Inquiring Minds Want to Know (Thanksgiving Survey)

Alright Friends, it's time for a little Thanksgiving Survey -- and I would LOVE it if you would participate on your blog.  With Halloween over, and Thanksgiving plans in full swing, it got me thinking about what our traditions are, and what they are NOT.  It's been interesting to read other bloggers' versions of Thanksgiving, and hear their ideas of traditions... the MUSTS and the MUST-NOTS.  So here we go.  Are you ready?

Consider the questions below, and create a post, answering them.  [Obviously, simple answers cover it -- but details are more interesting!]

On TUESDAY morning (Nov.12), I will do a post with my answers -- and include a list-linky, where you can add your name so that we can come to your blog to read your answers.

The questions are pretty basic, with some ideas in parenthesis to get you thinking... (Who knows, it might even get you thinking about why you do the things you do, what you should or shouldn't be doing, or how you could do things differently -- or better!) Perhaps, you'd just like to approach these questions and answer them for the years when Thanksgiving is at YOUR house.  That works too!

1. Where do you celebrate Thanksgiving?  (Always at the same place?  Or, are you in a family rotation of hosting?  How does that all get decided?)
2. Formal or casual?  (Good china, everyday, or paper plates?)
3. Do you serve turkey?  (Is it prepared traditionally in the oven... or outside in a deep fryer perhaps?)
4. If not turkey, what is your main-dish of choice?
5. Stuffing?  (inside the bird, or out?  Secret family recipe?)
6. Are your side-dishes the same every year, or do you change things up?
7. Does the hostess(or host) do all of the cooking, or do all of the guests contribute?
8. Is the dessert traditional (like pumpkin pie), or does it vary from year to year?
9. How about the TV?  Is it on?  (Parade?  Football?)
10. Do you eat at the lunch-hour, or dinner-hour?
11. Do you have other things that you do during your time together?  (At the dinner table do you do any little "thankfulness exercises?" -- and by that, I don't mean tummy crunches - LOL.  Do you play games after dinner, or enjoy some other family activity?)
12. What else do you want us to know about your special traditions?  DO TELL!

Okay -- happy answering!  I'll see you on Tuesday for our Linky Party.  Come along & tell your friends, too!  Who knows?  Maybe we'll all get some new and creative ideas for Thanksgiving.  Don't be shy about showing up late to the party.  The welcome mat will be out!

Oh -- and if you don't have a blog, feel free to visit on Tuesday, and leave a comment about some of your favorite traditions!!!  [Facebook comments also encouraged!] -- or just show up and get ideas from other party guests.

Also... here's that blog button that I never use. (LOL)
Feel free to add it to your post to link back to our party!

<a border="0" href="http://sally-drinkingfrommysaucer.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j479/sallykelly1/200x140.jpg"/></a>

'13 Gratefulness

* grateful that our daughter made "merit roll" this quarter at school

* grateful for her extreme excitement in reaching a goal

* grateful that freshman year is far behind her(sophomore year is so much better!)

* grateful for good conversations with her teachers

* grateful for great relationships she has established with her teachers

* grateful for the end of another week, and my hubby coming home tonight!

Feel free to chime in with a comment!  What are you grateful for today?

Homemade Gift-Giving (Part 2)

Ready for Part 2?  I've got a couple more ideas for you!
(If you weren't here for PART 1, you can read that post HERE.)

I used THIS IDEA for a cake stand, found on Pinterest.  I scoured the stores for matching or coordinating melamine plates and bowls to make the little cake stands.  My best sources were Target, a local discount store, and our local grocery store.

I wanted to make each cake stand unique -- and Christmas-y if I could. Only a few ended up being non-Christmas -- and they were pretty cute, too.

To each cake stand, I added two mini-loaves of bread, some packets of specialty cocoa and cider, and candy canes.

The mini foil pans w/ plastic lids were purchased at our local grocery store, but you can find them at lots of places around the holidays, and often even in Christmas colors/patterns.

I  purchased large "basket gift bags" at Michael's, and tied each gift bag with red and white twine, a glittery ornament, and a gift tag.  The bags I found ended up being a little bit bigger than I needed, so I just cut a few inches off the open end.  (Be sure you open up, and know for sure which end that is before you start cutting... I'm just sayin'.)

