by Angela V 
Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching and as families across Canada prepare to spend time together host and hostesses everywhere are starting to plan the menu, decorations and everything else to organize the perfect get together.
To help them prepare without the stress Oxiclean and celebrity home entertaining expert, Nicole Sassaman have put together a nifty tip sheet with some great tips on how to make Thanksgiving dinner preparation and cleanup an easy affair, as well as her own table setting tips for the big feast! I also had a chance to interview her and ask a few of my own questions. Here’s our full Q&A session:
OSM: What are your top 5 must haves items when preparing Thanksgiving dinner?
Nicole: Great table decor, nice plates, cooking dishes that are also serving dishes to save on cleaning, holiday music, nice mood lighting including candles, to go containers to send leftovers home with people for the day after, and of course a cleanup plan that includes OxiClean dish & laundry detergents!
OSM: How can you make Thanksgiving dinner clean up easier?
Nicole: If you have a laundry with a sink, I recommend clearing the table there and cleaning later so that you can enjoy your guests. Cook in serving containers to lessen the amount of dishes to clean. Pack to go containers for everyone and make sure all dishwashers are empty so you can load in quickly – make sure to use the OxiClean Extreme Power Crystals Dishwasher Detergent & OxiClean Dishwashing 2 in 1 Booster + Rinse Agent for clean & shiny dishes!
OSM: Give us your tips on getting the entire family involved and excited about helping prepare Thanksgiving dinner and helping clean up after!
Nicole: Have everyone bring their own dish. Have those to go containers handy to clean up and pack up leftovers quickly.
OSM: Any tips on how to set up the table for Thanksgiving dinner, any must haves?
Nicole: You must have fall leaves on your table and some gourds and mini pumpkins and candles to create a festive look. Anyone can do this and it makes a big difference!
And as promised below is the super helpful Thanksgiving Day Mantras tip sheet!
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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All views and opinions are 100% my own.
129 Comments on “Thanksgiving Day Prep, Decor & CleanUp Tips {Survival Kit Giveaway}”
i made a turkey just for our household< we usually have hockey all weekend and the teenagers work.
We celebrate Thanksgiving every year with my siblings and parents. Our family has grown and we are a big bunch. I am thankful for each and everyone of them!
Sadly, on the road this year! We tend to celebrate US Thanksgiving with our American friends if we can’t make the Canadian one.
We go to my parents house every year.
turkey dinner with the family!
we have never celebrated Thankgiving not helped by the fact that I dislike turkey
family, close friends and FOOD !! lots n lots of food !
My family celebrates by going out for a nice dinner.
Turkey and pies!
It depends on who is around really. If our kids are able to come visit we have the traditional turkey etc but if the kids can’t visit, we usually just have a simple dinner for the two of us.
Get together with family and enjoy good meal and fun times
I celebrate at my sister’s house with her family, my husband and my mother
We celebrate thanksgiving with family. We usually do 2 dinners with each of our family. It’s a great time for yummy food and family fun.
We have a big dinner and talk about what we are thankful for. We each name three big things and three little, fun things that we are thankful for from the previous year.
We usually have a big nice family dinner.
We get together with family and have a turkey dinner.
I spend it with my family! 🙂
We get together as a family and have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the fixings!
Big ole turkey dinner with the family. This year my younger brother is doing all the cooking!
We have a big turkey dinner with a lot of family
Over the last few years my other half’s side of the family have to rent a hall for all of us LOL There’s around 100 that show up , everyone bring something. This year We are bringing a dinner item… the other side of his family will bring dessert.
I plan on making cabbage rolls 🙂 YUM
My mother, brother, and sister all have their birthdays within a few days of Thanksgiving, so we usually go to my Mum’s house and celebrate.
Thanksgiving is pretty busy around here, I have a dinner on the Friday, one Saturday, I work the Sunday and then home dinner on Monday followed by rest and wine on Tuesday lol.
As many family members within driving range gather around the table at my parent’s house for an afternoon and evening of food, laughter and family
We usually have a family dinner but this year my husband has to work so I will just go visit my mom and aunt.
Just my kids, my husband and myself, and I make a big turkey dinner
We have a turkey with all the trimmings and our whole family and a few friends, we have it every year, I love it!
I usually host dinner for my extended family on my mother’s side of the family
We celebrate with all the family, turkey, stuffing, sweet potato pie and the works. I make it super easy by cooking the turkey the day before and just warming it up and wine throughout the day helps too!
My daughters and their family come to my house for a feast
husbands side we go to camp for the day and my parents a quiet meal with immediate family
We celebrate with family on Monday! !!
We have a big meal with family.
dinner with family
Turkey dinner with family
we go to my in laws in Collingwood for the weekend 🙂
We celebrate with lots of food and lots of family!
We celebrate Thanksgiving by having dinner with family.
I am going to my sisters for a family meal.
We have a classic Thanksgiving turkey dinner with our family. Simple but delicious.
We have a big Turkey dinner together with the family.
We have the whole family over for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner
Turkey Dinner with the family !
We have a big family dinner either at either my house or my sister’s – turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie etc. We usually try to do it potluck style.
Regular turkey dinner with all the extras and the kids come home for Thanksgiving. Always we have apple pie on Thanksgiving.
We usually have a big family supper at my parents house. Turkey and all the fixins.
celebrate with close friends n family
We get together with family!
We celebrate with hubbys family.
We celebrate Thanksgiving by coming together as a family and enjoying a big meal.
I celebrate by having a big dinner with family & friends – eating, talking – just enjoying each other’s company.
I celebrate with yams and turkey!
