Moving Forward With A Clean Slate

Hello lovely readers! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and hopefully were able to enjoy an extended weekend.

We had a wonderful day! Grandma and Grandpa came over, we feasted on good food, played cards, and watched a movie. What a blessing!

 

 

Friday was a nice, relaxing day. No crazy Black Friday shopping for me! Nope! This girl stayed in her p.j.'s. All. Day. Long. Hubster did his job of putting the Christmas tree up and putting on all the lights. I spent most of the day removing all the pumpkins and signs of Fall....which left THIS.....

 

 

 

 

....a clean, neutral slate to welcome Christmas décor with! Hurray!!

 

Yesterday the kids were still off from school, so we had an extra bonus day at home. I spent a good bit of time trimming the tree. I also pulled a couple Christmas things out for the kitchen. It's a process for me. So things will start to take shape over the next few days.

 

I have a busy week ahead. Hubster's birthday is on Thursday. Then I will be preparing to celebrate our oldest son's (16th!) birthday with family this weekend. So that will include some cooking, cleaning, and shopping. I hope to get some Christmas spirit tossed about the house too. Because, as you can see, except for the tree, it's pretty boring in here right now. But it's good to have a clean slate to start with.

 

I'm excited to share this season with you! I have post ideas swirling around in my head.....kind of like visions of sugarplums. Hopefully next week I'll be sharing Christmas décor with you. I have a couple posts I want to share about Christmases when I was growing up. And I still haven't told you about the adventure that Hubster and I went on last week! I can't wait to share THAT story! Let's just say it involves the playroom.

 

So I hope you will choose to come hang out with me this Christmas season as we prepare to celebrate the greatest Gift given to this world!

 





This And That And Giving Thanks

Time sure is flying, isn't it? Thanksgiving week is already upon us! I have a busy few days ahead, so I thought I'd better check in here with a post before the week gets away from me.

 

First up, a little update on my paperwhites.

 



 They are pretty amazing to watch actually. The bulbs look like they're just thrown into the dirt, but when you look more closely, you can see how strongly rooted they really are. They seem to grow every day. In a few short weeks, I should have beautiful blooms. I'm excited!

 

 

I'm also excited that my dear Hubster is taking a couple extra vacation days this week. We are going on a little adventure tomorrow that I'm looking forward to and Wednesday, we will be doing some preparations for Thanksgiving. Of course I'll be making my favorite sweet potato recipe. YUM!

 

And Friday the tree goes up! Yikes! And Saturday, we have a wedding to attend.

 

I also wanted to let you know that I'm trying to use Instagram a bit. I haven't gotten around to adding a link here yet, but you can follow me @ jillc12 if you'd like .

I have so much to be thankful for this year. God has been so faithful to me. I'm so grateful that in all the ups and downs of life that HE never changes.

I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving and that you are able to take time out of the busyness of the season to consider all you have to be thankful for.

Setting The Table For Thanksgiving

This year I will be hosting my family for Thanksgiving and yesterday I decided to do my table's dress rehearsal. I love puttering around, mixing and matching, and grabbing things from around my home to make a pretty table.

I fell in love with Lauren's table over at The Endearing Home....especially the beautiful Thanksgiving napkins she found at Pier 1. They were a bit of a splurge, but I kept reminding myself of all the "fraying" Mom and I did for napkins for my Easter table....so I went for it. Thankfully, they were on sale and I had a coupon, so that helped. And they were the only thing new that I purchased for the table. Everything else I already had.

So the napkins were the jumping off point and I knew they would look nice with my black and white dishes. I never intended to use the turquoise dishes though. We could have as many as eleven for Thanksgiving dinner, and I so I started experimenting with different place setting combinations so I would have enough for everyone. That's when I started pulling out the turquoise. And as I looked around my home, I started finding more....first the Ball jars (fancy, I know), and then the candlesticks and tray....and it all started coming together. Once I had that all in place, I started contemplating adding some Fall colors, but I decided to keep it simple with just a wire basket filled with pinecones.

Here are the three different place settings I came up with. The clothespin chalkboard tags I used for place cards came from Target (okay, so I did purchase those too. I forgot.) You can see the details of the napkins better in these photos too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If everyone does wind up coming, we will set up another table for the kids. I love Thanksgiving! The good food and time spent with family is special. I love when there's a chill in the air and everyone is just content to stay inside and spend time together.

