I was sitting at my desk this morning thinks about the things I’m grateful for which is my friends and family. Being able to have lunch at a restaurant I love today with David, Charlie and my best friend Debbie. As I was preparing to wash clothes and take a shower I remembered I needed to share post for Thanksgiving which will be here before we know it.
Thanksgiving for my family is bother bitter but also sweet, and after spending time enjoying our fall and Halloween activities, it is time to turn our attention toward Thanksgiving Faith, Family & Fun! I hope you enjoy the new post and being back to earn tickets in our ticket challenge.
Thanksgiving has always felt like one of those holidays that doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be about slowing down, spending time together, remembering what we are thankful for, enjoying good food, and making a few memories along the way. And this year, we’re continuing our 10-Minute Reading Challenge with some Thanksgiving-themed choices for the whole family.
You don’t have to read an entire book. You don’t even have to finish a chapter. Just choose something, set a timer for 10 minutes, and read! And yes, that 10 minutes can earn a ticket in our family Thanksgiving challenge. Which makes today even more fun.
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This morning in our Thanksgiving 10-Minute Reading Challenge we’re making it simple with This or That? Everyone can choose the option that sounds the most fun to them. Then at the end of the article you will see what I’m reading and as for David he said he has his Cereal box to read and Charlie said he is reading his drivers license test.
Little Kids — This or That? The first book I picked out for them was There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey! A silly Thanksgiving story that is perfect for younger children who enjoy the familiar There Was an Old Lady series which is also a song but you don’t want to hear me sing. Or do you?
OR
How to Catch a Turkey– A fun Thanksgiving choice for little readers who enjoy silly stories, rhymes, and the idea of trying to catch a turkey!
Choose one, read for 10 minutes, and earn 1 ticket! Easy Peasy….
Elementary Readers — This or That?– I choose one of Suzzane and Charlie’s favorite children’s book series which I also like Junie B. Jones #28: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff). Junie B. Jones brings her usual personality to Thanksgiving in this holiday story.
OR
Thanksgiving Would You Rather Book for Kids– Sometimes reading doesn’t have to mean sitting quietly with a traditional story. A Thanksgiving Would You Rather book gives kids a chance to read questions, make choices, laugh, and talk about their answers. These stores are always a lot of un.
Choose one, read for 10 minutes, and earn 1 ticket!
Middle School — This or That?- Thanksgiving Would You Rather Book for Kids- Even older kids can join in with a fun holiday activity, especially when it gives the family something to talk about.
OR The Cozy Thanksgiving Whodunit Collection– If your middle school reader would rather solve a mystery than read a traditional Thanksgiving story, this gives them a different way to spend those 10 minutes. Which is what I would prefer to read. How about you?
Choose one and spend 10 minutes reading or solving!
Teens & Adults — This or That?- The Cozy Thanksgiving Whodunit Collection For readers who enjoy a little mystery, this can turn your Thanksgiving reading time into a cozy whodunit.
OR 100 Thanksgiving Mysteries: A One-Pen Picture Reveal Activity Book for Adults and Teens– Grab a pen and spend 10 minutes working your way through a Thanksgiving mystery picture reveal.
Choose one and spend 10 minutes reading, solving, or working on your activity!
What I’m Reading This Week– And if you want to see what I’m reading this week, I picked out a Thanksgiving romance for myself.
The Thanksgiving Promise by Sophie Meadow– It’s a friends-to-lovers holiday romance about Emma and Noah, longtime friends who find themselves looking at their relationship a little differently when they return home for Thanksgiving week. There are family traditions, Thanksgiving dinners, small-town traditions, autumn walks, kitchen mishaps, and the question of whether two best friends can risk changing their relationship for something more.
That sounded like a fun Thanksgiving-week read to me! What do you think?
Check out The Thanksgiving Promise on Amazon.
Of course, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without food. But when I think about Thanksgiving memories, I don’t just think about what’s on the table. I think about who is sitting around the table. I think about the conversations. The laughter. The traditions we’ve kept. The traditions we’ve changed. The people we miss. The people who are still beside us.
And those little moments that nobody planned but somehow become the memories we remember years later. That’s why I want our Thanksgiving activities to include more than crafts and food. I want there to be time for faith, family, gratitude, reading, talking, laughing, and simply being together.
Thanksgiving gives us a natural opportunity to stop and remember the blessings in our lives. Before your Thanksgiving meal, take a few minutes and have everyone share: One thing I’m thankful for… It can be something big. It can be something small. It can even be something silly.
Sometimes the little things are the things that make us smile the most. You could also start a family gratitude jar and have everyone write down something they are thankful for throughout November. Then read the notes together on Thanksgiving.
Here are a few simple ways to turn Thanksgiving into family time without making yourself crazy trying to plan a huge activity.
Take a Thanksgiving Walk– Get outside and enjoy the cooler fall weather. Look at the leaves, take pictures, talk, and enjoy being together.
Bake Something Together– It doesn’t have to be a complicated Thanksgiving dessert. Cookies, muffins, pie, or even something as simple as decorating cupcakes can become a family activity.
Play a Game– Pull out a favorite board game, card game, or family game after dinner. Or make up your own Thanksgiving questions.
Take a Family Picture– You don’t need a perfect family portrait. Take a picture around the Thanksgiving table. Take one outside. Take a silly one. Years from now, those imperfect pictures may be the ones you treasure most.
Not everyone at the Thanksgiving table may be physically present. Take a moment to remember someone you love who isn’t there. Tell a favorite story. Look at a photograph. Share something that person taught you. Thanksgiving can hold both gratitude and grief, and there is room for both.
If you’re participating in our family Thanksgiving challenge, remember that the goal isn’t to make Thanksgiving feel like homework. It’s about finding little ways to spend time together. Read for 10 minutes. Try an activity. Play a game. Have a family conversation. Do something kind.
And remember that the rewards are supplied by Mom and Dad, so you can make the ticket system work for your own family. You can keep it simple or make it as elaborate as your family enjoys. The important part is making memories.
A Thanksgiving Reminder
We don’t need a perfect Thanksgiving. We don’t need a magazine-worthy table. We don’t need to make every craft, bake every dessert, or check every box. Sometimes the best Thanksgiving memories happen when we simply sit down together and enjoy the people God has placed in our lives.
So this Thanksgiving, let’s make room for faith, family, fun, gratitude, reading, laughter, and love. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll put down our phones for 10 minutes and pick up a book instead. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
GreatfulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
