Thanksgiving Blessings and some Ideas for KIDS on your celebration

Our turkey last year prepared in a buttermilk brine

This is a Total Thanksgiving post. It's almost the time for each family to have their Norman Rockwell moment. I've gathered some last minute ideas for YOU.

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For a full and very traditional Thanksgiving Day menu, read this post: Celebrated Day of American Bounty. It shares photos and details of this menu I used last year:

Thanksgiving Menu 2009

Buttermilk-Brined Turkey with Savory Gravy

Apple Cranberry Stuffing

Green Beans tossed in Mushroom Sauce

Creamed Potatoes Mashed

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Ginger-Spiced Cranberry Sauce

5 Cheese Macaroni

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Assorted Homemade Pies

This year, I don't have my menu pulled together yet. I have something different in mind... I will share more on the failure or success of that idea AFTER the holiday. {wink}

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I shared the Plum Thanksgiving Table for this year,

now about the KIDS...

Maybe you've made these when you were young...


My kids were wearing really, super HUGE smiles when they bounced in the kitchen and saw this after school treat. My boys only drink soda pop 1-3 times a year so I'm not sure if they were more excited for the soda or the lil turkey cups! These lil turkeys are perfect for kids. I saw these fun ideas at the Pebbles in my Pocket online store. It's a simple and easy craft for kids too.

We are saving the cups to use at the Thanksgiving kid's table. It will be a new addition to the same traditional turkey placemats I use at their table every year.

Last season I made a Mayflower ship centerpiece using a basket, twigs, and burlap.


Pears made the perfect place card. Simply push a nametag into a pear with a pin. Ta Da.


For the setting, I am loving the wood flatware like I used at the LEGO party! This flatware is awesome....really.

You know I'm a big user of ribbon and twine! It can make most anything look cute and it's a super easy way to add embellishments. For kids, yarn is a charming alternative to ribbon.

In our home we have books stacked under lamps, beside chairs, and scattered on tables. Each season I switch out the books that are at the kids' level to pique their interest and to encourage them to cozy up and read.

The boys also learn through tacky art each season. It never fails, the boys' art always makes my heart and Chris' heart SMILE. This type of art is likely posted on the walls of EVERY home with kids. It's these little things that are worth treasuring...watching their little fingers grip the crayon, seeing their furrowed brow as they concentrate, listening to them excitedly display the finished product. This is the type of art that is truly worth some serious money, right?


I caught Titus with my cell phone camera as he rushed up the stairs with his leaf collection. He was in awe of them and planned on saving them forever.


The boys also decorated our yard with leaves. Humm. Instead of removing leaves from the yard, my kids are bringing them in by the handfuls and decorating our lawn and bushes with them. They think the massive yellow leaves are "so pretty Mom!"

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Thanksgiving is such a unique holiday. We can all celebrate it together, regardless of religion. There is something beautiful in that unity. There is also something beautiful in using a holiday to celebrate a character quality. Gratitude and a thankful heart are treasures to keep. They can easily be robbed or lost by a selfish, negative spirit. We have MUCH to be thankful for, whatever our circumstance. Hold on to that gratitude. It will be the thing to sustain you when life isn't nice.

So, Give Thanks.
Always.
In all situations.
Gratitude always wins.

Be blessed.

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This post is linked to: Domestically Speaking, Dare To, DIY Living, Seasonal Sundays, Days of Thanksgiving, Strut Your Stuff at Saturday Mornings, Making the World Cuter, Motivate Me Mondays, Market Yourself Mondays, It's So Very Creative, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy, Tuesdays at the Table, Topsy Turvy Tuesday, Tuesdays Unwrapped, Toot Your Horn Tuesday, Get Your Craft On, We're Organized Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Show and Tell, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Tablescape Thursday, Spotlight Yourself, Show off Your Stuff, Strut Your Stuff, Friday Favorites*, Show and Share Day, Foodie Friday*, I'm Lovin It*, Funky Junk Interiors*, Fabulous Friday Finds*, Tickled Pink*, Be Different Act Normal, Weekend Wrap Up