 

 

 

 

Last year, I wrote a post about our Thanksgiving traditions if you'd like to read about that.

 

And if you need more inspiration for your holiday table, here's the Thanksgiving table I put together last year.....just for you!



November Is Here!

It's hard to believe that we have already flipped our calendars over to November! The weatherman is already predicting cold and snowy days in the near future. Our calendar is filling up with birthdays to celebrate, doctor's appointments, days off school, a wedding to attend, and of course Thanksgiving.

The kids are already getting excited about putting up the Christmas Tree. But it seems to me like we just took it down a couple weeks ago!

 

 

Back in the Summer, I wrote about being intentional. This season of the year is also an important time to do that. It can become so busy with activities and things we THINK we have to do. It can become really easy to forget the importance of and the reasons why we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas if we aren't intentional about how we spend our time and what truths and memories we want to instill in our kids.

 

I've actually had the idea of making a "Holiday List" (incorporating both Thanksgiving and Christmas) to try and focus our attention. We'll see how that goes.

 

What are YOU doing to prepare for the last two months of 2014? (Yikes, I can't believe I said that!)

 

 



Four Things For Friday 11.29.13

Hello everyone and welcome to the post-Thanksgiving edition of Four Things For Friday!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! 

Here we go...

1.) What a blessing to be able to spend time with family yesterday. We had a delicious meal with Hubster's family. By the way, the Cheesy Onion Casserole was a hit....really yummy. Later, we had time to head over to Sal's house for some pie and coffee. Circumstances we know of lately in different friends and acquaintances lives have reminded me about the importance of embracing every moment to be together as family and to not take any time for granted. It is so great to be able to have a day without distractions and other commitments to be able to just be together. I'm really grateful for those who work in service occupations such as police, firefighters, and hospital employees. I've been there and it is a huge sacrifice to be away from your family on these special days.

2.) Playing board games with your family is one of the best things ever! We did it with both parts of our family yesterday. In both cases, it brought together three generations to have some fun. There is nothing like playing a raucous game of Scattergories with your family! Memories were made, for sure.

3.) Today is the day we put up the Christmas tree at our house! Yeah! 

Here is a "before" picture of our Christmas tree spot. I promise I will show you the "after" next week.

                   

(Really bad, early morning, non-edited "before" shot....so sorry!)

 

4.) I am really excited to blog through this Christmas season. I have a lot of plans going through my head of projects, recipes, and traditions that I want to share with you. I hope you will join me....and maybe even tell a friend.

Well, that's it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

    

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wanted to take a moment today to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

 I hope and pray that you will be able to take some time to think about all you have to be thankful for and to surround yourself with those who mean the most to you.

Today's Thankfulness....

* For family

* For a home

* For health

* For freedom to worship as we wish

* For Jesus, my Savior



Four Things For Friday 11.22.13

Hello and Happy Friday!

Here are some little snippets for today.

1.) I confess that I've been leaving the closet doors open.

2.) I have a little sick one home with me today. She's feeling pretty stuffy. Tis the season, I guess. Time to break out the Airborn and zinc tablets. I don't want us all to be sick for Thanksgiving! Do you use any kind of remedies or supplements to ward off germs?

3.) Only three days of school for the kiddos next week and then a five day break. I think we all could use a little breather from school. I know I'm looking forward to it. My poor 8th grader will probably have homework though. That seems to be the way it is this year.

4.) Have you seen this Onion Casserole recipe floating around on Pinterest? I've decided to make this to take for Thanksgiving. I love French Onion Soup, so this sounds really good to me. I know it won't appeal to everyone, but I think there are enough onion lovers in the group. Are you trying any new recipes for your Thanksgiving meal this year?

Hope you have a happy weekend!


Today's Thankfulness.....

* That I can be a stay-at-home mom and be here when my kids are sick.

* That Hubster arrived home safely last night!!  (Woo hoo!)

* For laughter.

* For new friends.

That Awkward Moment When....

....you don't know if you should be blogging about Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Seriously.

There are the popular trend-setting blogs that have already moved on to Christmas and there are the diehard "there shall be no Christmas decorations until after the turkey has been eaten" folks.

What's a girl to do?

