Thanksgiving Traditions of Gratitude

Written by Teresa Hansen


Continued from page 1

• On small cards or paper, write downrepparttar following categories on each paper: person, day, place, experience, food, item Go aroundrepparttar 110789 table and have each person draw out a card. Then that person tells of something they are grateful for from that category and why they are grateful for it.

• On Thanksgiving Day hang a piece of posterboard where it will be accessible to everyone. Have everyone in your family write things on it that they are thankful for. See how many you can come up with byrepparttar 110790 end ofrepparttar 110791 day. (Or write these on a roll of cash register receipt paper and tape it up aroundrepparttar 110792 room.)

• Have thank-you notes and stationary readily available to everyone in your home on Thanksgiving day. Encourage your family to write a letter or thank-you note to someone they are thankful for: a teacher, a grandparent, a friend.

• Invite a new family in your neighborhood or a lonely person to dinner

• Go to a homeless shelter to help cook and serve Thanksgiving dinner

• Gather food to take to a local food bank

About the Author Teresa Hansen is the creator of www.momsmakingit.com sharing creative ideas to save time, save money, and enrich your life! Visit http://savemoney.momsmakingit.com for your free e-guide ”Moms Making It! 111 Great Money Saving Ideas!” She is a wife and mother of five children.


Tips for the Thanksgiving Pre-Game Jitters

Written by Susan Dunn, MA, Personal Life & EQ Coach


Continued from page 1

If you’re planning to order anything from a caterer, do it now. If you need to special-order anything (wine, favors), do it now.

One thing I do is to plan one thing that’s really smashing in presentation (flaming crepes, a decorated pie crust, something insane withrepparttar turkey platter). This gets their attention andrepparttar 110788 other things can be plain jane.

SHOPPING

Shop now for staples – flour, sugar, butter, canned goods, anything that will keep especially if there might be a run on it, like canned pumpkin pie or stuffing mix. You’ll probably need a last-minute run (like for fresh lettuce), but if you can limitrepparttar 110789 time that will take, you’ll be glad.

A few ofrepparttar 110790 things that get hard to find where I live are whipping cream, fresh cranberries, turkeys ofrepparttar 110791 size you want, and frozen pie shells. Each of these things keeps well and can be bought right now. If you can’t recall what your stores run out of, pay attention this year so you’ll be prepared for next year. That’srepparttar 110792 EQ way.

FOOD PREP

Think ahead about counter, refrigerator and prep space. If you use a frozen turkey, clear out freezer space. Pare downrepparttar 110793 refrigerator to make space forrepparttar 110794 turkey as it thaws and other dishes, and later,repparttar 110795 leftovers.

Make counter space by moving toaster and canisters torepparttar 110796 pantry temporarily. Set up a card table inrepparttar 110797 corner ofrepparttar 110798 kitchen. Or getrepparttar 110799 laundry done, clear off top of dryer and washer (or cover with board) and use that space.

If you live in a cold climate, you haverepparttar 110800 option of storing things judiciously, and for a short while, on a back porch. Only if it’s cold enough!

THE LIST

Make a list, work through it, then makerepparttar 110801 next list. The shopping list will change for instance.

I always post a copy ofrepparttar 110802 menu on my refrigerator because I blush to tell you that one year I forgot one ofrepparttar 110803 side dishes that was buried inrepparttar 110804 refrigerator.

This is because I serve many different things, but you don’t need to. The easiest way to get through this, if you’re stressed, inexperienced or having to work late Wednesday, is to keep it simple and ask others to bring dishes.

LET OTHERS HELP

You don’t have to do this all by yourself and you don’t have to pay money forrepparttar 110805 help either. Of course you could call a rental place and a caterer, but Thanksgiving is a time of, well, GIVING, and people like to. As someone who has been a guest for Thanksgiving a lot in recent years, I can tell you how much I like to be ALLOWED to bring something.

Ask people to bring side dishes or desserts. Assign cleaning chores to different members of your household. Ask your mother-in-law,repparttar 110806 Craft Diva, to makerepparttar 110807 centerpiece. Ask your spouse to takerepparttar 110808 kids out for dinnerrepparttar 110809 night before so you can work undistracted. Get your brother-in-law to be responsible for chairs.

Most people love to help. Give them a chance to do this as part of your Thanksgiving gift to them.

PROCESS

When it’s over, make notes about what went well, what didn’t and why. Then you’ll be ahead ofrepparttar 110810 game next year.

Making lists, thinking things through ahead of time, remembering what you learned last year, and using your EQ are all ways to add to a Happy Thanksgiving.

Good luck!

©Susan Dunn, MA, Personal Life & EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Offering coaching, Internet courses and ebooks for your personal and professional development. Career, relationships, stress management, emotional intelligence. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for free EQ ezine. Email for information on EQ coach training and certification program.


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