Look out, Rudolph: here come the Candy Cane Reindeer! Tucked into stockings or as package decoration, these holiday crafts are fast, fun and kid-friendly:

Candy Cane Reindeer Craft

You'll need to have a copy of Microsoft Word 97 or later, but if you do, check out this bonanza of free Thanksgiving printables from Microsoft!

From greeting cards to party invitations, dinner menus to recipe cards, you'll find a bonanza of quick templates to spark your holiday celebration.

Thankgiving Printables for Microsoft Word

Holiday baking. For many of us, kitchen creations are integral to the holiday spirit. We love the feeling of family connection as we tuck pie crust into grandmother's pie dish, or when we follow a candy recipe written in a great-grandmother's spidery hand.

But when is enough enough? Under the influence of Christmas magazines and You-Know-Which Domestic Dominatrix, grandmother Mim's simple plate of pralines has exploded into six kinds of cookies, four kinds of candies and some powdered cocoa mix for good measure. Like other areas of holiday prep, expectations for holiday baking have exploded in the last generation or two--and just when we're struggling with increasing time pressure and stricter diets.

Holiday baking should be a pleasure, not a chore. Think smaller and simpler when planning holiday baking. Double up on drop cookies, and forget the tedious rolled-and-cut out creations. Opt for no-cook candies instead of hard-to-beat fudge. Replace elaborate cookie trays with mini-loaves of tea bread, or go whole hog and buy your Christmas goodies from your local baker.

Cooking for the Thanksgiving feast, plan to double or triple amounts for any freezer-friendly dishes, and tuck the extras into the freezer for later use.

Good freezer candidates include unbaked pie shells, unbaked pies, unbaked stuffing and--surprise!--mashed potatoes. Cook once, feast twice for an organized holiday season.

Time to plan holiday meals! Today's the day we break out our printable holiday meal planner forms, and organize those big dinners and festive brunches.

to do today ... plan holiday menus!

Thanksgiving is a few days away; it's time to sort out holiday menu plans. On our free printable holiday menu planner or a fresh sheet of paper, list each holiday meal that will take place in your home.

Thanksgiving Day? Christmas Eve? Christmas Day? New Years? Give each at-home meal a good hunk of space on the page for menu planning.

Next, list those meals that you will take away from home. Christmas Breakfast at Grandma's? Holiday pot-luck at church? If you'll need to bring a dish, note it down. Leave a smaller space between each away-from-home meal.

The only one who should wing it when it comes to holiday meals? The turkey.

Smart cooks know that a written menu plan calms chaos in the kitchen, and never more so than before a big holiday feast. A written menu plan makes it easy to spot bottlenecks at oven and cookstove, sorts serving dishes, and organizes potluck contributions.

Take a moment today to plan Thanksgiving dinner. Use our free printable Holiday Menu Planner. It'll be your road map to a calm celebration.

Print a Holiday Menu Planner Form

A stockpile of frozen dinners is a seasonal stress-buster during the month of December. This week, add a few ready-to-cook meals to the freezer to prepare for the busy weeks ahead.

Whether you try traditional once-a-month cooking methods, buy premade meals at the warehouse store, or pay a visit to one of the new freezer cooking franchises, setting aside a stock of easy family dinners will cut stress during the Christmas season.

Feed the Freezer: Complete Freezer Cooking Guide

The tastes of the season: they're unforgettable! What special holiday flavors help you find the holiday spirit, even in November?

The tangy sparkle of cream of tartar and crushed candy canes in Candy Cane Cookies. Mom's cornbread dressing, redolent with sage and onion. The sheer decadence of chocolate and whipped cream in my favorite Christmas dessert, Buche de Noel.

Think of the unique flavors most strongly associated with this time of year. Cranberries and pumpkins. Turkey and savory stuffing. Gingerbread men.

Who needs motivation when we have the sense of taste? Holiday cooking chores turn to sheer sensual pleasure when you consider the flavors of the holidays!

to do today ... clean out the freezer!

The secret to dinner-hour organization during the holiday season? A well-stocked, organized freezer! Today's the day to clean out the freezer in anticipation of holiday goodies and freezer meals to come. Add a free printable Freezer Inventory Form, and you'll sail through holiday cooking chores.

Inventory the freezer, and record contents on the Freezer Inventory Form. Plan to eat from the freezer this week and next week, making room for holiday meals and holiday goodies. Use food budget savings to stock up on holiday staples.

to print today ...

Freezer Inventory

Looking for an easy, inexpensive holiday gift? Pretty layered bath salts make a perfect gift for teens, co-workers or teachers. Sparked with the holiday scent of peppermint, Candy Cane Bath Salts are a seasonal treat.

Makes 12 gift jars at a cost approximately $1.50 per jar.

Includes free printable gift tags.

Brace yourselves! Holiday cooking season is upon us. From now until January, busy kitchens are the norm, like it or not. What better time for a quick refrigerator declutter?

to do today ... clean out the refrigerator!

Right now, today, and absolutely before you shop for the holiday, tackle the refrigerator, top to bottom. Starting on the top shelf, remove all leftovers, past-the-shelf-date foods, shriveled fruits and drooping vegetables.

Take a hard look at what's left. A jar of pickle spears holding one leaning pickle? A bottle of barbeque sauce with one scanty inch in the bottom? A down-to-the-last scrape mayonnaise jar? Lay down the law: eat them today, or toss them NOW.

Goal: make room for holiday cooking. Just like our waistbands, our refrigerators overflow during this time of year. Get a step ahead and declutter that refrigerator before you shop!