Wow! I’m so pleased with all your comments and great advice regarding chores! If you haven’t checked out the comments on the S.M.A.R.T. Chores post, be sure and do so. I realize that I forgot to announce the drawing date for this contest. I will use the random number generator and announce the winner on Saturday, so please post by Friday (11:59 eastern time).

Also, I’ll be following a “rough” outline for the 31 Days of Organization. You can pretty much expect the following as focuses for upcoming posts:
Sunday: A picture and verse for meditation
Monday: Time
Tuesday: Kitchen
Wednesday: Clothing/closets
Thursday: Money
Friday: Paper/office/toy organization
Saturday: Chores/cleaning

I’m really loving all the comments and hope they aren’t ONLY in response to the contest. If you continue to share your thoughts, ideas, questions and experiences we can all learn from and help one another and get the year off to a great start! And, like I said, be sure to read all the great comments. Oh! And I’d love it if you’d grab my 30 Days of Organization button (see code in sidebar) and add it to your blog to let others know.

(Psssst…there will be several more contests throughout this month with more organizational products, so keep checking back.)

Take a moment today to step back from all of your last minute prepararions and give it all over to the Lord. Do all for Him and it will all go much more smoothly!

Think for a moment about putting flowers on the table or twigs with a fall leaf garland, or go outside and grab some branches off a tree, then fill a clear vase with cranberries at the bottom, then place the branches in it. Put it on a table near the entry to your home with…

A guest book and a pen – so folks can record their presence. Any guest book will do, as long as you put it out so folks are able to register their attendance. For Thanksgiving, you might add the question, “What are you thankful for?” for your guests to answer beside their names.

Is your camera ready? Battery charged? If it’s a film camera, do you have a fresh roll or two? If it’s digital, have you downloaded all the pictures from your last photo shoot so that the memory card is empty and ready to shoot? Do you have a designated photographer in your family? If not, today would be a good day to make that assignment. This leaves you a little more freedom to tend to your guests and family and, of course, enjoy the day as well. Later on you can go through all the pictures as a family and relive some of your favorite moments.

These are just a few of the things I’m thinking about in the last day leading up to our Thanksgiving. What are you doing today? What other last minute preparations are you making?

“Over the river and through the woods . . . ” I’ve always loved this traditional Thanksgiving song, written by Lydia Maria Child in 1844. You can read all the lyrics here at Wikipedia. If you’re among the millions of American families hitting the highways this week to spend time with family at Thanksgiving, read on for a few helpful links and tips.

Mom’s Minivan is a fantastic site packed full of ideas to keep kids happily occupied on road trips. You’ll find instructions for games and activities, fun printables, and lots more helpful suggestions. Check it out!

Rand McNally’s website shares a handy checklist for an emergency car kit. Be prepared!

My June Digest included lots of road trip tips and recipes for meal and snack solutions on the road.

Pack food, pack water, and pack a good-sized container with a lid (like an ice cream bucket or coffee can.) Take wipes or damp washcloths in a plastic bag or container. Toilet paper and hand sanitizer are a good to have on hand as highway rest stops are heavily trafficked this week, and may run low on supplies.

I put half-filled water bottles in the freezer the night before our trip, then add a little water to them in the morning. The melting ice keeps us supplied with cold water throughout the trip. I also put a couple of my favorite tea bags in my purse. When we stop at rest areas I just get a cup of hot water–lots cheaper than buying tea or coffee!

Cheese cubes, pretzels, grapes, nuts, cereal, raisins, bananas, cut up vegetables and dense muffins, cookies or bars make for fairly mess-free and nutritious snacking. Books on CD make the trip go much faster. It’s handy to pack one bag containing a change of clothes for everyone, formula, diapers, medicines, etc. That way if the trip takes longer than expected, or anyone needs a change of clothes, you won’t have to go digging through all the luggage, just one bag.

I keep a supply of plastic grocery bags in the car. At every rest stop we do a “garbage sweep” of the van and throw out any trash. It helps keep things clean and tidy.

These are just a few tips that work for my family. Feel free to leave a comment with any additional suggestions!

On behalf of the whole Econobusters team, I’m wishing each and every one of you a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks for joining us on this Thanksgiving Countdown. God Bless!

This is it folks! The final few days to get your preparations complete before the big turkey day! Are you ready? Here are some great tips for you for the final days of Thanksgiving.

