Holidays are a great way to bring your family together. Memories will be made for your children. Start planning your family get together now with these tips.

1. Plan your meal – Don’t wait until the week before Thanksgiving to decide what your Thanksgiving dinner will include. Start planning today.

What kind of meats will you prepare? Will everyone eat the same meat, or should you cook a couple of different kinds of meat? What sides and desserts will you fix? Planning a family dinner can be taxing if you’re not careful. Be sure to plan for everyone so that nobody will go without something they love to eat.

2. Share the cooking – Don’t try to cook the entire dinner by yourself. Ask different family members to bring something with them. Good cooks love to share their food and recipes. They’ll love cooking and bringing their favorite dishes for the family meal.  Read more...

When people think of Thanksgiving, most remember the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians at Plymouth Rock.  The Pilgrims first arrived in America on December 11, 1620, not prepared for the winter they were to face.  Out of the 102 who arrived on the Mayflower, forty-six of the people died during the first few months.  Despite the devastation, they had a good harvest, partly in thanks to the Indians who lived nearby. 

They had a traditional British Harvest Feast in thanks to God for surviving and the blessings of provisions that would see them through the winter.  In contrast to our modern Thanksgiving menu, they actually had more meat than vegetables, including venison, fish and wild foul, which may or may not have actually been turkey.  They probably didn’t have much in the way of desserts, as they didn’t have a lot of flour or sugar on hand.  They probably had some fruits and corn.  Instead of pumpkin pie, they probably had boiled pumpkin.  The first Thanksgiving feast lasted for three days.  Read more...

There is nothing more special than to hang a Thanksgiving wreath on your front door.  It is inviting as well as pleasing to the eye.  For this Thanksgiving, why not involve your entire family in the craft of making a Thanksgiving wreath?  Here are some suggestions.

Having ventured out to various stores, Thanksgiving items are already being displayed.  One store had a beautiful wreath made of grapevine with fall-colored leaves attached.  Although the leaves were plastic, it was a simple, yet elegant wreath.  The more one looked at it, the more it seemed it could be spruced up by adding additional items such as berries, nuts, or perhaps a small pumpkin in the center.

Another wreath was quite impressive.  This one used the basic grapevine, but the leaves were freshly picked and dried, then glued to the vine.  In addition, there were feathers and beautiful red and green checked fabric which was used to tie berry branches to the vine as well.   Read more...

The holiday season is notorious for packing on the pounds, but eating a good Thanksgiving meal doesn’t mean you have to eat fattening foods.  And eating a healthy meal doesn’t mean you have to forego your Thanksgiving favorites.  Here are some easy ways to tweak the classics to be a bit healthier for you and your family.

* Spices.  As long as you use tasting and add them in small increments, adding extra spices to your foods is a great way to cut back on calories.  If the food is well seasoned, you won’t need to add butter or gravy to make it taste good.  Plus, if food is hot or spicy, you tend to eat less of it. 

* Evaporated milk.  This is great for adding to recipes like pies or gravy.  It adds flavor without all the calories of cream.  Just remember to use a product made from skim milk.  Read more...

Hair bows have always been an attractive accessory to wear on any occasion.  Thanksgiving is no exception.  If you love making hair bows, here are a few suggestions for Thanksgiving hair bows which may be helpful in creating a unique and beautiful accessory for you and your daughter to wear on this special day.

Depending upon the outfit you are wearing on Thanksgiving, you can choose wide ribbons in the following colors: white, orange, or ivory.  Black would be more appropriate for an adult.  Choose satin ribbons since they are classic and elegant as well. 

Next, decide what ornament you wish to place in the center of the bow.  For Thanksgiving, you may want to choose one of the following:  autumn leaves, a cornucopia, or a large sunflower.  Next, tie the satin ribbon into a large bow.  Find another ribbon of lesser width to place under the centerpiece of your choice.  For example, if you are wearing a large sunflower, you may want to buy light brown ribbon and cut two pieces, make an X shape and glue or staple it to the center of the satin ribbon.  On top of the brown ribbon, the large sunflower would be glued.  Read more...

We all know that Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with family and friends.  Many of us also know it is a great way to pack on the pounds.  While Thanksgiving has become associated with stuffing ourselves, there are ways to help curb your eating and give yourself a positive start to the holiday season.  Here are some tips for cutting back this turkey day.

Not eating too much on Thanksgiving actually starts before the big day.  Stress of making travel arrangements, buying supplies, and coordinating get-togethers can cause you to start eating more before turkey day even arrives.  Remember to take time to de-stress, relax, and take some time for yourself during the month of November.  This is also a good philosophy to keep through the rest of the holiday season as well.  Read more...

One of the most recognizable symbols of Thanksgiving is a cornucopia, or horn of plenty.  It represents a bountiful harvest.  It can make a lovely centerpiece on any holiday table.  There are many different ways you could make a cornucopia, using different materials, many of which you can find around your home.

By using a wicker basket shaped like a horn, it is quite easy to do a basic cornucopia.  Most craft stores carry them, usually in early fall, if not year round.  Once you’ve selected a lovely basket, you can either fill it with artificial or real fruit and vegetables. If you chose to use real produce, it’s probably best to wait to fill the basket the day of your dinner so it doesn’t spoil before dinner.  Some fall leaves scattered around the cornucipia are a nice finishing touch.  Read more...