the right reasons: Friends and family taking a moment from the busy worlds we inhabit to gather together and enjoy each other’s company.

From getting help pulling off a large family gathering with coordinated dishes to choosing a time to meet to watch the big game, you’ll find it all here. We also threw in some post-feast planning help, like how to take advantage of the weekend ‘Black Friday’ sales and how to maximize a weekend of football. We hope you find something to help make your holiday special and memorable. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

Recipes for Your Thanksgiving Pot Luck

Not sure what will travel well? Here, 13 sturdy side dishes
Thanksgiving potluck Sang An

The reality of traveling to a holiday potluck? You can't always take what you want. Those cider-glazed carrots or that green bean salad that you're famous for may taste terrific when made just before serving, but chances are the dish will turn lackluster if you try to make it endure 45 minutes of interstate traffic. What you need are sturdy side dishes that can be made ahead of time and served as-is or with very little finishing work when you arrive at your destination.

Dressing and Stuffing

Corn Bread Dressing

Make and Take Tip: Cover the baking dish with foil before traveling. Serve warm or at room temperature. (If there is room in your host's oven while the turkey roasts, you can warm the dressing for at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.)

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Thanksgiving Plans

Select one of these ready-made plans, so you can focus on enjoying yourself!

Black Friday 101

How America's busiest shopping day came about, with a few tips to help you get your game on
Holiday shopping Aya Brackett

For serious shoppers, the Friday after Thanksgiving is game day: Kickoff is early (sometimes at midnight), and those on the front line score the best deals. For retailers, it signals the start of the holiday shopping season.

  • Shoppers have spent big on this weekend for decades. Indeed, in 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week to extend the shopping season and help business.
  • This day was first called Black Friday in the 1960s. The term derives from the old accounting practice of using red ink for debts and black ink for profits.
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40 Ways to Simplify Thanksgiving

Whether you want to introduce new traditions or perfect old ones, make this Thanksgiving the happiest one yet
Thanksgiving turkey for dinner Sang An

How to Get It All Done: A Thanksgiving Timeline

Spend more time planning and you'll spend less time panicking, says New Jersey native Judith Bluysen, co-owner of Thanksgiving, an American grocery store, restaurant, and catering business in Paris. Each fall Bluysen and her team of five prepare more than 150 take-out turkeys and turkey dinners. She sticks to a schedule. Here's how you can, too.

3 Weeks Before

Decide which recipes you want to make, keeping in mind that there's only so much one person — and one kitchen — can do. If you really do need 10 side dishes, look for recipes that use the same oven temperature, so they can cook at the same time, says Bluysen.

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60-Second Centerpieces

Transform your table with these simple yet beautiful arrangements
Holiday decorations Maura McEvoy

Glowing

The Elements: One dozen pillar candles of various heights and widths. Pillar candles, $5 to $10, www.illuminations.com.

The Container: A shallow platter, tray, bowl, or pan.

The Tip: Make sure no candles of the same height sit side by side. This centerpiece also looks great on a coffee table.

Read more >

Thanksgiving Plans

Select one of these ready-made plans, so you can focus on enjoying yourself!
Thanksgiving Potluck

A Feast for All

Use this plan to coordinate Thanksgiving dinner...
Check it out!
Black Friday Shopping Spree in LA

Black Friday Madness

Use this plan to set up the perfect Black Friday mission...
Check it out!
Thanksgiving Weekend Football Potluck

The Big Game

Don't watch the game alone! Use this plan to share the excitement...
Check it out!
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Helpful Places around San Francisco
center peoples places plans
Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero St
Liguria Bakery
1700 Stockton St
Miette Cakes
1 Ferry Building # 10
Mission Pie
2901 Mission St

Center'd > Center'd on Thanksgiving, featuring Real Simple
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About Real Simple:

Real Simple is the new magazine for the way you want to live today. You'll find actionable solutions to streamline the ways you manage your life. Systems for reducing clutter, saving time, and reducing stress. Inspiring ideas about home, food, money, clothes, health, work, family, and holidays.


About Center'd:

Center'd helps you more easily plan all of life's activities. Check out our blog, meet our team, or join our team!