It seems like the school year just started, yet somehow, it’s mid-November! Planning for the holidays is exciting and stressful at the same time, but there are some easy ways to tip the scale toward joy. Namely: Don’t try to do everything yourself.

At Good Eggs, we help a lot of families eat throughout the week. Our goal is to provide great tasting, healthy food for our community, while at the same time supporting local farmers and food producers by connecting them with customers who value sustainability, integrity, and quality. When it’s all working, it’s a symbiotic relationship between growers, makers, and eaters.

So what does that look like at the holidays?

Below, we’re serving up 3 main pieces of advice + loads of meal-time inspiration to make Thanksgiving prep a bit easier—straight from the Good Eggs Kitchen in Oakland, California, to your home, wherever you are!

Decide what you want to make from scratch, and accept some really good help for the rest.

Our chef, Anne Sjostrom, has been working for months developing fantastic Thanksgiving dishes. Anne is an Oakland mom herself; and a super creative, accomplished cook. This year, her holiday menu has many stand-out dishes that arrive ready to heat and serve; as well as meal kits that come prepped and portioned for assembly at home. Try the savory corn pudding (which just happens to be gluten-free), green beans with salsa verde and crispy fried shallots, and warm leek salad with goat cheese and pears. We also partner with local bakers who supply insanely delicious pies! From classic apple and pumpkin, to the more surprising Salty Honey Maple Pie from San Francisco’s Black Jet Baking Co. and Citrus Pie from Berkeley’s Starter Bakery.

Get your hosting provisions early.

It’s so nice to have snacks and drinks on hand for spontaneous visits from friends (or unending visits from family…). Stock up on a nice variety of wines, cocktail supplies, sparkling water, N/A spritzers, and good coffee. And lean on expert curators (like Good Eggs’s buyers) to select assortments of cheeses, antipasti, charcuterie, and crudités. All of it keeps well for a while, and you can lay it out quickly and make everyone happy, including yourself!

Choose some easy, fresh decor and let the kids amplify the vibe.

We source flowers year-round from local farmers, but in the fall, some of them also send us beautiful, handmade wreaths. Full Belly Farm, Fifth Crow Farm, Blue House Farm, Four Sister Farm, and Lunaria Flower Farm all have stunning pieces, including some that use fresh protea and other bright and fragrant botanicals. Splurge on a beautiful one, or instead, get some fresh and dried flowers, spread out some butcher paper, and let the kids get creative making floral crafts for the holiday celebration. The imperfection and handmade nature of these things just makes them all the more special, and you can roll all the scraps into the butcher paper and compost it when craft hour (hours if you’re lucky??) is over.

For more holiday hosting tips from Good Eggs–including a tasty Friendsgiving Menu and some Holiday Cocktail Recipes—be sure to check out their blog, The Source.

Food styling by Haley Hazell.