Dare to Share #445

 It is Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share! 

Happy Thanksgiving! Did you have a nice one?  I am a little late to start the party tonight, because I was prepping for my second Thanksgiving which we are having tomorrow.  My first Thanksgiving was with my boyfriend, his kids, and his mom. It was small with just the 6 of us.  It was their first Thanksgiving without their dad/grandpa since he died last month.  We have all been in the same bubble since we are together every weekend. I still tried to distance just in case. Today we came back to my house to have Thanksgiving dinner with at least one of my kids. Tonight, I made the pumpkin pie, my make ahead stuffed french toast for breakfast tomorrow, and planned the table settings for tomorrow.  It should be a fun day.  After dinner, we plan to put up my Christmas tree, and possibly see the Christmas lights downtown. 

 

I am curious, have you already put up your Christmas tree?  

Since I hope to get up early in the morning to start the turkey, lets get this party started.  

Link up and HAVE FUN!! 

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Dare to Share #444

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thanksgiving "Turkey" Sandwiches

Dare to Share #443

It is Friday night, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share! 

We had another busy week at school this week. As of right now we are still in session face to face several days a week, but there is talk that we may be going virtual very soon with the Covid numbers currently at a record high.  Are your schools in person or online where you live?   

I am starting to think a lot more about Thanksgiving.  It's hard to believe it is less than two weeks away.  I know our celebration will be very small with just a few people.  I did just share an article with 3 tips for a close-knit Thanksgiving on the blog. I will also be crafting some Christmas DIYs this weekend so stayed tuned for those. 

Well it looks like it is time to get this week's party started.  Link up and HAVE FUN! 

 

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3 Tips to Planning a Close-Knit Thanksgiving on a Budget

 If you are feeling like me, you are wondering what the holidays are going to look like this year.  This pandemic has changed so many things about our everyday lives, including the holidays.  This year is the year we are not having huge parties, or large family get togethers. In many states including mine, it is suggested that we celebrate Thanksgiving with only those in our immediate households.  With all the changes in mind, I am sharing this article with tips on how to plan a small family Thanksgiving 

3 Tips to Planning a Close-Knit Thanksgiving on a Budget

The holidays are my favorite time of the year. Between the famous family recipes, spending time with loved ones and reflecting on everything I am so thankful for, it’s easy to love the holiday season. Last week, I shared a few of my favorite Thanksgiving turkey crafts which offer my family and I some added time together, but the options for bonding time are endless. 

As I sit here thinking about the next several holiday weeks ahead, I can’t escape the thought that this year will be quite different than past holiday celebrations due to COVID-19. Fewer people at the table and tighter budgets than normal mean people, including myself, must get creative in celebrating the holidays. With that being said, here are a few ideas of mine to help you enjoy the holiday season on a budget and in a close-knit group!

Relax Together

The holidays are meant to be spent with family and close friends, and that’s no different in my house. Whenever I host a holiday, my biggest worry is that there won’t be ample seating space for guests to all be together. While the kids can play in their rooms or the basement, I always make sure the adults get first pick in seats, and try to ensure that I have the comfiest  sofa furniture for them to choose from. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than enjoying a meal, then relaxing and sharing stories with those I’m closest to.

Plan Games

After the meal is finished, a long-standing tradition in my family is for us to all gather around and play games together. With a smaller gathering this year, the games will mean that much more to my family. Board games from Monopoly to Apples to Apples and even Charades allow us to spend quality time together and include everyone. If you are inviting a small group of friends and family over for Thanksgiving, ask each family coming to bring their favorite game to share. Not only are games a fun way to spend time laughing, but odds are you have a few lying around the house already and won’t have to go out and buy anything new!

Prep the House

Possibly the best part of the calendar switching from October to November is the general feeling of the upcoming holiday season. For me, this means decorating and Christmas music accompanied by holiday movies. Plan a weekend before the holidays to spend time with those you’re closest with and put up the decorations while listening to music to get into the holiday spirit. After a day of prepping and decorating the house with garland, sitting down to watch the 25 Days of Christmas movies has always been a holiday favorite at my house.

Take Time For Yourself

At the end of the day, the holidays are a time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. Between the shopping, party planning, cooking and everything in between, sometimes you may feel overwhelmed and swept up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Considering the craziness of what’s been going on in the world this year, the holidays should be your escape. Make sure to take time for yourself and enjoy the moments with those you love most in your home. 

Dare to Share #442

 It is Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share! 

Wow, what a week.  When I posted last Friday, I posted about my boyfriend's dad.  My boyfriend and I had the chance to celebrate our birthdays on Halloween, but about 9 pm, we got the call. His dad had passed. I quickly packed a bag and we made the almost 3 hour trip to his moms house. We spent the next couple of days with his family helping his mom take care of everything.  I was off work on Tuesday because in my state many of the schools are polling places, so we did not have the school that day.  The last few days of school has been very busy. We were actually short a few subs, and had to call in a few from other schools.  This weekend we plan on having a small family birthday party with his kids to celebrate out birthdays with them. 

While I did not have the chance to do any crafting this week, I did share some of my most recent holiday and clearance finds on Instagram.

I also had a chance to share some past Thanksgiving turkey crafts  from past Thanksgivings.  If you are looking for quick and easy crafts be sure to check them out. 

It looks like it is time to get the party started.  Link up and HAVE FUN! 

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Thanksgiving Turkey Crafts

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to re-share some of my favorite Thanksgiving crafts. There are too many for just one post, so I am breaking it up into two posts.  Today you will see all things turkey.  

In the picture above, I made adorable turkey napkin rings, out of a paper towel tube and craft paper. 

Another favorite is my turkey place card, made from craft foam and pipe cleaners.  They were fun, colorful, and a huge hit with my family.  

Turkey treat cups  were a colorful and sweet addition to our Thanksgiving table a few years back.  They were filled with candy corn pumpkins which you can find out clearance at many stores right now. 

 Do you have any leftover dollar tree craft pumpkins?  Turn one into a Thanksgiving centerpiece with this turkey pumpkin.

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Using a dollar tree candy dish and some craft supplies I had on hand, I made this Thanksgiving turkey candy dish.

This cute guy was a Kara original during her Crafting with Kara series.  You can see how to make him with this turkey craft tutorial.

What types of crafts are you making for Thanksgiving this year?