Ready, Set, Thaw! . . .

. . . your turkey, that is. Yep, Thanksgiving is a mere two days away, and for those of you who play a role in meal preparation for the big day, the pressure is on. If, however, you're a procrastinator (like yours truly) and you were thinking you'd do your grocery shopping tomorrow night, take heart. I've been known to make a last-minute run for ingredients at 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving Eve, and found it to be refreshingly easy. Gone are the mobs reaching for all the must-haves simultaneously and the long lines at the check-out. Indeed, I've found shopping at the eleventh hour to beat shopping the weekend before Thanksgiving hands-down.

Unfortunately, I have no similar advice for beating the crowds on Black Friday. If you choose to venture out to retail establishments the day after Thanksgiving, you're on your own. More power to you!