Thanksgiving 2016

Welcome to the weekly link-up recently turned Blog-Hop Just Enough Info or just, JEI for short. This lovely Blog-Hop is hosted by The Zelie Group and we would love for you to join us! This week we are discussing Thanksgiving! I'll also be sharing some of our fun activities we have been doing during this fun family holiday! Let's get started with this week's questions:

Do you have to cook for Thanksgiving? If yes, what’s on the menu? If no, high five!

Yes! I always cook for Thanksgiving! I love to do it and I hope I am able to do it for years to come! We were lucky enough to enjoy a Turkey Trot and Thanksgiving feast at the kids' school this past Friday, a Friendsgiving in my cousin's home this past Sunday and an amazing Thanksgiving with new friend's yesterday. We like to cook a lot so we have leftovers to make soup and casserole over the week after Thanksgiving. Here was our menu:

Appetizers:

Crockpot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Meat and Cheese Tray

Vegetable Tray

Dinner:

Turkey

Cranberry Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes

Macaroni and Cheese

Peas and Onions

Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Sauce

Gravy

Drinks:

Cranberry Apple Cider Sangria

Sprite

Cranberry Sprite

Sparkling Apple Cider (Non-Alcoholic) 

Desserts:

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Fruit Salad (Brought by our friends)

Pumpkin Roll (Brought by our friends)

Ube Cheesecake 

(I purchased this homemade dessert from a coworker who makes this dessert from scratch!)

I am still in a food coma and exited about leftover meals this week! I am also excited to start my new workouts starting today! I have to get back to where I was so I am healthy for myself and my kids. Want some of my recipes? Just comment below!

What famous person would you like to invite to your family Thanksgiving?

If I could invite any famous person to our family Thanksgiving, I would love to have Pope Francis over! How amazing and life changing of an experience that would be! I could imagine that there would be no better Thanksgiving!

Excluding family, health and basic needs met - what are 3 things that you are thankful for?

Well since I am not suppose to mention my husband, kids, health and my basic needs.. this list may seem weird to some but I am truly thankful for my cats, coffee and time to make memories! These aren't things that I need to survive, unlike my family, health and home, but they definitely make life more amazing!

1. My Cats: Lemon, Shadow and Cloudy

I know that's probably funny to hear but these little fur balls of pure love really keep me sane sometimes. As I am typing this, Lemon is snuggling with me on my heated blanket and purring. It's an amazing feeling feeling of relaxation and love combined into one. You like our holiday accents for our fur babies? 

2. Coffee!

Coffee is a life-saver for me! I live off of it. With juggling the kids crazy schedules (sports, therapy, cub scouts and friends) with my work schedule, household work and the million other things I find myself getting into, the caffeine pickup is a necessity! Plus it tastes amazing! Pumpkin Spice, peppermint mocha, hazelnut flavors ... lattes, cold brew or a cup of french press... so many options and I love them all!

3. Time to Make Memories

Making memories and enjoying experiences are the MOST important to me. I love having time to celebrate things, even if it's not super exciting to anyone else. For example, the boys had a Turkey Trot and Thanksgiving celebration at school and I decided to make Turkey T-shirts and masks. I think the whole family had a blast! All the stuff I needed to make these fun turkey costume pieces I found at the local craft store. Even the shirts the boys are wearing in the first picture at the top of this post. 

For the masks:

Plain white mask

Brown felt (Turkey mask base)

Yellow Felt (Beak)

Red Felt (Wobble)

All I did to make the masks was place the felt over the brown felt and layered it with a second mask to draw the outlines of the mask. I should have drawn the eye outline as well instead of guessing as you can see from the white part of the mask showing through. I hand drew the wobble and beak in the corresponding felt and used fabric glue to stick it all together! If you have elastic, you can skip the white mask all together and  just add the elastic to the felt mask itself. Super easy and super cute. 

For the shirts:

Plain T-shirt (I wanted to find brown shirts but could only find black shirts)

Red, orange, yellow felt (feathers but you can use any colors!)
White Felt (Eyeballs)
Black Sharpie

Yellow Felt (Beak)

Red Felt (Wobble)

Draw some feathers in the colored felt, cut them out and fabric glue them on the back of your shirt to be able to make the 'Shake Your Tail-feather" Shirt. If you like the one pictured at the top too you could add it to your tail feather shirt or by itself! Just cut some white felt circles for the eyes (Sharpie to make the pupils). Yellow felt for a beak and red felt for the wobble. 

You have all week to answer this week's questions all about Thanksgiving:

1. Do you have to cook for Thanksgiving?  If yes, what’s on the menu?  If no, high five!

2. What famous person would you like to invite to your family Thanksgiving?

3. Excluding family, health and basic needs met - what are 3 things that you are thankful for?

Next week we will be discussing all about Holiday Get-Togethers:

1. What's your go-to "someone's coming over" recipe? 

2. You have 5 minutes to tidy before guest arrive. What are your tidying shortcuts? 

3. What sort of music sets the mood for the perfect gathering?

The Zelie Group has some fun questions coming up in the next few weeks so make sure to follow us on Facebook and we would love to hear what you are interested in! What are you looking to learn about? Do you have questions about the Faith? Questions about the Liturgical Year? We want to help and learn and grow with you and your families!

Also stop by the new Page I created on my blog for new information concerning The Zelie Group. It is a work in progress but it has a good start!

God Bless!