As I write this blog tonight there are only 13 days until Thanksgiving!  I LOVE Thanksgiving!  The turkey, the gravy, the pies….mmmm…pies…Can you tell I have been dieting for the last month?  I figured I better diet before the big day so I can be ready to take advantage of eating all the goodies with the upcoming holidays :).  It’s advance planning on my part, eh?  Lose it so I can gain it right back again :). Hey, no judging me…this blog is a judgment free zone 🙂

Seriously though, I do love Thanksgiving.  And I know some people complain about the Christmas music and decorations coming up too soon and overtaking Thanksgiving, but I actually love having the Christmas music and décor compliment my Thanksgiving holiday.  I think Thanksgiving is the perfect kickoff reminder to get us in the thankful Christmas holiday mood.  So blend the two together and let the extra décor compliment your Thanksgiving celebration. 

I thought today I would share a few get ready tips and reminders for your upcoming Thanksgiving celebration:

A little secret I will share with you is my “faux china” that I use for Thanksgiving dinner.  That’s right, I said faux.  There is a little online store that sells plastic disposable plates that look just like real china plates and I am not kidding, they look amazing.  Not only that but they have faux silverware that is really plastic forks, knives, and spoons but they look just like real metal silverware.  And wait, it gets even better; they have faux crystal plastic cups that look like real crystal.  They even have faux linen napkins that look just like linen fabric.  Does it getter any better than all that??  I think not!  I use these every year for the holidays and they look absolutely fantastic and the best part is that you don’t have to wash dishes after dinner!  Instead you get to lie around and play games with your guests instead of slaving away washing dirty plates and cups.  The website I order mine from is http://www.partyatlewis.com/ and I order their Masterpiece line.  If you want to get it I suggest ordering it immediately as it takes a few days to ship out to you and you want it in time for your big day!  Trust me, it is absolutely gorgeous! 

Make sure you have invited everyone that you want to participate in the big dinner.

Make your shopping list of everything you need to buy, remembering that turkey’s go fast and you might want to get your turkey early.  Not only that but remember that frozen turkey’s take time to thaw out so put it in the fridge early to let it start thawing.

If you want great pies you might want to order them from a pie shop early, unless you are a great pie baker, in which case you can feel free to drop any homemade pies off at my house this year!

One secret I use every year is my faux homemade stuffing. I  take Stove Top Stuffing and I make it as per the instructions on the box, but right when you get to the step of mixing in the bread crumbs, I chop up fresh celery and some onions and I add those into the pan with my bread crumbs.  By doing this it gives your stuffing a crunch to it and what’s better is that everyone will assume it is homemade because of the fresh celery and onions – plus it tastes fabulous!

Always make a little extra turkey and then buy soft potato rolls and mayo so you can make yummy turkey rolls for dinner later that night when you start getting hungry again.  Oh, and don’t forget chips and dips to go with them.  Turkey rolls are the best!

One last thing that I thought of that I am going to do with my family this year is the 12 Days of Thanksgiving.  I know, I know, you are thinking I am confused with the 12 Days of Christmas, but I am not.  Yes we do the 12 Days of Christmas, but why shouldn’t we also do the 12 Days of Thanksgiving?  Here is what I propose… we all do the 12 Days of Thanksgiving starting this Saturday.  For every day between this Saturday and Thanksgiving Day we find a way to give Thanks by doing some sort of an act of kindness for someone that shows them how thankful we are to have them in our lives.  It can be something simple like writing them a cute note, or it can be baking them a homemade pie (pick me, pick me!), or it can be helping them with a project they have been trying to finish, or just anything.  Find someone to do that for every day for the 12 day period and keep a little journal each night of the 12 day experience.  You can start it this year as a new annual Thanksgiving Day Tradition for your family to do.  I am going to start it with my family and I am really excited about it.  I can’t think of a better way to get into the spirit of this season, can you? 

Happy Countdown to Thanksgiving everyone!  And share your experiences in the comments this month as you do your countdown!  I would love to hear all the great things that happen to you this month and any great Thanksgiving ideas you can share with all of us!  Please share!

Love ya,

Amy