Elastic waistband leggings have been my jam lately, and the fact that loose and free-flowing shirts are everywhere these days doesn’t hurt either. You might be asking, “What about scarves? What do scarves have to do with Thanksgiving?” Well, dear reader, I will tell you. Scarves draw the eyes upward and distract, while simultaneously covering gravy spills, cranberry smears, and turkey grease. You're welcome.

Of course, kids and family must be included on this list. If I don’t add it now, I may forget when I’m too distracted by fixing a plate for my toddler and getting the right mix of shapes and colors on it.

My son isn’t big enough for a kids’ table just yet, nor do we have enough kids in our extended family to make this a realistic option. Still, I can’t help but imagine how glorious this must be for moms of slightly-older kiddos who can be trusted to sit at a table with food without absolute disaster occurring. I see you all, and I raise my glass to you and your peaceful adults-only table.

I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like at least something from a Thanksgiving spread. Perhaps there are some of you reading this who are like, “Ha! You haven’t met my son/daughter/partner/me,” in which case I offer my condolences because that can’t be easy. However, for the rest of us the plentiful options make everything right.

Though my family isn’t hosting this year, we are more than willing to share the leftover responsibilities. I mean, no one wants to see it go to waste, right? Plus, my loved ones sweat up and down that it really is helpful, so I’m going with it.

I say this carefully and with the utmost respect for those who disagree: pumpkin pie just doesn’t do it for me. I know, I know. Please don’t throw anything at me, but it’s the truth. I’d take pecan or apple or pretty much anything else over pumpkin. Thankfully, (pun intended), we typically have options on Thanksgiving.

It helps us stay awake when we’re finally getting to the pie, and also every other day of our lives thanks to our kids’ and their early wake-ups.

My son’s been making valiant, and sometimes successful attempts to skip his nap lately. However, after I feed him this plate of turkey? Not today, son. Not today.

To be fair, my dearest mom friends are long-distance, so I won’t be seeing them on the actual holiday. However, it’s safe to assume that my phone will have some messages from them, just as theirs will have some from me.

Tiny sweaters and dress shirts and giant flower headbands and delicate baby cardigans? Yeah, they make the world a better place. I’d like to propose that we all send photos of cute kids to current world leaders and watch the peace treaties start accumulating.

On Thanksgiving, the internet saves us when we need last minute reminders on making gravy, setting the table, and mixing drinks. Then again, everyday it saves us by helping us come up with toddler activities, diagnosing rashes, and giving us access to our Facebook mom groups.

I love playing with my son, don’t get me wrong. However, I also love relaxing with a delicious beverage and some choice appetizers, while simultaneously putting my feet up on the coffee table while I watch other people play with him. Everyone wins, you guys.

Speaking of my son and playtime, I’d be remiss if I didn’t shout-out my thanks to whoever’s responsible for all the toys and trucks that have taken over our entire house. I know that sounds slightly snarky, but I mean it in all sincerity. I have no idea where this love of his came from, but I’m happy he gets to explore it with small versions that fit in his hands.

In general these are helpful, but on Thanksgiving they're absolutely crucial. Tackling dishes after such a monumental meal is slightly less painful when modern technology’s around. As far as washing machines go, that’s just a given when there’s a toddler in the vicinity.

Nothing beats a post-Thanksgiving couch spot with a soft blanket (although regular couch spots with soft blankets are a close second).