November 25: The Day Before

• Check your last list.
• Buy last-minute perishables.
• Pick up food ordered ahead of time.
• If using giblets in the gravy, simmer them with the neck until well cooked; cool and
refrigerate.
• Consult your food preparation schedule.
• If brining the turkey, prepare brine and soak turkey in refrigerator overnight. (If you don’t have room in your refrigerator, use a cooler and a bag of ice. Works just the same!)
• Bake pies or other desserts.
• Set the table and lay out all linens and serving dishes.

November 26: The Big Day

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Wash turkey inside and out; dry thoroughly. Do not let it set at room temperature
for more than one hour before cooking.
• If stuffing the turkey, do so just before putting it in the oven. (Check to make sure
you removed the giblets!) Place the turkey in the oven and start your timer. Put
any remaining stuffing in a buttered casserole or baking dish; cover and
refrigerate.
• Consult your food preparation schedule. Cook any recipes that can be done
completely or partially ahead, such as potatoes (mash when ready to serve, not
beforehand) and other vegetables that can be reheated for serving.
• Put the extra stuffing in the oven during the turkey’s last hour of cooking.
• Prepare any other foods that need last-minute attention.
• When the turkey reaches 180°F, remove it from the oven, let it rest and get ready
for the most hectic 20 minutes of a cook’s year!

I hope that our Thanksgiving countdown has been a blessing to you! On Wednesday, we will share some of the great Black Friday deals going around. I *think* we might just have a great deal for you as well!

As we are now on our last Sunday before all the final preparations will be made to either welcome guests into your home for dinner, or to pack everyone up to go visit family or friends in their homes this Thanksgiving, I thought it would be a good time for us all to sit down and make our “Thankful Lists.”

Every year on the last Sunday before Thanksgiving, my family sits down and talks about the current year and all we have to be thankful for. This has always been such a blessed time of joy and laughter—and yes, even some tears from time to time. We’ll read Scripture verses about thankfulness and about the Lord’s faithfulness to provide all we ever need. Sometimes, we may even break into a song of praise!

Topping our lists each year are always family and friends. After that, it is usually thankfulness for some situation that the Lord has seen us through—many times when things looked completely hopeless from a human perspective. We also remember and are thankful for the lives of those who have passed from our presence and into the presence of our Lord.

We take these lists to the dinner table on Thanksgiving night and throughout the meal, we have plenty of laughter as we recount all His faithfulness to us. We be sure to let our guests know in advance that we will be doing this so that they too can be prepared. We try to keep it light-hearted and fun, but it is absolutely OK if someone sheds a tear or two. Most of the time it is just a joy to hear all the ways our children remember His provision—even things we have forgotten. Of course, many times they are thankful for a toy or some privilege they received, and that’s great! The point is to get them thinking about God’s grace poured out on us all the time so that Thankfulness becomes a way of living. Our prayer is that through this little tradition our children will have the seeds of the hope of Christ rooted deeply within their hearts for eternity.

Finally, prepping our hearts this way on the Sunday before Thanksgiving has a way of calming all the last minute craziness and busy-ness. We can be like Martha—fussing and fretting; or we can learn the lesson Mary knew so well: it was greater to sit at the feet of her Master in complete adoration. Seek Him first and His kingdom first, and “all these things shall be added unto you.”

What ways do you remember to be thankful? What traditions does your family have that teach these important things to your children?

What are you thankful for this year? Please let me know by commenting below.

What do you think? Has the Thanksgiving Countdown been a hit? Shall I do another for Christmas? If so, what types of things would you like to see included in the countdown?

Hope you’re all well on your way to a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Here’s a fun project to put together this weekend and surprise your guests with on Thanksgiving, or even share with friends in the days before.

Family Fun has great instructions for making this Tiny Turkey Dinner.

Photo courtesy of Family Fun

When I originally saw these I thought they were adorable but was sure they’d take way too long to make. However, a friend of mine made a batch and said they only took about 15 minutes to decorate. That’s not bad at all. And you know the kids will have a blast sharing them with friends and neighbors!

Here are my friends’ cupcakes. Did she do a great job or what?

If you decide to make a batch, I’d love if you took a picture and shared a link to it here.

Quick, do you know which direction to pass the food at a family-style sit-down dinner? It’s FROM the left TO the right, which is counterclockwise.