I love Thanksgiving and am SO looking forward to it this year. But I must confess that I've been thinking about Christmas too. I've been thinking about decorations and have even bought a couple new things. I've been working on my Christmas shopping and I'm looking forward to all the wonderful music that proclaims our Savior's birth.

I guess I willl fall somewhere in the middle and write a little about both today.

First up, I discovered this free Thanksgiving printable being offered by The Pleated Poppy the other day while perusing Pinterest.

Isn't it pretty? I think it would look great in a gold frame on your Thanksgiving table as part of a centerpiece. Or maybe print small cards to put at each persons place. I wish I would've found it before I set my Thanksgiving table.

Moving on to Christmas.....

The third annual Holiday House Walk that is hosted by Jennifer Rizzo will be starting on December 2nd.

Five days. Thirty holiday home tours. Trust me, this is the mother of all home tours. I've followed along the last two years and was blown away.

You can get all the details at jenniferrizzo.com.



Today's Thankfulness....

* Hubster is coming home tonight! Yeah!!!

* For my Dad being willing to step in and help while Hubster is away.

* For technology that keeps people connected.

* For the creativity of others that we can gain inspiration from.

A Thanksgiving Recipe: Sweet Potato Souffle

In my post about Thanksgiving traditions I mentioned my mother-in-law's sweet potato recipe and I thought I would share it with you today. It really is yummy!

First, a little bit about the name....

"Sweet Potato"....I realized when I grabbed what I usually use at the grocery store, it's actually YAMS that I've been using all these years. But Sweet Potato Souffle sounds much more charming than Yam Souffle, don't you think?

"Souffle"....If you're looking for something tall, light, and fluffy, this is not it. It's delicious, but is none of those things. Think more along the lines of pumpkin pie.

Okay, so here's a look at the ingredients. Please note that the recipe calls for THREE cans of...YAMS....even though only two are pictured. Also, if you get in the store and get confused about what kind of canned milk to buy (like me), it's the kind you use in pumpkin pie. It helps that my brand has a slice pictured on the can.

Let me tell you a little story about the topping for this recipe....

As you know, Hubster and I were married in November. Our first holiday together as a married couple was Thanksgiving. That year, we were headed to my new in-laws. I had asked what I could bring and my mother-in-law asked if I would make the sweet potatoes if she gave me the recipe. I agreed, although I was a little intimidated by the word "souffle."

We had received a beautiful, round, enameled baking dish as a wedding gift. It had a lovely fruit and leaf pattern on it that looked sort of "cornacopia-ish". I thought it would be perfect for Thanksgiving so I planned to make the sweet potatoes in it.

Thanksgiving morning arrived and I started making the recipe. I told Hubster that I was planning on using the new baking dish. "You ARE?" he asked.

"Yea, isn't it pretty?"

"You can't make the sweet potatoes in THAT!"

"Why not?"

"That dish doesn't have enough AREA to put all the crunchy topping on. That's everyone's favorite part! You need to use a bigger pan so everybody get's some!"

I was SO deflated! I wanted to use my pretty new baking dish. But I also wanted to make my new husband happy....and impress my new mother-in-law.

So I used the ugly metal 9x13.

But the topping was worth it. Here are the ingredients for that part. And you can always make a little more than what the recipe calls for, if you like.

And when it's done baking....YUM-O!!

If I can, I like to give it a few minutes out of the oven to set up a bit before serving.

And if there ARE any leftovers, it's actually good cold too. Not that I've ever eaten it straight out of the refrigerator or anything.

And here is the complete recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does!

Today's Thankfulness....

* For good food to eat.

* For my computer.

* For clean laundry.

A Thanksgiving Table

I'm not hosting Thanksgiving this year. But I couldn't resist the temptation to put together some ideas for a pretty Thanksgiving table. One of the things I love doing when I do host is setting the table.

I didn't buy anything new for this table. I put it together with things I already had and gathered from around the house.

I only have two of the black and white dinner plates. So I did a little mixing and matching with the place settings.

I used little leaf tags (found at the Target Dollar Spot last year) tied to faux pumpkins to create place cards.

Our chalkboard makes a nice back drop, don't you think?

I used an Autumn wreath I've had for years around a hurricane and added some houndstooth ribbon for the centerpiece.

If you are welcoming guests this year, I hope my table gives you a little inspiration.



If you'd like, you can read about our Family's Thanksgiving traditions HERE.

Today's Thankfulness....