It was fun coming up with all of the plate/bowl combinations -- and I did a lot of baking and freezing to have all of the mini-loaves ready!  I chose Banana Bread, Pumpkin Bread, and Cranberry-Orange Bread.  Each plate got two different loaves.  I received lots of compliments -- about the home-baked breads, as well as the cake-stand idea.  Not gonna lie.  I felt kind of clever.  Pinterest ROCKS.  What can I say? *wink*

MY BEST TIPS:
1. Don't seal up your gift-bags any sooner than necessary.  The glue used for this project (E6000) has a strong scent.  I noticed that it (still) didn't smell too great when I opened a bag to add an item.  I'd give these plates as much time unwrapped as possible, to allow the glue to cure.

2. If you've frozen your breads, allow for a little condensation before wrapping!  You don't want your recipient to open a drippy gift!  (I let mine thaw on towels on the kitchen counter the day of giving!)

3. Also, remember... tell your recipients to hand wash the cake plate!

See similar projects HERE and HERE.

You might also enjoy making these gifts:

Abstract Wall Art

A Button House

A Winter Scarf Wreath

A Vintage Paper Chain

Ornaments made with vintage hymnal pages

Linking to Fabulously Creative Friday at Jen Rizzo's

'13 Gratefulness

* grateful for an amazing sunrise yesterday morning

* grateful that 3 "international" babies let 3 nice ladies [that don't speak their language] comfort them while their mamas were in English classes

* grateful to work with two sweet women who love the babies as much as I do

* grateful for my daughter's involvement in our church youth group

* grateful for dear friends who graciously open their large home to the youth group

Feel free to chime in with a comment!  What are you grateful for today?

Time Change

Well, the time change was last weekend.  Today is Wednesday.  I drove my girl to the bus stop, and we were blessed by this show of color in the eastern skies.  What a way to begin a day!

Psalm 19:1

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

Homemade Gift-Giving (Part 1)

While I'm not ready to deck the halls around here (not until after Thanksgiving), 'tis the season  if you're thinking of CRAFTING gifts for Christmas this year!  Last minute crafting gifts can be disastrous, so it never hurts to get ideas early, and (at least) start gathering supplies!  That said, I thought I'd share a few cute gift-giving ideas that our family has used in the last couple of years.  These are ideas gathered from Pinterest, and we've put our own spin on them.  Maybe it'll give you some ideas for gift-giving this year!

Today: Part One.

My girl and I made these pretzel-kiss treats, and filled cute little Santa bags (from Hobby Lobby) with them.

We also found a recipe for Peppermint Stick Cocoa on Pinterest, and filled canning jars with the mix.

I used some scrapbooking supplies like a circle template (for the cocoa label), a snowman stamp (also for the cocoa label), and a corner-rounder for the cocoa instruction tag.  Don't forget to add this tag so that your recipients know exactly how to prepare the cocoa!

Combined in a cute gift-bag, these two items made for a festive Christmas gift.

Stay tuned for some more simple ideas in "Part 2" tomorrow.

'13 Gratefulness

* grateful for provisions being made for a cousin to come to Cleveland Clinic for heart surgery

* grateful that my daughter caught up on some missed sleep & said "that was the best night's sleep I've had in a long time"

* grateful for golden pools of leaves in the yard

Feel free to chime in with a comment!  What are you grateful for today?

Hangers On

Remember THIS POST  and my clearance flowers?  Talk about getting your money's worth!  This beauty arrived with the original clearance collection back in April, and this is what it looked like in Sunday's sunshine. It's hanging on for dear life along with some of the little violas surrounding it.  I have to admit, it makes me smile to look out my kitchen window and see it sticking it's neck out.

Hang in their Pansy!

'13 Gratefulness

* grateful for a morning to sleep in (no school today)

* grateful for a productive day at home yesterday

* grateful for sweet blogging friends who always encourage

* grateful to be able to look forward to the holiday season -- specifically Christmas, and all that means to me as a believer in the Christ-child, and his reason for coming to this earth

* grateful for my son, who checked the air in my tires yesterday

Feel free to chime in with a comment!  What are you grateful for today?