Becoming a mom has made me incredibly nostalgic. As my son gets older and becomes more aware of the holidays like Thanksgiving and what they mean, it makes me wistful for the way I grew up -- which couldn't be more different than what he knows.

You see, I was raised in a nice, quaint, mid-western college town. It was the kind of place that had a low crime rate, tree-lined streets, and true neighborhoods where you actually knew your neighbors. Most importantly, almost my entire family was from that town -- aunts, uncles, cousins, great-aunts, etc. By comparison, growing up in Manhattan is completely different in every way. Of course, there are wonderful things about being a city kid, but there are just as many, if not more, amazing things about life far away from the concrete jungle. So here are the things that made Thanksgiving so special for me as a kid:

I suck at planning ahead. No two ways about it, I'm forgetful and always distracted and never prepared for anything, particularly not the holidays -- PARTICULARLY not Thanksgiving. So where was I today, the day before THANKSforGIVINGme-a-migraine? Why, I was at the grocery store, of course, battling all the other last-minute shoppers for whatever was left on the shelves (the dented can thing is a myth, right?).

And you know what? It wasn't so bad. HA! I'm lying! It WAS so bad. It was sooooo bad. As bad, if not worse, than every other last-minute Thanksgiving grocery shopping trip of my life. (You'd think I would've learned my lesson by now, but no.) Perhaps you too are a last-minute shopper? Or maybe you're one of those super-organized types who orders your turkey in August. If you're the former, read the following list and chuckle knowingly. If you're the latter, read the following list and snicker smugly.

It's crunch time, folks: the day before Thanksgiving. Hopefully you've got the turkey brining, anything made ahead you can make ahead, serving dishes set out, etc. Of course, there's more to a beautiful table than the food. A lovely centerpiece reflects the season and sets the tone for a celebration, but with everything else you have to do "easy" is the key. Here's seven that you can do today without entirely losing your mind.

This is the stuff Thanksgiving dreams are made of. Seriously. Stupid pies and lame cranberry sauce can't hold a candle to this super easy stuffing recipe. It's four ingredients and it's the most delicious thing you'll put in your mouth on Turkey Day. I wouldn't lie to you, people, trust me when I tell you that this is the stuffing recipe to end all stuffing recipes. It's been in my family for generations, so consider yourselves lucky (lucky, I say!) that I'm sharing this award-winning* recipe with you lay men and women. It's awesome. Did I mention it's awesome? Stop asking about how awesome it is, already! Here's how we do it.

Ohhh -- Thanksgiving. How we love you! And how we love the alcohol that is hopefully available -- and flowing quite nicely -- on this family-filled day.

Whether you are drinking an ice cold beer, an oaky red wine, or something much harder and on the rocks -- we thought we'd help you add a little spice to your Turkey Day with a drinking game the whole (over 21) family can play.

It's really quite simple.

Among my favorite childhood memories is the Kids' Table. I come from a big family (five kids) within an even bigger family (my dad has 13 brothers and sisters). The grownups were always only too happy to seat us all at a separate table so they could actually have a civilized conversation with each other. And that was just fine with us! The last thing we wanted to have was a civilized conversation.

Ordinarily I'm all for families all eating together around the same table, but there are certain occasions when a kids' table is called for. Here are my kids' table guidelines. 

Forget the stuffing, the casseroles, even the turkey. My favorite part of Thanksgiving has got to be the PIE! What would Turkey Day be without a wide variety of traditional pies -- from pumpkin to triple berry to apple with a crumb crust? Mmm! But who says all your Thanksgiving pies have to be tried and true?

For instance, take this chocolate-whiskey pecan pie recipe. It may have a little bit more kick than the holiday classic, but as far as your taste buds are concerned, that's bound to be a delicious thing!

Thanksgiving is an -- if not the -- ultimate family holiday. So, for better or worse, we're stuck with our loved (or not so loved) ones for at least several hours of eating and drinking. Good times, yes, but it's only a matter of minutes before the dysfunctional behavior comes out. As Stephen Colbert once so wisely put it, "Personally, I love Thanksgiving traditions: watching football, making pumpkin pie, and saying the magic phrase that sends your aunt storming out of the dining room to sit in her car." Yup! Sounds about right!

But hey, since it's generally par for the course, what can we do other than make the best of it? Here, some of the folks whose quirky, wacky, obnoxious, crazy behavior always seems to find its way to the Thanksgiving dinner table and who are best handled with a sense of humor ...