Jessie Cozzens| 04 Nov, 2018

Holy smokes, guys... It's already November! What?! I think I say this every blog, but this year has flown by. We sure hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween. It was a little chilly here in Utah, but it's so pretty here in the fall that it made up for the cold and all our kiddos had a blast! 

We're diving right into all things Thanksgiving! This blog is probably one of my favorites! I found the cutest craft for my girls that they spent two hours doing. They just wanted to keep adding to it because they were having so much fun. And just a hint, if you're still planning all those family dinners, you'll definitely want to volunteer with the appetizers for this year's gathering! Trust me, what I have for you is sure to please a crowd and be a complete show stopper!.. Might be even more gorgeous than the turkey! 😂 And new to my family this year, a "Grateful Tree" to really focus as a family on all that we have and try a little harder to not take things for granted. 

In this jam-packed Thanksgiving post, you'll find:

Thanksgiving Appetizers

Thanksgiving Kids Craft

Thanksgiving Thankful Tree

Thanksgiving Appetizers

First up, I have to start with this appetizer platter. My family loves appetizers on holidays. No offense to my fam, but I got sick of the same cheese ball and crackers every year. Not that this platter doesn't have one, but I added lots more yumminess and no joke, even I was a little shocked by how professional looking this turned out! 😆

Here's a list of what items I decided to go with and feel free to change it up for your family:

• Large flat leaves (I used Swiss Chard leaves), you could also use fig leaves if you can find them. You just want large, dark green leaves that lay flat
• Hummus
• Baby sweet pickles
• Cheese ball (If you're local, Harmon's has thee best cheese ball selection!)
• Parmesan (or blue) cheese wedge 
• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Grapes
• Sliced salami
• Pepperoni (I bought a whole pepperoni log from my deli and sliced it at home)
• Dried fruit (I used apricots)
• Pistachios (Can use almonds, peanuts, candied nuts, etc.)
• Olives (I like black, but you can use any kind)
• Snap peas
• Baguette
• Assorted crackers
• Pretzels
• Radishes

First, I found this amazing rustic platter from Hobby Lobby. You want to lay the leaves on the platter as some greenery for all the goods to lay on like you see here:

Then, just put all the food on. There isn't a rhyme or reason, just make it look pretty. And I always drizzle olive oil and some pepper on top of the hummus. I just can't with all of this deliciousness. I've been snacking literally since I finished taking the pictures of it all. And all I can say is, YUM!!!😋

Thanksgiving Kid's Craft

Next, I'll tell you all about this adorable scarecrow craft I did with my girls. It's so easy and super cheap. And the best part, it kept my girls busy for two hours! This NEVER happens! They finished the face then just kept gluing and cutting and made a whole body and limbs. Haha. These kinda ideas are always welcome in my home!

Here's what you'll need. I found everything here from Hobby Lobby, but I know a lot of this you can find at the Dollar Store or Walmart.

• Popsicle sticks
• Orange paint
• Paint brushes
• Googly eyes
• Fake leaves
• Hot glue gun
• Raffia (for hair) 

I did progress pictures while my girls did theirs and it's so simple, you can't really screw them up!

Thanksgiving Thankful Tree

Lastly, but most importanly. I wanted to share with you all this cute Thankful Tree idea. As my kids are getting bigger, I have really wanted to start making it a point to be grateful for all the blessing we have. And this is a fun way to get started!

I just used my home decor to make this. I didn't need to go and buy anything fancy. If you've got something similar, great. If you want to just make the leaves and put them in a jar, that's great also. I had these leaves left over from previous projects so I'm just having my family write on those. Click here for a free printable download of leaves for this project that you can use.

Every day, my family will write something they are thankful for. These can be easy, one word answers. They could be an experience. They can be a person. Anything at all. Then on Thanksgiving, we will put all the leaves in a bowl and read them as a family. This will be our first year of doing this, and to be honest, I am so excited for Thanksgiving just to read these. I think it is going to be a really fun and sweet tradition for us and bring us closer to each other and make our home a lot more positive. At least I hope! 

I really hope you give these ideas a try! I know with the holidays coming so quickly, it is easy to get caught up in the mayhem but make a goal with me this year! Slow down, watch the holiday through your kid's eyes, leave the dishes and sit and visit with the family for a while. I hope you all have a great Turkey Day, and speaking of... Maybe after this blog we can start nicknaming Thanksgiving "Appetizer Day" instead of "Turkey Day". I'm telling you, the platter is that good! :)

Love,

Jessie, Blogger for SIP 

**This blog post GIVEAWAY will be for a $50.00 SIP GIFT CARD!**

TO ENTER this giveaway, we want you to comment below on this BLOG POST, an activity or something you like to do to entertain your kids, and SHARE this blog post on your social media pages! Winner will be announced on our next blog post that will be coming your way soon so be sure to stay tuned for that. We are still wanting to spread the word about our blog so SHARE and COMMENT as much as you can. We really want to keep doing fun discounts and giveaways for you guys, so the more interaction we have, the more you get! YAY! 

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SANTA15

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**Will expire on December 19th at Midnight MST**

The WINNERS from our Thanksgiving blog are....

JESSICA WARREN and RENEE KINSER 

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