Hi Friends! As Thanksgiving approaches and we are getting ready for the festivities it’s easy to get so wrapped up in the tablescapes, food preparation and all that goes into making this holiday special for our families and friends that we forget to allow time to truly give thanks! This year has been a challenging one for me in so many ways but it has also been a blessing in that I have had so many supportive friends and family members to help me through. These sweet actions from others have taught me to cherish those good moments and kind gestures of others even more. So this year I wanted to share some fun activities which will make gratitude the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving feast!

source

Show and Tell with Gratefulness!
Have everyone bring a small memorable item which represents something they are thankful for and incorporate it into your tablescape. It could be a photo, ornament, an accessory from the past, gift from someone, anything that reminds them of an activity or person they are grateful for. During dinner each person can share what they brought, and how they felt blessed by the event or person that their item represents.

source

Sign in with Gratitude!

Have a basket, box, bowl or jar at your front door and welcome people with cute note cards and a pen. Ask everyone to write down what they are grateful for and leave it in the container. While at dinner pass it around and have each person pull a note card and read it to your guests so they can guess who wrote it.

source

Play a Thanksgiving Retention Game!

Share something you are thankful for, then have the person sitting to the right repeat what you said and add their blessing. Go around the table with the next person repeating all of the comments given before them and adding theirs to the end of the list.

source

Create a Tree of Thankfulness!

This can be store bought or crafted. Cut out leaves in fall colors, or purchase silk maple leaves and ask your guests to write on them what they are thankful for and tie them to the tree. After dinner get together and read all the leaves of thanks! It will be fun from year to year to reread thankful notes of the past.

source

Craft a Thanksgiving Scrapbook!

Noted by year, begin filling a scrapbook with the day’s events, photos of people there, the table and the food. Have each guest write what they are most thankful for that year. This will be more special as years pass when everyone can reread and relive these cherished Thanksgiving memories!! If kids are part of your day or you have artistic adults have them draw pictures of what they are grateful for and add that to the book.

source

Make Thanksgiving Fortune Rolls!

Have each guest write down on strips of parchment paper what they are thankful for. Then roll the notes into crescent roll dough and bake! During dinner have each person read what is the thanksgiving fortune roll and guess who wrote each grateful comment!

source

Fashion a Grateful Tablecloth!

Protect your table with plastic and then cover with a tablecloth or use a painters drop cloth. Scatter permanent marker laundry pens on the table so your guests can write their thanksgiving blessings right on the cloth. One of my favorite gifts have been when my staff painted a drop cloth and incorporated special notes to me. It is a gift I pull out each year, read and enjoy.

source

Turkey Ticklers!!

Write dialog starters onto notecards like….. I was so thankful when Mom…….. or When my sibling told me….. or I felt so blessed when…..I so appreciated my child when they…. etc. etc.. Put them on the table in a container. Have each person during dinner pick one and share how they would fill in the blanks!

 source

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to share all of our blessings with family and friends. Adding some extra fun traditions to this holiday will get everyone involved in the gracious spirit. I wanted to take the time to tell each of you how grateful I am that you join me in our weekly chats. Blog writing has become almost therapeutic to me and a way that I have been able to stay connected with each of you. For that I am blessed! I hope you have an awesome week and create some special memories with your family and friends. Remember during this season of gratitude, that even the smallest thank you can make someone’s day!

If you love the way your Thanksgiving table turns out please send  me a pic for next years blog.    Just email them to Leslie@segretofinishes.com. We all learn so much from each other!!