TBB Asks: Giving Thanks

I'm thrilled to be joining  The Blended Blog's monthly TBB Asks linkup again! This is one of my favorite monthly reads among bloggers. 

November is quite possibly my favorite month of the year! I just love that the Fall season has finally arrived in all of its glory, the anticipation for all the upcoming holiday events with friends and family, the planning, the baking....I love it all! 

Have you ever kept a gratitude journal?

Yes – at a couple different points in my adult life. I found one not long ago and had to laugh at HOW much different my life is now than what it was then. (p.s. I was probably 22 in the particular one I found.)

Hosting Thanksgiving at your house: yes or no?

Nope. For Stephen’s family, we travel to his grandmother’s house for lunch and then have an early dinner at my aunt’s house for my mom’s side of the family. There was a time when we were scheduling the backs and forths of 4 different events, but we scaled it back a few years ago and it’s just been SO nice and SO much less stressful. And isn’t that what Thanksgiving should be?!!

Favorite food from Thanksgiving meal?

Can I say all of it?? But really, I’ve said a few times in the last year or so that I think I’ve finally decided the answer to the question, “What’s your all-time favorite meal?” THANKSGIVING DAY! BUT, I do love my grandma’s dressing and look forward to it every year!!

What one thing in nature are you most grateful for?

Everybody jokes (and complains) about the seasons around here. It snowed too much this winter. We haven’t gotten any snow. The pollen is so horrible with the budding trees. The humidity is awful. It gets dark too early…..etc etc. Not to step on anyone’s toes, but I’m over it. We have seasons...four of them. God’s plan and power to create and change our mighty outdoors is just astounding to me as I’ve gotten older. I think about how pretty our neighborhood is during the fall with all the colorful trees but I also think about how pretty it is in the spring when everything is a bright, fresh green. It’s really just amazing to me!

Pumpkin Pie: yes or no?

This has ALWAYS been a yes!

Traditional Cookbook: yes or no?

I LOVE a good cookbook and some of my favorites are old ones! I also love Pinterest for recipes – you can find ANYTHING. However, our Thanksgiving foods aren’t recipe required – except maybe for some of the desserts. But for the sides, it’s traditional items….mashed potatoes, green beans, etc.

Oven baked or deep fried turkey?

For our family get-togethers, they are oven baked. For our work holiday event (which we have between Thanksgiving and Christmas) it’s deep fried. Our department supervisors and director go in and buy the turkeys and deep fry them the morning of our party / lunch. SO yummy!

Thanksgiving leftovers: yes or no?

YES!!

What is one household product you’re most thankful for?

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Those things will get ANYTHING off of walls and clean shoes to look sparkly new. (Not that this comes from recent personal experiences. #twintoddlermomhacks)

Are you most thankful for home cooked meals or restaurant meals?

Definitely home cooked. Nothing can replace the thought, care and love poured into a home cooked meal and sitting around a table in your home, your parents’ home, grandparents’ home, friends’ homes. Hospitality is a beautiful blessing.

I'm almost equally thankful for restaurant dining these days. Because sometimes you need to put the closed sign up on your kitchen and let someone else do the cooking, serving and best of all CLEANING UP! I'm thankful we're able to enjoy that luxury from time to time! 

Thanks so much to the lovely ladies behind The Blended Blog for this favorite monthly linkup!