Planning for a plumber's Black Friday!!!

So, here we are. Wait let me clarify. By me, I mean a passed out husband on the couch and me up at 10:00 dying my hair and painting my nails in the silence of my master bathroom. Well, it's almost silent if you count the dripping water from the shower head. Tomorrow is thanksgiving, and I feel like I'm the only one in this house that's stressed out about it.

If you know anything about me, it's that my hair is uber important to me. Ladies, do you have summer color? You know, where the sun (and maybe stylist) lighten up the locks for the summer months? If your saying 'Heck yeah I do! That's when I get my tan on, and my summer skin glistens like a bronzed goddess' (only because I'm chasing my kiddos around the backyard to wear those suckers out before noon so that I can nap, and somehow I end up with a sun-burned nose and a farmers tan)...then boy are we in the same boat. I hate that those platinum locks grow out and I'm left with dull, brassy crap for two toned color for the next 8 months. 

Any who...so here I sit. Dye in my hair, waiting for the 25 min to pass so I can rinse, and then shower. Applying a base coat of nail polish, thinking about the details of tomorrow. Every year, we participate in Operation: Homecooking. It's a program on the local Air Force base where volunteers can pick up 2 trainees for the day and spend the day with them because they are away from their families for training purposes...And, well...let's face it, not even your worst enemy should be alone during the holidays. So, the honor that we have of inviting two (usually young) trainees into our home, is honestly the best gift of thanksgiving. 

Enough with the sentimentals....

....I forgot to mention the importance of a shower when our water has been shut off for 28 hours (but who's counting!) and the need of driving to the store to use the bathroom. As it turns out, we've had a water leak for the past 3 weeks. So, on thanksgiving eve, we got the (homeowners) honor or finding out what the previous tenant Effed up. Then, the icing on the cake is that we get to fix their screw up! Giddy up partners...we've got about 50 ft of 2 ft trench to dig up! 

Looks like Black Friday is rearing it's ugly head (on Wednesday! TEE HEE HEE). We get to spend spend spend... On Repairs for this casa. 

What are your Black Friday plans? Are they to be a good neighbor and to be hospitable if someone else might be in need. Or are you out haggling other shoppers over that 65' LCD? 

From the mouth of babes: Thanksgiving edition

So, instead of the usual Thanksgiving post, we wanted to do something different. We know why we, as adults, are thankful: health, children, happiness in the home, jobs, you name it. But was does this holiday mean to our littles? I thought I'd ask Pixy(5) and Banshee (3). Here's what I got:

Pixy: it's important to give thanks. For my sister because she's so special and she cares about me and I care about her. It's important to give love and kindness. To my new brother when he comes. I'm looking forward to family time and give thanks for our family and animals and give thanks for us. Because we were made special.

Banshee: God and eating turkey, and cranberries, and eating some stuffing. Eating is important on Thanksgiving and I eat candy.

Huh. Not only do their answers give insight I to how their brains think at their ages, but how important they felt that they were being asked their opinion. It was a fun assignment and I hope I get to be a reporter in this way again.

Liz asked Silas what Thanksgiving means as well.
Silas, age 3.5: "Kisses and hugs. And presents."  
Liz: "No that's Christmas Silas. What's Thanksgiving for?"  
"Um birthdays?"

From the MATH family to yours, may you stuff yourself with food, enjoy quality time with your family, and capture all those funny moments. You may need them as comic relief later!! ;)

Your assignment for today and tomorrow, besides family and food, is to ask your littles what Thanksgiving means to them. What's important about this holiday? Share their answers with us! The wisest and simplest things really do come "from the mouths of babes". 

Happy thanksgiving!!! We are thankful for all of you readers, sharing yourself and children's stories with us. It means a lot to all of us. 

5 Healthy Thanksgiving Ingredient Swaps from Abesmarket.com

5 HEALTHY THANKSGIVING INGREDIENT SWAPS

Healthy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving should be a time of gratitude, family, friends and good times, not food comas and bloated bellies. If you make an effort to eat well everyday, you don't have to throw your healthy habits out the window on Thanksgiving. Instead, clean up your favorite holiday meals with these healthy Thanksgiving swaps. We're not saying go full-on tofurkey, but by choosing better-for-you ingredients, you can make the holiday healthier for you and your loved ones.

Traditional: Stuffing & White Rice
Healthy: Quinoa or Sprouted Grains
Stuffing gets an easy, healthier upgrade when made with quinoa or sprouted grains like brown or wild rice. Quinoa is a protein- and fiber-rich pseudograin, so it's a great choice for any veg guests.

Traditional: Candied Sweet Potatoes & Marshmallows
Healthy: Baked Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Oil & Cinnamon
If you've ever baked, steamed or roasted a sweet potato, you know this healthy root veg is plenty sweet without marshmallows and added sugar. Try dressing your sweet potato side dish with coconut oil and cinnamon. Coconut oil provides beneficial fats that your body can more easily metabolize, which means you'll less likely feel like you need a post-meal nap. Cinnamon is a superfood in its own right: It's loaded with antioxidants and helps balance blood sugar levels. Simply bake sweet potatoes and swipe with coconut oil and a dash of cinnamon before serving.

Traditional: Canned Cranberry Sauce
Healthy: Natural Cranberries, Chutney, Jams, Spreads
Chutney, jams, spreads … canned cranberry has a lot of competition and the other options tend to be lower in sugar and sodium. Not to mention real cranberries are loaded with vitamin C, manganese and fiber. If your friends and family are open to the exotic, try this chipotle cranberry orange relish. For a more traditional cranberry, go with this cranberry sauce with port. Can the canned cran … it likely contains BPA, too.

Traditional: White & Refined Baking Flours
Healthy: Whole Wheat, Gluten Free & Sprouted Flours
We admit that going from white flours to gluten-free, sprouted or whole grain flours can change the consistency of texture of certain types of desserts, so you may need to whip up your favorite holiday dessert before the big day to make sure you get it right. Taking this extra step pays off big when you can serve your loved ones a better-for-you dessert.

Traditional: Fats & Sugar
Healthy: Unsweetened Applesauce
Did you know you could replace sugar and butter in recipes with unsweetened applesauce? Use a cup of applesauce for every cup of sugar called for in a recipe (just be sure to reduce the amount of liquid by ¼ cup) to reduce sugar levels and cut calories. It also makes desserts nice and moist. Unsweetened applesauce also works for replacing fats in sweet treats. Try ½ cup of applesauce and ½ cup of fat for every 1 cup of fat (butter, oil, etc.) in the recipe.

Today's post was written by Abesmarket.com and was posted by the Mamas to offer readers some new ideas for Thanksgiving. We hope you appreciate them!

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