Where does your drink go, and what about the bread plate? Here’s a tip I learned when I was a child. Put both your hands in front of you and make the OK sign (thumb and pointer making a circle, and the other three fingers sticking up in the air.) Look at your hands – the right hand will be making a “d” shape. D for drink will remind you that the drink goes on your right. Your left hand will be making a “b” shape. B for bread means the bread plate is on the left.

Do the kids need a little brushing up on table manners before visiting Great Aunt Jane? Here’s a link to a list of basic table manners from the Holiday Cook.

Are YOU a guest this year? While you may be bringing part of the meal, a small gift for the hostess is always a sweet gesture as well. A loaf of quick bread wrapped in a $store tea towel, a box of tea wrapped in plain paper with a spoon tied on top, a jar of jelly or relish presented simply in a brown paper bag tied with twine or raffia . . . It doesn’t take more than two or three dollars to show your appreciation. A basket of apples, a bag of grapes or nuts, or a small crate of clementines make for great snacking later in the evening, and a welcome gift. Bonus points if you bring them in a thrifted bowl or stand ready to display!

I found the cutest little Thanksgiving craft the other day when I was snooping around the Internet. I love finding these little crafts, because it keeps my children busy, but also gives them something constructive to do with their hands. And the bonus is that we get to use up things that would normally get thrown in the garbage!

If you have an old milk carton, a brown bag, and other things laying around your house, you can make this neat little project that I found on the Amazing Moms website. It’s very easy, very frugal, and loads of fun!

Photo courtesy of Amazing Moms

While the kids are making this adorable craft, you can read them the following story, The Voyage of the Mayflower,  that can be found on the Baldwin Project website. I love this website! Free reading material for all ages.

Next week at this time, we will be busy getting the last of our preparations complete and sitting down with family to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. Don’t forget to include the children in the preparation process. They can be a big help with cutting veggies, setting the table, or entertaining guests!

Last week we talked about setting a welcoming tone by making the front door and walkway attractive. This week we are focusing on what your guests see as soon as they walk in the front door.

What does your entryway/foyer say? Right now, take a moment to walk out your front door, and then enter and notice the first thing your eyes fall upon. Does it look inviting? Does it say, “Something special is going to happen here; take a load off and be a part of our family this evening?” Does that first impression upon entry into the interior of your home set you at peace with joy in your heart? If not, now is the day to get working on it.

Here is what folks see when they first enter my foyer.

Since this table is about the right height for a child to touch things, nothing here is too precious to be touched. I wanted to make sure that there was something available to hug for those little guests that come over, so I placed the little pumpkin person on the bench to welcome them! The picture frame currently has no picture in it. I am placing a picture of my family there as soon as it is developed. (See, even I run behind on things once and a while. {wink})

Next, they turn and see the bookcase, so I decorated the top with books about Thanksgiving, and the first settlers to our country, or just books with titles that evoke a warm sense of the autumn.

OK, so some of them are there just for color, but I think it works! The sign I got at a store about three years ago, and we just love it. The point is to use what you have on hand rather than going out and buying a bunch of expensive stuff to fill your home. That only brings stress to your holiday, and we want to relax and enjoy, with satisfaction, all we have done to make our guests feel welcome.

Lastly, here is my mantel.

I already had pictures and prints that had good color for the season (white and beige go with just about any season!), so all I really added here was the fall leaf garland from the dollar store for—you guessed it—$1.00! I already had the candle, so I will make sure to light it well ahead of my guests’ arrival so that it gives the house its lovely scent of apple-cinnamon. Mmmm!

A Little Dab of Inspiration
How did I do all this? I pulled everything I thought might work into the room adjoining this entry area. Next, I sifted through all of it until I could really see what I had to work with. Then I scoured online blogs and magazines for inspiration. There are many out there to give you inspiration. Country Living magazine and Better Homes and Gardens are two of my favorites.

Just don’t get pulled into the lure of thinking you have to go do some painstaking, time-consuming craft, or spend oodles of money to make your home look festive. Much of what you need is right outside your door in nature, or within your own four walls already. Just use some creativity and don’t be afraid to try something totally different from anything you’ve seen before.

You might just start a whole new tradition in your family of decorating in an off-beat way! Put heart into it, and your guests will feel welcome and loved. That’s really what it’s all about—not perfection.

I hope this helps you in your efforts to create a lovely welcome for your friends and family on Thanksgiving. Please let me know what you are doing to decorate. Share links to your pictures in the comments to inspire everyone!