15 Thanksgiving Fails To Avoid

Your plan is to wake up at 4:45 a.m. and head straight to the kitchen. After all, today is the day that everyone you know and love will stop by to taste some turkey and get stuffed from stuffing. You'll be in the kitchen for the long haul, whisking, stirring, and basting for nearly innumerable hours on end all in the hopes of delivering the tastiest turkey dinner. You've already dressed place settings to accommodate your 10-person guest list around your beautiful centerpiece. You have plenty of food and plenty of wine, and everyone is set to arrive at 5:30 p.m. sharp. You couldn't be more ready to take on this Thanksgiving if you tried!

Click here to see the 15 Thanksgiving Fails to Avoid (Slideshow)

Only, it is 10:45 a.m. and your alarm hasn't gone off, your turkey isn't defrosted, and suddenly everyone shows up a half an hour early with three extra guests in tow! You probably never imagined that your holiday would take this turn, but there are tons of things that can go wrong when you are organizing a feast of this size. 

Instead of getting caught in the whirlwind of holiday madness, start preparing. There are so many disasters you can avoid just by knowing that they are out there and how they can affect your day. Simple tasks like gradually stocking up on supplies or setting the alarm are easy fixes that can set the tone for your entire day. Take a look at our list of horrible Thanksgiving fails and a few tricks on how to avoid them.

For more turkey talk, visit The Daily Meal's Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving. 

This article was originally published on October 3, 2013.