Gathered 'round the Thanksgiving table
I love this time of year because I find myself reminiscing about holidays past and recalling childhood memories. When I think about Thanksgiving, I always remember watching in anticipation as my mom made my favorite sweet crescent rolls the night before and then rolled them out Thanksgiving morning. Thanksgiving was never Thanksgiving in our house without oodles and oodles of those rolls. We’d eat them for days afterwards – if they lasted that long. Often, after dinner was done, the pies would sit on the counter while we curled up in the family room piecing on crescent rolls and watching Dad’s favorite movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
This is now a familiar sight in my home at Thanksgiving – only now I’m preparing the dough the night before and rolling out several batches of rolls, even when it’s just my little family and I as it will be this year. I’m sure my little girl will be right there by my side creating a memory that I hope will be repeated every year.
How will you create Thanksgiving memories this year?
Apart from baking, I’ve decided to begin a new tradition in my family – a way to capture and create memories for my children. When my family comes to the table this year, they will find a white table cloth with fabric paint and markers. And before any little fingers dig into the sweet potatoes, their little handprints will be impressed upon the table, and we will each leave a note describing something we are thankful for this year. It will be so fun to see their little hands grow each year and to recall our many blessings.
If you’re looking for some ideas for ways to create Thanksgiving memories this year, here are a few more:
- Keep your family focused on the spirit of thanks all month. Create a turkey cut-out to put on the wall, and after dinner each night, have family members write something they are thankful for on a paper feather and tape them to the turkey. As the month goes by, you’ll have a reminder of how incredibly blessed you are.
- Invite others to share the holiday with your family such as singles, college students, or other families who are far from their loved ones.
- Compete for the dishes. After dinner, play a game together. The losing team has to do the dishes.
- Turn Black Friday into Family Friday. Stay home and enjoy family time together. Establish a traditional family activity: Watch a Christmas movie, make handmade Christmas ornaments, build gingerbread houses, bake cookies, or play games.
- Show your gratitude in your community. As a family, choose someone in your community who deserves your thanks such as firefighters, policemen, volunteers, or perhaps a soldier who is deployed (or his or her family). Bake a treat and write a note and deliver (or ship) it to them as a family. A great activity for Family Friday!
- Burn the Bird together. Burn off the calorie-rich feast by participating in a family run/walk. Your local community may be hosting one, and it may also benefit a local charity.
- Create a keepsake. Gather your favorite holiday recipes and pictures of loved ones from your Thanksgiving feast to create a keepsake family cookbook – a perfect Christmas gift for your guests. There are many services online to assist you in creating your cookbook, and they appear to be very reasonably priced. Here is just one we came across.
Wishing you wonderful memories and a Happy Thanksgiving!
-Jasmine
If you have any ideas you would like to share, please do! Just leave us a comment below!
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