Great Ideas for a New Spin on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. This can be a very stressful time of year for many Americans. Although we love our families, it is easy to feel annoyed, and angry when dealing with an ungrateful group of relatives. In our society it is easy to get wrapped up in our own drama. So often we forget the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving. I am certainly not Bree Vandekamp, but I do tend to get slightly obsessed with hosting the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. This year I will not let my relatives push me into doing all of the work for a meal that means very little to them. When we are honest about it, does anyone really care how much madness our hostess endures? No, we just want to eat an insane amount of turkey, and pumpkin pie.

For those wonderful perfectionists out there I would like to share some ideas on how to have a lovely and hassle free day with your family. So many of us rush from one dinner to another during the holiday season. If your family goes through this multiple dinner rush, a terrific solution is to skip the turkey dinner and host a Thanksgiving dessert party. Ask every one in attendance to bring a dessert of their choice. This will cut some of the rushing out of your day, especially if you plan to eat dessert in the evening. If your family is planning to hit multiple turkey day meals, they will be grateful for your dessert party.

To make things more festive at your Thanksgiving meal, consider requiring each person in attendance to say a few words about what they are thankful for. Or if you are seeking a new tradition, consider making this a time for remembering the great times you have shared with your family. As an example go around the table and have each family member share a favorite memory. This year I will explain to my family, how much it meant to me when my kids made a bed time story video for me when I was ill, and how much I love and cherish our spring picnic. I hesitate to talk about my grandfather. I do not want this to turn into a sad day.I personally enjoy the explanation of what everyone is grateful for. So many children are not taught to express gratitude for the things that really matter.