With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, November is the perfect month to take time to reflect on what we are truly grateful and thankful for. For many of us that means being thankful for our families, health and a roof over our heads. For me, I am thankful for some of life’s other pleasures, like a cup of hot coffee to keep me going and temps that occasionally dip below 80 degrees (living in South Florida those days are blessings).
To help jump start this season of thankfulness and giving, I’m sharing with you a few ideas that might inspire you to “count your blessings” and help you to express your gratitude for all the amazing things that we all take for granted.
5 Ideas To Jump Start Your Season of Thankfulness
1| 30 Days of Thankful Posts Challenge
Create a Facebook or Twitter challenge with your friends and encourage them to post once a day what they are thankful for. I love this challenge because everyone has something to be thankful for, even if they don’t think so. This forces all of us to be more grateful for what we have — even if it is as simple as a hot cup of coffee or 5 minutes of peace and quiet. At the end of the month, it’s fun to go back and read everyone’s list. It’s harder than you think, but we all have 30 things in our life to be thankful for.
2| Send or Give Your Neighbors or Co-workers a Thank You Card
November shouldn’t be only about reflecting on the things that you are personally grateful for, but it should also be the time to show your appreciation to those around you. What better way than to give your neighbors or co-workers an unexpected surprise than by giving them a Thank You card telling them why you appreciate the little things they do. A simple compliment, encouragement or acknowledgement might uplift their spirit more than you can imagine.
3| Create a Family or Personal Thankful Project
Bring a bit of thankfulness into your home, by creating your own special Thanksgiving art. Here are two ideas I love.
- Thankful Wreath: Every day leading up to Thanksgiving, write something you are Thankful for on a fall craft leaf and attach it to a craft wreath of your choice. By Thanksgiving, your wreath will be overflowing with the things you are truly grateful for.
- Thankful Collage: Similar to the wreath project, you can either use a canvass, bulletin board, tray, piece of wood or other flat surface and create a keepsake Thankful collage. Simply attach your craft leaves with hot glue or decoupage to create a unique wall hanging or serving tray that you will have for years to come. It’s a great reminder of all the things you are grateful for.
4| Host a Thanksgiving Recipe Exchange
Invite your friends, family and co-workers to a pot luck Thanksgiving recipe exchange. This is a great way to find some new favorite turkey day dishes and to share some of your own. If hosting a pre-Thanksgiving event is not possible, create a virtual pot luck dinner by collecting everyone’s favorite recipes and then paste them into a word document to be emailed to the entire group.
5| Commit to Doing One Charitable Act
The Holidays and Thanksgiving can be a very lonely and hard time for some. While we are thankful for what we have, it is important to “pay it forward” to those in our community that need extra help. Here are few ways to donate your time or resources:
- Donate non-perishable items to your local food bank or food drive
- Volunteer to pack and distribute Thanksgiving baskets to local families in need
- Clean out your closet and donate items to a local charity
- Organize a group of friends to collect new and or unused gift cards and donate them to a local shelter or group home. Spa, hair salon, nail, local restaurant, grocery store, gas station and superstore gift cards that you may not use are greatly appreciated by others who may not be able to treat themselves to the little luxuries we take for granted.
Let me know what ideas or traditions you have that help to bring out the best in this month of thankfulness and giving. To you and your family, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.
You might also like to read The 30 Day Gratitude Project Challenge
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