Get Ready, Get Set

I was wandering around a new Ross in the neighborhood, and found some great name-brand stemware! It got me thinking, "Do I have enough glasses, dishes, place mats, and napkins?" The result of this thought got me digging around the cupboards for the entertaining dishes and glasses to see what I have.

• I set up the dining room table with a place setting and counted off how many guests we will have this year.
• I took out all the serving dishes and labeled them with sticky notes with what will be served in each.
• I pulled out all the cookware I will need for my menu.
• I took out the table clothes, place mats, and napkins to be freshened and pressed too. 

And today I will be shopping. I have an organized list of what I need for the holiday. I know Ross and Bed, Bath and Beyond have some great items - and I have a stack of coupons for BB&B! Cost Plus World Market is another "go to" place for me to shop. Try this yourself. I assure you it gets you planned and ready for turkey day!

Share A Story

When you host Thanksgiving your house is full of family of different "ages and stages." Imagine the history... I don't have any of my grandparents left to join us for the holidays and often wonder why I never asked a particular question. I know... hindsight is 20/20, right? But I would like to take this opportunity today to ask you to honor the generation before you this Thanksgiving by inviting these family members to bring some photo albums to share. As the saying goes, "A picture's worth a thousand words." But do you know the words? Turn the TV off, slow down, and listen to stories of your family. Let the "elders" talk freely with your kids, nieces, and nephews. Uncle Keith has worked on cars for years, but has he ever told you when he... Let them brag, inspire and embellish! In fact, ask your cousins, brothers, and sisters to bring along a few photos too. Even though you may have attended the same "event" their perspective may open your own eyes to a new take on the story!

How many of you have had to suffer through a school genealogy project for you child? I am constantly stuck with this one! Here's an opportunity for your kids to take the reigns, scan some pictures for next year's place cards, add that Apache Indian relative to the family tree, write down the medals Grandpa was awarded for service in World War II, and FINALLY get hold of Great Aunt Neva's applesauce cake recipe! Perhaps stopping for a few days to listen, laugh, embrace and honor how your family came to be this Thanksgiving Day is just what everyone really needs this holiday.

Table Place Cards

An non-edible one today... I am a scrapbook-er at heart. I love the paper and design of the craft. So it didn't take much for me to put together some place cards for Thanksgiving this year. I had all my supplies so it was completely inexpensive.

I started with 4x4 squares and used rusts and burnt orange along with some olive green. I folded them in half like a standard table tent and used decorative scissors on the bottom front edge. I found casual pictures of every guest (I never throw away pictures!), mounted them on cream card stock, and mounted those on the table tents. I went on a walk and found some acorns, acorn caps, small leaves, and some seeds. I glued those on the table tent next to the picture of the guest. I think they look great.

If you have guests that arrive before the big day and need something for them to do, this is a great activity. You could even extend it and have them write why they are thankful for that person on the inside. I assure you it will be a treasure!

Family Holiday Icebreaker

I love hosting Thanksgiving. I enjoy the planning of the holiday - everything from the menu to where everyone will sleep! It is also important to me to entertain my guests young and old. So when the family gets together for Thanksgiving I make sure I have some plans. Although I do try to make the plans as low key as possible, everyone seems to enjoy.

Today's idea is something I found in Parenting Magazine several years ago - a family BINGO card. Instead of numbers, fill in the boxes with facts about the guest, like "Mimi plays the accordion," or "Uncle Paul plays baseball." I use this on Thanksgiving Day because that is when every guests is present. Give each child a crayon with their BINGO card to use throughout the day. Ask them to check off the boxes when they find something out on the card. If you have pre-readers pair them up with an older child or adult. Everyone feels important. Adults get to share a story and the kiddos not only get a story to remember but check off a box. Five in a row means BINGO!

Thanksgiving Timelines

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/ Has Thanksgiving Timelines! just what a good planner needs.

In addition, I found Food Network will be answering a Thanksgiving recipe question each week for the month of November.

Turkey Treats

I use the whole month of November to get ready for Thanksgiving. There are so many things to do... planning the menu, planning kids' activities, planning adult activities, CLEANING! When I plan ahead I get everything done. So this month's blogs will be dedicated to giving you ideas to get ready for the holiday.

On that note, here is a kids' Thanksgiving dessert that is so easy and could be used as a place card holder for your Thanksgiving table. I have also brought these little turkeys into my children's classrooms for Grandparents Day before school closes for Thanksgiving Break. Not sure where I found this, but Sharon Ostrander submitted the idea to a magazine I picked up somewhere and tore it out from several years ago. You will need:

• chocolate star candies (turkey feet or base)
• caramel squares (turkey body)
• chocolate striped shortbread cookies (turkey feathers)
• candy corn (turkey beak)

1. Microwave caramel squares 2 at a time for no more than 10 seconds.
2. Place the caramel on top a chocolate star.
3. Turning the shortbread cookie so stripes go horizontally, stand it behind the caramel.
4. Place the candy corn on top of the caramel sticking out like a beak.

Cute little turkey, huh? When I use these for place card holders, I sit the name card atop the caramel turkey body to lean back to the cookie feathers. I assure you your guests will find their place quickly to get this snack!

Fall Centerpieces

Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. But before you start packing away (or throwing away) the pumpkins you had out for Halloween, here is a centerpiece idea to use for the month of November.

Start with a silver platter. You will probably be taking items like this out for Thanksgiving anyway. Polish them up now for your centerpiece. Next, place a low and wide silver bowl on top to center the platter. In the bowl place a flatter red-orange pumpkin/gourd. Use a couple of smaller white Cinderella pumpkins/gourds to fill up most of the remaining space. Bosch pears work nicely with this color scheme - one in the bowl and two on the silver tray. I like persimmons too. They look different! I never know what to do with them except centerpieces! Grab a few and some bright orange oranges or clementines. Find some with the green leaves or stems still attached. A couple of large brown leaves found on a neighborhood walk to finish off the bowl will definitely give an organic feel to the centerpiece. Arrange your gourd stems to point different directions too. Of course the fruits will be eaten but it's easy to replace them.

Centerpieces can be as free-form as you like, but keep the arrangement low. It shouldn't block any one's view of other's seated at the table.