We celebrate by having a big family meal with turkey and stuffing.
Family all gets together. Turkey and spicy pumpkin pie!
I celebrate Thanksgiving by going to a relatives house as they are better cooks than I.
We celebrate thanksgiving with a big family dinner
Turkey dinner at my mom and dads!
I celebrate thanksgiving by having a big dinner with family
Thanksgiving is huge for us…we usually cram 20+ people in my small dining room & living room. It truly is a family affair as EVERYONE pitches in something to make the meal complete.
Getting to together as a family is rare these days but it’s very nice when I can cook up an old fashioned turkey dinner!
Yes! my favourite holiday
We have a small family dinner with turkey.
family over and a nice turkey dinner
It is a tradition that we always go to my sisters for turkey dinner.
We usually go to my inlaws for Thanksgiving dinner
Enormous amounts of dinner together and a board game.
We make a big meal and we invite others over that don’t have a family to go have dinner with.
We have friends and family over to have a huge feast of turkey,ham and all the trimmings and lots of desserts
We get together with family at one of our houses.
I cook a turkey dinner and invites some relatives since I am a empty nester.
We celebrate Thanksgiving by having dinner with whole family
We celebrate by having all my family over that’s about 30 people and we cook the whole week to prepare for it!
We get together for a big Turkey dinner with the whole family. We laugh, tell stories and share pie!
Celebrate it at my folks house… Alot of food is involved
We typically try to get together with my mom’s side of the family. A big dinner with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. This year it will be at my grandparent’s place.
Usually I have all my family over for Thanksgiving dinner but this year my dad is in a nursing home, so we will be going there for a special lunch they put on.
It’s usually just he hubby and me if the kids can’t make it (overtime at work). It’s our time to be alone (yeaaah) as usually it’s a madhouse around here.
I spend it with my daughter and family, and lots of turkey!
My dad’s extended family always get together on the Saturday before thanksgiving to celebrate.
We have a big turkey dinner with family and friends and then relax on the couch, digesting!
I celebrate thanksgiving with potatoes, turkey, stuffing and sugar pie!
a quiet night at home sipping some cognac
We have dinner with immediate family and have a great time
We celebrate as a family and friends group, we all contribute some of the food and many of us help with the clean up making it a fun day! it is nice when the cousins can get together!
We celebrate Thanksgiving with all 10 of our children, and I Usually invite a family or 2 in need every year =) for a homemade Big Turkey Dinner =)
surrounded by family, we have turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and a mixture of vegetables
We usually go to my MIL’s. She opens her home to her family and friends and is an amazing cook. Thankful 😉
we live far away from family, so we have a great group of friends over to celebrate with us!
Most of our family lives far away so we just celebrate Thanksgiving as a small group -my husband, 2 sons and myself. We try to relax over the weekend, play some cards or games and have a turkey dinner.
We have a yummy turkey dinner and invite family & friends over.
Dinner with family
I have a turkey dinner with my family.
Typically we have done Turkey in the past but this year we are doing Baked Pineapple glazed Ham.
I celebrate by having dinner with the family.
my family isn’t so much about the traditional since the smell of cooking turkey makes me very ill. This year we got together for some amazing Dim Sum in Richmond. It’s all about the people you choose to spend it with and less about what it is you choose to eat.
We have a family dinner where we eat lots and talk lots. Good times.
We celebrate with food and good friends and family. Not much else needed.
dinner with family! we usually do the pumpkin patch the week prior and pick up some decor – gourds, corn, and pumpkins 🙂
This year I’ll be celebrating with friends.
dinner with family
Im celebrating by working 16 hours… lol
Big family gathering that leaves us all so full we roll home.
Big turkey dinner with extended family.
I celebrate by spending time with family & eating lots of yummy food!!
We celebrate thanksgiving with family. We have a meal together, usually turkey and all the fixings, and then enjoy each others company.
We celebrate with good company, great food and long happy walks.
We celebrate with a turkey dinner and extended family.
With family and friends and a huge turkey
This year it was just my immediate family with a small quiet roast dinner
celebrate with family. dinner together and a long walk outside. thanks
We spend Thansgiving with my family.
We have a big gathering with family and extended family!
with lots of good food
We usually just get together for a lunch of some sort 🙂
We celebrate Thanksgiving by getting together and enjoying a most delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
I celebrate Thanksgiving by enjoying a meal together with my family and spending the day in each others company 🙂
With as many family members as we can get together! The more the merrier 🙂
I always work thanksgiving, so the following weekend we sit down as a family and enjoy turkey dinner together.
We get together with all the family and share a beautiful meal with turkey and all the traditional food 🙂
We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but our holiday, Sukkot is around the same time of year.
I celebrate Thanksgiving with my hubby, kids, granddaughters and great granddaughters at my parents home.
We usually get together with the family and have a nice dinner and evening together.
I celebrate Thanksgiving by visiting so much family! I start the day off at my father’s house to see him and my siblings, I then go to my Fiance’s parent’s house to see his family, and then we head over to my aunt’s house to see my aunts and uncles and grandparents for dessert! Busy, but great!
Turkey and ham with the fam!!!
I always cook turkey but this year I cooked ham too. Mashed potatoes and squash, gravy too. mmmm we had a great meal.
I host Thanksgiving Dinner for about 14 people all my family!
Nicole Sassaman gives us some timely and useful tips for setting up the table, preparing, serving and cleaning up for a family Thanksgiving dinner. I read her post with great interest and certainly picked up some excellent tips on how to decorate the table. Thank you for this post.
what great tips!
We do big turkey dinners with my husbands side of the fam!