Thanksgiving looms, and while it is, indeed, a day for giving thanks and gathering together with family, friends, and loved ones, if we're being honest it can also be kind of a headache. Travel, by air or by car, is unruly; people get stressed putting together complex menus; and who knows what to bring the host? Here, my friends, is a bit of help for you:The Cook: It can be hard enough preparing food for a group on, arguably, the most food-centric day of the year. Don't make it even harder by working with the wrong tools. Cooking.com has everything you need and a plethora of gadgets you didn't even know you did, from a $19.95 potato ricer -- a necessity for the fluffiest mashed potatoes, to a $34.95 digital thermometer, to a Turkey-day, brine-and-rub mix for $15.95.The Host: While lots of hard work goes on in the kitchen to prepare a holiday feast, it's also no small feat to make the table look effortlessly festive. Instead of tackling the long line at the florist, Proflowers.com has a great selection of both flower arrangements and autumnal centerpieces, which can be delivered to your door for under $40. Alternately, Crateandbarrel.com has a dual-purpose, autumn berry wreath that you can hang on your door and use as a centerpiece. It's $29.95, for those of you who prefer reusable decorations.The Attendee: Picking a gift for the host can be daunting, especially when you don't want to show up with the ubiquitous bottle of wine or bunch of flowers. Instead, try something the host can use and enjoy well after the table has been cleared. Bathandbodyworks.com has a great little Pamper & Unwind, stress-relieving kit that comes with lotion, body wash, pillow mist and scented tea light candles. Everything is in de-stressing eucalyptus spearmint and comes wrapped in a bow for $17.If You're Mailing It In: Sometimes geography, promises to your in-laws, or any number of other impediments get in the way of spending Thanksgiving with loved ones. If you still want to show you care, do it the old fashioned way: do it with pie. Momsapplepieco.com has a stellar array of homemade pies (they hand-peel their hand-grown apples) in the $15 range. After all, nothing says, "I wish I could be there" quite like a bourbon walnut pie. I hope these ideas can help take a little bit of stress off your shoulders during the upcoming holiday weekend: no thanks required.(Helen Malani is the chief shopping expert for Shopzilla.com, an E.W. Scripps company and the largest comparison-shopping search engine on the Web. E-mail askhelen(at)shopzilla.com.)
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