Well, it was a whirlwind holiday and weekend and now it's already the Tuesday after Turkey Day. I hope everyone enjoyed a delicious meal in good company and maybe even scored some great deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Today is Giving Tuesday -- here's how it got started, if you're interested!

We traveled to our hometown to be with family for the holiday and stayed at my brother's house (thanks for welcoming our circus, big bro and sis in law!). I think I've mentioned that my family has a long-standing tradition of eating out (yes, as in, at a restaurant!) and this year was no different, although we did switch up the place. We gathered for a couple of after parties that consisted of lots of cake and pie, presents for the kids, Moana singalongs, and laughter. 

The girls dresses are from Old Navy - $10 today!

On Black Friday my cousin and I hit up Target and the outlets in the morning and everything was eerily quiet at 8am. It felt like a normal Tuesday afternoon at Target! 

Doesn't my cousin do the prettiest wrapping job?

On Saturday we took a walk and let the kids burn some energy at the neighborhood playground, then went to Dutch Wonderland (a small kid-friendly amusement park) for my nephew's birthday! I can't believe he's three. It's so fun to see he and Carrington play and interact now since they're only a year apart.

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I wanted to share a couple of happy and local-to-me news stories making national news: woman raises money for homeless man who spent his last $20 to keep her safe, and man pays off over $10k of layaway orders at Toys R Us on Black Friday. I hope they make you smile and restore some faith in humanity, as they did for me. :)

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Lastly, what have you made for dinner lately? We've been rotating through some easy, tried and true meals but once a week I like to try something new. I usually go to SkinnyTaste first, since she's never steered me wrong! This week I came across this recipe for one-pot spaghetti and meat sauce and decided to try it last night. It was the easiest thing and so delicious. Just simple, tasty comfort food -- even the girls liked it! We're having the leftovers tonight with caesar salad.

Hope everyone has a great start (now middle!) to the week!

5 Ways to Enjoy Your Thanksgiving

If you know me IRL or if you've been around this space recently, you're aware of my undying love for Thanksgiving. I understand that for a lot of people, though, this holiday can be stressful. Large family gatherings with lots of different personalities (and political views), difficult and often expensive travel, too many plans and obligations. Let's take back the day, shall we? Here are five easy ways to enjoy your Thanksgiving and the extended weekend:

1. Give back.

Whether that's paying for the coffee of the person in line behind you, including family, friends, or acquaintances in your plans, making a charitable contribution during your Black Friday shopping, or volunteering on Thanksgiving day (I'd love to do this) -- finding a way to give back not only captures the spirit of being grateful, but lessens stress since it forces us to look outside of ourselves. 

2. Find some quiet.

Yes, this is a big holiday often celebrated with extended family, excessive food and fanfare. But, if you can, try to carve (pun intended) out some time for quiet. A walk before or after your meal, a few minutes in the early morning or after everyone goes to sleep. You can use this time to breathe and reflect. Taking some time for just yourself will give you that bit of inner peace you may very well need.

3. Eat the damn pie.

Give yourself a break and enjoy all that the day has to offer guilt free. Life is too short not to eat your aunt's world famous pie or have another scoop of potatoes. Unless you have true health issues, one day will not make or break you!

4. Start a new tradition.

If you're feeling stuck in a holiday rut, driven by old traditions that may drive you crazy, why not start something new? Suggest a new game to your family that will inject a healthy dose of humor into the weekend, or a bake off, or family volunteering, or hosting a brunch instead of dinner at your place.

5. Document it.

Take photos of the people seated at your table, old and young, and perhaps record a clip of funny or meaningful conversation on video. Yes, you want to be present in the moment first and foremost, but a close second is having a few memories recorded to look back on. 

I'll be taking the rest of the week off to try to do all of the above. :) Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I'm so grateful for each of you.