* For the beautiful snow fall we had yesterday.

* For my cozy, warm house.

* For a day to just putter around the house.

Our Thanksgiving Traditions

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go....

That's how many a holiday started out for our family when I was growing up. Whether near, or later far when we moved to a different state, we usually headed to my grandparent's house for the holidays....both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have such wonderful memories of gathering together with family to spend the holiday together.

You know me. I'm all about tradition and creating memories for our children. I hope that when my kids grow up they will cherish the time spent together with family just as I do now.

So let me tell you a little bit about our Thanksgiving traditions. We live in the same area as both my family and Hubster's so we alternate years between the two. We used to try and do both, but we'd wind up stuffed and exhausted. Once kids entered the picture it was pretty clear things had to change.  Alternating years has worked really well for us.

There are some things both sides have in common and definitely some differences.

 

On the years we spend with Hubster's family, we generally go to my in-laws house. My mother-in-law usually serves a large group.... I'd say anywhere from 18 to 28. They make the turkey and some of the sides, but everyone also pitches in and brings a dish. It is a true feast! The menu ranges from traditional Thanksgiving dishes to whatever somebody wants to bring.

I remember one year my mother-in-law asked me to bring the broccoli salad I make that she likes. I thought it was sort of odd since to me it wasn't a "Thanksgiving dish." (My family is very traditional about the meal as you will see.) But I made it and it was eaten up. Hubster's family are "equal opportunity eaters" and don't sweat the details....which is a good thing. It's been a great example to me over the years. I told you God provided just the right man for me to marry!

The good china is used, but since usually there are a lot of us we are a little bit spread around at various tables, so it tends to be rather informal. We eat at lunchtime and usually take a break before desserts are served buffet-style. There is always football on the TV and a little napping for the men. And the women congregate in the kitchen and check out the Thanksgiving ads from the newspaper. Those who are Black Friday shoppers begin to formulate their plan of attack and we start to exchange Christmas wish lists. If the weather is nice enough, some of us go for a walk to burn off some of our huge lunch.

So that pretty much sums up Thanksgiving with Hubster's family. It's always a fun time with lots of people and activity. I'm so blessed to have wonderful in-laws!

Now let me tell you about Thanksgiving with MY family. 

As I said, we alternate years. In recent years, my sister has been hosting Thanksgiving at her house. I've hosted a couple times over the years (I did last year), but the alternating thing has kind of kept me from hosting more regularly.

My family has a traditional (to us) Thanksgiving menu.  You DON'T mess with the menu! And we all pitch in.

We have turkey, stuffing (and there's ALWAYS a discussion on what the difference is between stuffing and dressing), mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberry jelly from the can, and cinnamon applesauce jello salad. The only alteration there has been in the menu in recent years is that they now let me bring my mother-in-law's sweet potato souffle recipe too. (I promise to share that recipe sometime before Thanksgiving. It's so yummy!)

And we have a very special secret recipe for our stuffing. It's called....Stove Top. Hey, we all love it so why not?

We always cook one of those turkeys with the pop-up timer. And we inevitably get a call saying, "The turkey popped! You need to come NOW!"

We also eat at lunchtime. The good china is used. But I guess we're just not fancy-schmancy because it never feels formal. My sister also has a couple turkey serving bowls with lids that our Grandma made when she did ceramics. I always love seeing those.

After stuffing ourselves, we usually take a break before dessert which is pumpkin and apple pie.

We may have the TV on for the parade while we wait to sit down to eat. But usually it's no TV. We're not a big football crowd. We're more into board games and so we always play some of those. There may be a little napping that goes on too.

We also scan the ads and talk about Christmas wish lists. 

Later in the evening, the leftovers are pulled out. The last few years we've also been adding some appetizers to the evening meal. (Pinterest was a huge help for that last year!) It makes for another huge feast.

Usually after that, we waddle home. Ha ha!

So that's it. 

No matter where we spend our Thanksgiving we always head home happy and feeling extremely blessed and thankful for our family and the wonderful times we share together.

So what about you? What are your Thanksgiving traditions? I would love for you to leave a comment and tell me!

You're also invited to join me at Sally's Thanksgiving Traditions linky party over at Drinking From My Saucer ['cause my cup has overflowed].

Today's Thankfulness....

* For a day set aside to be thankful.

* For time spent with family.

* For the wonderful family that I married into.