Prepare Your Meal And Home In Advance To Reduce Thanksgiving Stress, Experts Say

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We are just days away from Thanksgiving, and that means there's a lot to do if you're hosting dinner.

As CBS2's Elise Finch explained, not all of it has to be done in the hours before guests arrive.

When it comes to preparing for Thanksgiving, some people say the earlier you get started the better.

"The house gets prepared maybe a month in advance. I start on the weekends, I find all my napkins and my silverware and the dishes I'm gonna use," Claudia Fields explained.

Some people set the table days in advance.

"Then I cover it with something so it doesn't have anything on it," Tilda Digiorno said.

Professional organizers say it's smart to clean your home and prep your kitchen a week to ten days before Thanksgiving.

Cleaning the oven will help cook food more efficiently, and some people suggest making several grocery trips.

"I would try to just do it a little bit at a time, even two weeks before," Joanna Cunningham said.

According to Felix Rodriguez, the director of sales and operations at Stew Leonard's in Yonkers, the morning is the best, least crowded time to shop.

"Anytime between the 8 a.m. and noon hours," he said.

And the worst time?

"The Saturday before the holiday. That's when we start ramping up," he explained, "And it carries straight through the Thanksgiving holiday."

But it's not too soon to buy your turkey.

Rodriguez said Stew Leonard's fresh turkeys can be purchased up to ten days before Thanksgiving.

Just make sure to store it in the bottom back corner of your refrigerator, that's the coldest part.

Savvy shoppers said you can really save some time with your baked goods because you can shop for the ingredients and prepare them days before Thanksgiving.

"About two or three days ahead of time. I do apple, I do pumpkin, and sweet potato,"  Fields said.

A week out is a good time to pickup beverages, baking tins, broth, and dry ingredients like stuffing and spices.