Over Planner or Pleasantly Prepared

It may only be October, but I am already planning my Thanksgiving. Kevin thinks I am a crazy over planner, and I might be, but I claim to need a project. I love to plan things out, and don't really seem to mind when the plan changes from day to day. I loved planning my wedding. I liked looking for houses. I liked looking at ideas to decorate my house. So now I am needing another project. Something that I enjoy doing, and that I can be organized doing. Yeah, I could help write some of our policy and procedure manual for work, but does that really sound fun to anyone? I want an after work project. So much to my sister's annoyance, I have started planning our menu for Thanksgiving. The truth, is I started planning this last month, maybe even in August, but wasn't ready to admit to my personal insanity. Honestly, it helps me sleep at night. That may sound absurd, but if I am not planning out a menu, a party, or decorating a room, my mind wanders to work and I start freaking out about things I have waiting for me on my desk. So I put together a menu and shopping list on an excel spreadsheet. I love spreadsheets! I feel so organized. I like when I can play with formulas and sort and filter! Our family budget is on a spreadsheet and I love being able to track our spending! Sick, I know. Back to the holiday menu, I have a column for the meal, and which day, what will be served, and who will be responsible. Let me back up, for Thanksgiving this year, we will all be heading down to our timeshare in Oceanside, CA; my parents, bothers, grandparents, sister's family, my husband, and I. We will be there for a full week, and there are a 10 people to feed. The other challenge I love, it to make a healthy, yet tasty, diet the my point counting parents will enjoy. I would show you and example, but you lose the true feeling without the table view from the spreadsheet. All of this may change when we arrive and head to the grocery store. After I return, I will begin planning my Christmas Brunch with Kevin's family, and the Christmas dinner with my parents. Yeah for holiday food!