Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

Christmas Time's a'Coming:Thanksgiving

Before I get to today's topic I just want to say, wasn't CIJ awesome this year? I am so inspired, encouraged, and raring to go from all of the terrific posts I read. Thanks to all of you who participated. It was just the kick-start I needed.

So, I found out this weekend that I get to host Thanksgiving this year. I love to host Thanksgiving. When the kids were growing up I hosted it almost every year. It has always been a huge affair in our family with plenty of room for friends and for acquaintances with no where to go. There's just something magical about bringing together a diverse group of people to celebrate all we are thankful for.

As my kids have grown up, my daughter Katie has taken over as host of Thanksgiving. And last year, my niece Shelby hosted for the first time. At first it felt strange to me to go somewhere for Thanksgiving and to not be responsible for everything. But I made the transition quickly and really enjoy being a guest, instead of the hostess.

This year both of my girls are working full time, and Shelby just had her first baby. I figured it was the perfect time for me to take my turn at hosting.

I sat down yesterday and made a list of food categories for the meal. I will decide what I'm going to make and then in late October I'll have the others commit to bringing a dish or two. I always decorate my house for the fall holidays on Labor Day weekend and will stick to that plan.

When I don't host Thanksgiving, I begin the Christmas decorating late in November. Since I am hosting this year, my plan is to decorate the rooms at the back of the house (guest room, laundry room, office, den) for Christmas and leave the living areas decorated for fall.

As soon as the last guest leaves on Thanksgiving, I will take down Fall decor and be ready to finish the front of the house for Christmas.

At least that's my plan as of today!

Thanksgiving 2014

Taking a Break from Christmas to Prepare for Thanksgiving

Only 59 days until Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays. In the past, I have prepared Thanksgiving for large (at least to me) crowds and I loved every minute of it. Since I worked outside of the home in those days, I had to get organized in order for the day to come off without a hitch. Plus, I wanted to be free to enjoy the food, fun, fellowship, friends, and family!

Now is the time to sit down and plan your Thanksgiving dinner menu. If you're going to have a huge crowd, consider asking some of them to contribute by bringing a favorite dish to the meal. Most people want to participate, so when they offer, be ready to say yes! Once your menu is planned, you can start the grocery shopping. Most stores will begin to have their holiday sale items available in the next few weeks. By having a Thanksgiving grocery list you'll be prepared to take advantage of the sales and purchase your items early.

I usually create my guest list in October. Since I like to mail invitations to the dinner, I fill them out and have them ready to mail by the 1st weekend in November. Have your menu close at hand, so when people respond to the invite, you're ready to ask them to bring a dish or to take note of what they offer to bring.

It's never too early to go ahead and decorate your home for the fall holidays. I decorate for Fall every year on Labor Day weekend. I put it all out. Then when Halloween passes, I pull those pieces out and rearrange the remaining items a little. Gourds, pumpkins, and mini pumpkins are in the grocery stores here in Phoenix. I just bought mine yesterday and will be designing pieces with them today. I save my Indian Corn and have had it for several years now. If it starts to look a little worn, I just purchase a few more ears to fill in. It does not mold or spoil (at least not in this dry climate).

If it's just too early for you to think about Thanksgiving I've put a tab with a later timeline at the top of this blog.

I just can't wait for these holidays! Now if the temps would just drop below 100...