Helpful Tips for Fall and Thanksgiving

Are you feeling overwhelmed about the holidays already? Are you hoping to have a fun, laid-back, and stress-free Thanksgiving with your family and friends? Learn how to have a fantastic Thanksgiving with the help of these tips and resources.

Happy Friday, lovelies! This has been a very busy week with lot's of tasks on my to-do list. Lot's of candles to make (praise God for business!), lots of blogging goals to meet, and most pressing has been getting ready for our joint yard sale with my mom.

Despite all the busyness going on around the Cook house though, I have really been feeling good about my blog lately. There's a lot I haven't accomplished yet, but there's also a lot that I have been proud of. I'll take it! 😁

And if you saw my November Goals post on Wednesday, you know that I am trying really hard to accomplish the things that are important to me, without missing the blessings that are right in front of me- I'm calling it my contented hustle. I think it sounds like the newest dance...buuuut, maybe that's just me.

I guess I could stop yammering on, because I know you are ready for your Friday links to read with your coffee. I don't really blame you. There's some pretty awesome stuff in there 😎

Food For Your Thanksgiving Meal

Whether you are cooking the whole meal yourself, attending a potluck, or bringing the side dish to your mom's house, I've got you covered!

• Turkey Recipe from Yellow Bliss Road
  
• Garlic Butter Carrots from Diethood
  
• Sweet Potato Casserole from Chef In Training
  
• Green Bean Casserole from Sally's Baking Addiction
  
• Simple Stuffing (Dressing) from Bon Appetit
  
• Pumpkin Pie from All Recipes
  
• Pecan Pie from Joanna Gaines
• 
  

Related: 50 Fall Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Dessert

How to Create a Beautiful, Thanksgiving Tablescape

1. If you are looking for a way to make a Thanksgiving tablescape that is beautiful, personal, and simple to make, then check out this idea from Craftivity Designs for using family photos as place cards. It's a great way to add a personal touch.
   
2. I LOVE these "Thankful For" Place Cards. They are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.
   
3. These Pumpkin Leaf Tags are precious! I love the thoughtfulness and simplicity!
   
4. Pumpkins are always a safe bet. If none of these other options work for you, you can always grab some miniature pumpkins from the store and set them up on your table. Cute, cheap, and easy. That's what I call a win!

Give Thanks Always

This time of year seems to make people a little more aware of their levels of thankfulness and gratitude. My hope, however, is to see people (myself included) be more conscious of this year-round. Fortunately for me, I have some encouraging friends who see what there is to be thankful for in each situation. Vanessa of Tapestry Chronicles is no exception as she shares how mommyhood has made her thankful!

We were made to live in a state of constant thanksgiving. We have been given the greatest gift in the world - Jesus Christ, along with His love, forgiveness, and fellowship. So as we enter into this holiday season, let's be mindful about our thankfulness. We can set reminders on our phones, put note cards around our homes, or even decorate our houses in ways that help us focus on giving thanks. We all need a little nudge in the right direction sometimes!

Keep Your Holiday Stress-Free

If you are thinking about the holidays and getting stressed already, you may need to shift your mindset, but you may also need to find a way to lessen that stress. My friend, Elizabeth, wrote a post on how to have a stress-free Thanksgiving a while back that may help you beat the stress and enjoy the moment instead.

I also think it's really important to have a plan. There are tons of good ideas out there on how to reduce your stress level during the holidays, and I thought I'd share a few with you here.

How to have a stress-free Thanksgiving

• Keep all of your recipes in one place and ready to go. If there are recipes that intimidate you, prepare in advance by watching tutorial videos on how to prepare your holiday meal.
  
• Plan ahead for your stove top and oven. You obviously won't be able to cook everything at the same time, so have a game plan ready so you can avoid the stress that comes with not having enough room to prepare everything.
  
• Be prepared to properly handle any difficult family members that may be attending the gathering.

Hopefully you found these tips to be useful and helpful for the upcoming holidays!