A week of Gratitude//Look back on Dakota's first Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are/will be all elbows deep in a yummy pie and spending time with the ones you love. xo, M

A week of Gratitude//Thanksgiving turkey appreciation cards!

It's already 11 PM? What, how did this happen? I've been coking up a storm and cleaning a lot today. I probably look like a Tasmania devil going from room to room trying to get things done. This year, I'm cooking my first Thanksgiving meal and I'm equally excited as I am nervous. Even though it will just be us three + Jared, I still want everything to be perfect. I'm more so trying to clean to make sure the house is spotless for when we start setting up for Christmas! I'm so glad the day is finally, almost, here!

This little craft is something super simple, and something you can whip up minutes before heading out to your Thanksgiving festivities! We made these last year for Thanksgiving!

Materials Needed:
Colorful cardstock scrapbook paper (or construction paper)
Marker
Scissors
A willing kiddo (or in my case, a not so willing, which will make the task a little more daunting)

Basically you lay your kiddos hand flat and trace it, but when you're tracing it, keep in mind the body of a turkey. Moms, cut out the turkeys for your kids unless they are big enough to do so themselves. My favorite part about this is when you're done cutting out all your turkeys, make them personal! Write notes to each loved one you'll be spending Thanksgiving with. We did this last year and put Dakota's baby hand print on each one and I'm telling you, there wasn't a dry eye at the table! Give them a prompt to get them thinking: "We love you (insert relative) because (blank)"! It's fun to see what they will come up with!

*try finding pine cones to put your turkeys on!*

Hope you're having the Happiest of Thanksgiving Eve's, and not spending too much time in the kitchen! ;)
xo.

A week of Gratitude//Day Three

Hi and welcome to day three of 'A week of Gratitude'! I'm having a great time taking time to write out the things I'm thankful for. It makes me that much more aware of all I have to be thankful for and appreciate.

Today I am thankful for the ability to stay home with Dakota. In the back of my mind, I always liked the idea of being a stay at home mama, but I never ever thought it was in the cards. I'm so glad that it is though! It's been so fun to watch, and learn along side Dakota. I love teaching her new things, but even more so, I love that she teaches me new things daily. Now that I've done this with her, I couldn't imagine having ever put her in daycare. I also couldn't ever imagine leaving any future babies (um, 3 more to be exact!!!/) with someone else! I hope that I will be able to do this until she goes to school, but if not, I'm so extremely thankful for this time I've been able to stay home so far.

xo, Meghan

A week of Gratitude//Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Recipe

This recipe is a favorite around our house! We've made them for both of the DS shows to sell, and they sell like hot cakes (my attempt to be funny, bare with me)! If you're really into pumpkin pie but don't have the time or want to try something new, these are for you. They are like tiny little individual slices of pumpkin pie heaven. I don't normally like pumpkin (aside from the latte) and even I like these!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies: makes 12-15 finished cakes. 

Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon*, 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 1/2 cups pumpkin, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla*. 

For the icing: 8 ounce package of softened cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla, plenty of powdered sugar, and cinnamon*

Mix together all of your dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cream together both the butter and brown sugar. Add the pumpkin, then the egg an vanilla. Add in the flour mixture a little at a time until you've finished. The batter will be very thick and hard to mix if you add all the flour at once. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, drop 2 tablespoons of batter onto a baking sheet, repeating until it's full. Bake at 350 F for 11-15 minutes. Allow them to cool a bit before moving them. Once cool, add a big spoonful of your cream cheese icing to one whoopie pie and sandwich with another. Enjoy! xo. 

recipe adapted from this book

*I use a lot more cinnamon than this recipe calls for. I used probably 4 tablespoons. Totally your preference! * I also use a lot more vanilla, probably around 3 or 4 tablespoons. 

*Oh and I add a little buttermilk to my batter. About 1/4 cup. 

*You don't have to add cinnamon to your icing, but if it wasn't obvious....I like cinnamon!

Hint!: If you are a perfectionist, or want all of your whoopies to be uniformed and look the same, I suggest getting this pan. I got mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I don't use it much, because the pies turn out super big and it almost cuts the recipe in half. Plus, hand spooned ones have charm, don't you think? :)

A week of Gratitude//Day Two

 

Today I am thankful for Bean and Dakota. My two babes. I am thankful for the love that I share with both of them. 

So thankful that I share a love with Bean so great, that we grew a child together. That we are wading the waters of parenthood together. So glad that we are in this forever. I know that I can count on him to be the best father that he can be. I know that I can depend on him. I'm so thankful that he provides. It's hard to remember life without him. And for that, I am truly thankful.

For Dakota, the light of my life. So thankful that she is alive and healthy. So glad that each morning I'm greeted by smiles and arms stretched out for me. Thankful for the sweet kisses and hugs she showers me with throughout the day. Thankful for the energetic, curious, yet gentle spirit that she posses. Thankful that she only the best parts of Bean and I. Thankful that she is mine.

I love these two, very much. xo, Meghan

A week of Gratitude//Day One

I feel like first and foremost, I should be thankful for Jesus. Thankful for my relationship with God. Without my foundation in Him, I would not be who I am. "It is in Christ that we find out who we are and who we are living for"-Ephesians 1:11. I wouldn't be able to be the best mother I can be. The best girlfriend, friend, daughter, sister, I can be. My faith is renewed daily in the sweetness that life has to offer, only because of Jesus. I know that He has to exist and be on my side when I look at Dakota and look at Bean, and see what I have been immensely blessed with. I am so far from perfect and do not deserve this perfect love that He has bestowed upon me, and for that I am so extremely thankful. 

A week of Gratitude//Thanksgiving flower crown D.I.Y

Hi and welcome to A Week of Gratitude! Today I have a super easy, fun little D.I.Y you can whip up in minutes! You only four supplies, a few minutes, and 3 steps! You'll find the instructions below! If you make one, send me a link, I'd love to see! xo. 

Hot glue gun//scissors//a headband (skinny or thick, your preference)//fake flowers in fall colors

Step One//Cut (or pull if you can) off all of your flowers. Make sure to trim the back of each flower so they are relatively flat. For my headband I used 10 flowers. 

Step Two//Lay out your flowers and arrange them in the way you want them to be on your headband. It will be easier to reach down and get exactly the one you need instead of trying to pick through all of them!

Step Three//Starting in the middle, put some hot glue onto the headband and place the flower flat on the glue. If you want the front of the flower to be seen, try laying it at an angle. If you want the sides of the flowers to be seen, lay it flat on the headband. Press down on the center of the flower to secure it, then start gluing the rest of your flowers on. Be sure not to place your flowers too close together or else it will look crowded.

A week of gratitude!

That's right! This week is full of thankfulness. This entire month, had I actually thought about it, should have been for thankfulness. I know that I could come up with something everyday for a month that I am thankful for. This time I'll just be doing a week. I encourage you to make a list of things you're appreciative of. I have a fun recipe you can whip up in no time for Thanksgiving, lots of things I'm thankful for, and maybe a few back stories to go with them. Also, a super easy DIY you can do with your kiddos. I hope you'll join us!

ps, if you're interested in participating, shoot me an email so I can include you. If you have a yummy recipe to share, I'd super love that! 

xo, Meghan