Throwing a fun and informal Thanksgiving party is as easy as pumpkin pie. By following our tips you can host a holiday celebration that your family and friends will be talking about for years to come.

First things first:

Settle upon how you want throw your informal Thanksgiving party. Are you going to have a buffet where people can gather around the TV and watch football or Thanksgiving movies, or do you want a sit down dinner where everyone gathers around the table to say grace and rejoice in the holiday.

Second: Decide upon a menu.

Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and pies galore is a traditional Thanksgiving menu. At times when you are serving a large crowd adding in a spiral sliced honey ham and including plenty of mouth watering appetizers will stretch you food supply.

Third: Shop, Shop and Shop some more.

If you plan ahead and start early this does not have to be stressful. Start by deciding are you serving on fine china, every day dishes or paper plates. If you are going for the paper plates spring for Thanksgiving themed plates, napkins and cups. This will lend to the festive feel of the day and make for an easy Thanksgiving clean up.

Next write up a shopping list for your Thanksgiving meal. Be sure to include spices, butter, milk and sugar. These are all items that are usually on hand but often in limited supply. To confirm this point think about the last time you ran to a convenience store on Thanksgiving, how many husbands were standing their with scowls on there faces purchasing butter and milk. Football is still mighty important to the non-chefs in the family.

Fourth: Start Cooking.

Start a day or two ahead of time assembling the casseroles and stuffing. Even pie can be made a day ahead and still be Thanksgiving fresh for the big day. If you are serving a very large crowd ask your guests to each bring a side dish or pie. They usually are happy to help and it makes your day easier.

Remember to thaw your turkey. Thanksgiving starts with a t and so does turkey. So start early and make sure you turkey is thawed and ready for cooking on the big day.

Finally: Lay out the party.

If you are serving buffet style a quick tip is to set up a table in the living room for appetizers and snacks. This way your guests can catch every minute of the big Thanksgiving Day game while enjoying your homemade delights.

Then set up the dinning room table with the main course. This gives you plenty of room for your guests to mingle around the food.

Always remember to relax. Thanksgiving should be fun; youre with your family and friends enjoying wonderful food and company.