Five Loves on Friday!

Hello, friends!  It has been such a sweet and celebratory week and a half since we last chatted!  I decided that today I'd catch you up on the fun, choosing a handful of highlights from the past couple weeks!

{This is definitely going to be a chronological list as I could never pick favorites among these faves!}

1.  Giving Thanks for and with my Family

Celebrating Thanksgiving in my aunt and uncle's home is an occasion I look forward to all year long.  Their dining room is always done up in a cute and thoughtful way, the food is fantastic, and spending quality time with family is like the cherry on top of the delicious day!

My Aunt Ann and cousin Emily always put together such terrific tablescapes!  Emily uses Pinterest masterfully!  (Check out her fun finds here!)  Whenever planning a celebration she tracks (and pins) down such fantastic inspiration from bloggers/websites and brings so many ideas to life to be enjoyed!  This year she whipped up beautiful utensil holders and crafted sweet (pop)corn for each place setting, while Ann added adorable drawings to craft paper tablecloths encouraging playfulness and creativity for all ages!  

Here's a closer look at those adorable details...

Some of my favorite doodles were "ROCKON!" beside a picture of Plymouth Rock, #gravyisgroovy, and several sweet phrases like "You are a Thanksgiving blessing!"  It was so much fun looking at all the artwork everyone had created by the time we had put our dessert forks down!

The eats were delicious, the treats were sweet.  The company we enjoyed couldn't be beat!


The yumminess // sweet settings // Jason's dinner doodles

A Thanksgiving Tradition 

Each year after our Thanksgiving feast my parents gift us a special dated ornament.  How perfect is this one?!  It will hold a photo from the WDW trip my parents joined us for this year, and will hold a special place in my heart and on my tree in the years to come!  My mom also found ornaments for each of the girls dated the years of their birth which was incredibly special too!

2.  A Sweet Celebration for Four

Most years we spend Thanksgiving Day with extended family, but this year we had already celebrated with both sides prior to the holiday.  It was such a treat to enjoy an entire day cozy at home, just the four of us!  I'm a sentimental sap, continually aware that there are only so many more holidays while the kids will be under the same roof as their dad and I.  Thinking on this made the day all the more cherished!

I made a double batch of my hubby's favorite quiche and got some sprinkle covered donuts to add a dash of sweetness to the start of our day!

Hands down, my favorite Thanksgiving tradition is enjoying a big breakfast while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, all snuggled up with Jason and the girls under a pile of blankets!  Afterward we look through Black Friday ads and cheer on our favorite breeds of doggies in the National Dog Show.  (I have never owned a dog, so my favorites are based solely on cuteness. ;))  

When dinnertime rolled around we had fun taking a less traditional route to deliciousness.  My handsome hubby cooked up our favorite, Thai Food!  So good!!

Pad Thai and Red Curry deliciousness // family fun

After dinner we sat around the table for hours chatting, listening to Christmas music, and working on a Disneyland puzzle my best blogging friend, Chrissy, gave us last Christmas.  (Thanks again, Chrissy!  We're learning our way around the park for our trip next year, one teeny tiny piece at a time! ;))

It was a simple and memorable holiday spent with those dearest to my heart.  I loved every sweet lit'l bit of it!

3.  Black Friday Family Fun

Black Friday shopping with my parents has become a fun tradition over the years!  Princess started joining us two years ago, using her frugal eye for a good buy to stretch her (early) birthday bucks!  This year we snagged deals at Menards, Target, Kmart, and Shopko.  After filling my parents' van with goodies, we met my brother in law, niece and nephew for some hot eats and cool treats at DQ.  It was a fun morning kicking off the Christmas season and crossing off our Christmas shopping lists together!

4.  Happy Birthday to Princess!

No matter what I say or do to discourage it, my kids insist on growing up! ;)  Last weekend we celebrated Princess' birthday!  Her Special Day wishes included lunch at a China Buffet in our area with a Mongolian grill, a visit to my parents' place (complete with my mom's giant chocolate chip cookie cake and gifts), and a Christmas movie girls' night with me.  Each of these requests made my heart happy!  

Her favorite meal - Chinese noodles with shrimp and broccoli  // Just as we prepped to wrap up lunch, our sweet server brought over a plate of celebratory treats to our table. :) //  I love this snapshot of  Grandpa Bob & Princess! // If you tell my parents you're going to stop by on a birthday, they whip up a lit'l party! // One of her favorite gifts was a bag and blanket set that her grandparents picked up for her at Walt Disney World.

She's growing up to become a very responsible and caring young lady and I couldn't be more proud of her!  

5.  Extended Holiday Weekend Goodness!

The company Jason works for gives their employees both Thanksgiving and Black Friday off.  He added a vacation day at the end of all that to give us five full days together!  Monday my mom had invited the girls to her daycare Thanksgiving Party, and Jason invited me on a da(y)te!  Going out to the movies with my man at 11am on a Monday?!  Yes, please and thank you! :)  Keeping this completely spoiler free, I'll just say that I thought  was a very satisfying end!  Mockingjay Part 2 concluded the series well, and the date (along with the great afternoon/evening that followed) wrapped up our long weekend beautifully!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Wishing you a fantastic first weekend of December! 

Join me in the adventures to come!

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