Happy Thanksgiving from Our Family to Yours!

And for those who have been anticipating the Christmas card of Jason and I this year, here it is.

I look so much like my mother right here it is scary! 

                    

To the 9's | Happy Fall Y'all!

Font // Print // Home // Food // Plan // Handmade // Style // Give // Craft

 

 

•  I have been using the Sanchez font for darn near everything, I love it that much. It's clean and simple and goes well with a lot of other fonts. 
• I printed this out and framed it myself and you should too. I'm not skipping over Thanksgiving this year before moving on to Christmas. 
• Oh how I dream of a porch that I can decorate for the holidays and it be so inviting!
• Homemade fruit roll ups? Yes, please! Especially these fabulous fall fruit varieties. 
• Have you made a Fall bucket list this year? We have ours and have been happily checking off every little accomplishment. This is a great one to get you started. 
• This handmade hoop art is the cutest ever. I like the mixed media used to create it. 
• I may be so last year, but I am really into the big polka dot thing. I never follow the trends anyways so whatever! I want this sweater! And the scarf too!
• I gave jar gifts a few years ago and people really do love these. I used to love getting them myself when I worked in childcare. 
• This looks simple enough for the kids to help out with! Just print, cut, and glue! 

 

 

It's NaBloPoMo, which means I will be blogging every day in November. I do hope you will follow along here. 

 

                    

friday night ramblings and some photos

well, i screwed up my NABLOPOMO goal for the month. i was doing so well and then suddenly this week sped into view and all hell broke loose around here. i have been so incredibly busy! it's so hard to get anything done when i have all the kids at home, but it has been nice to spend the extra time with them.

we had a wonderful thanksgiving with my dad and step mother. i've said it before, but my step mother should totally have her own cooking show on the food network. the woman has spent her entire life perfecting her cooking and i bet she has collected over 1000 cookbooks throughout her life. i seriously don't ever recall anything she has made that wasn't good.

there is nothing better or more important to me than family time and home cooked meals during the holidays. i love that both jason and i share this common value. my fondest memory of this thanksgiving will always be jason and my dad playing soccer with the kids in the yard (photos coming of course)!

black friday shopping...ugh! not my thing at all! i do most of my christmas shopping online every year. a few tips to those who are afraid to shop online...

1. gather a wish list from your kids. we have been using giftbirdy and we love it!
2. start comparing prices early on. once black friday arrives, you will know whether or not the item is on sale and whether you need to wait until cyber monday. if it's not on sale on black friday, wait until cyber monday before settling. 
3.  once you have shopped, be sure to check websites like retail me not for coupon codes for even more discounts. 
4. check with your place of employment for discounts. jason works for directv, so we get additional discounts on a huge list of stores like best buy, target, and more. 
5. if you aren't offered free shipping, or you can't find a coupon code for free shipping, call the company and ask for it. i NEVER pay for shipping! 
6. while you are on the phone with the company, ask about any other unadvertised offers. i was able to get 20% off my order plus a one year subscription to rachael ray magazine last year just by calling customer service at rachaelray.com 

the best part about shopping online is that you can do it right in the comfort of your home, in your pajamas (or in the nude, if that's your thing). 

halloween is definitely my favorite holiday, but for some reason i just wasn't that into it this year and i have really been looking forward to christmas. i have planned some super fun activities for the kids and i just want to take it all in. i even made an advent calendar with activities for each day of december that i will be sure to share with you sometime soon.

last weekend, we went to the raleigh christmas parade and also hopped over to the wake forest seminary for a quick mini session with a cute little family for some fall photos. i will be sure to share our parade photos sometime this week, but in the meantime, please enjoy a few of the photos i took at the seminary.

the rest of the weekend is for spending time with my kids before they head back to school. ever seen the show total blackout? we are totally creating our own version of total blackout tomorrow night and i am pretty excited about it! this coming week i will also be just as busy trying to play catch up, plus, my birthday this week, and my best friend, amanda, who is having her baby shower next weekend. little gabriel will be here in no time.

tell me about your week! what's been on your mind or keeping you busy?

   

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

unilever spreads thanksgiving menu

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thanksgiving is coming up and if you are like me, you have traditions and pretty much cook some of the same foods every year for your family. however, every year, i do try to incorporate at least one new recipe as well. each year my family looks forward to the foods they are familiar with and yet excited to see what new recipe i will add. 

one of my family's favorite recipes i have cooked for years now is my homemade macaroni & cheese. it is by far one of the first things to go on the table. super cheesy with a little kick, it has often been known to fill up half of ryan and mackenzie's plates.

thanksgiving is definitely one of those times during the year that i try to cook from scratch, however,  i will admit to serving stuffing from a box and gravy from a jar. yep, i admit it! recently, my mom gave me a recipe for homemade gravy that i had been wanting to try. for some reason, making gravy is one of those things that i have always been nervous to make because it seemed so difficult, but she ensured me that i couldn't mess this up. rather than ruin a perfectly good thanksgiving turkey with a bad batch of gravy,  i decided to whip up some of my homemade mashed potatoes and see what my little family thought of this new gravy recipe. and, while i was at it, i made some of my macaroni & cheese too.

the results: yum!

how would you like to add a new recipe to your thanksgiving table? check out these two recipes that i am sure you will LOVE!


spicy macaroni & cheese

 you will need:

• 6 tbs. country crock 
• 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni
• 6 tbs. flour
• 3 cups whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs

preheat the oven to 350* and grease a 2 qt. baking dish with 1 tbs. country crock.

in a pot, cook macaroni noodles according to the directions on the box. once the noodles are done, drain and rinse with cold water.

melt the remaining 5 tbs. of country crock in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat. when the country crock has melted, stir in the flour and heat for about 4 minutes stirring constantly. be careful not to let the mixture burn.

next, add the milk and whisk constantly until it is thick and smooth (approx. 5 minutes), then remove from heat.

add salt, pepper, cayenne, and 2 1/2 cups of the cheese. then, add the noodles and stir until everything is mixed together well.

pour the mixture into the baking dish. mix the last 1/2 cup of cheese together with the bread crumbs and spread evenly on top of the macaroni.

place in the oven for 20 minutes or until it is golden brown. let set for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

basic gravy 

you will need:

• 1/2 cup country crock
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbs. worcestershire sauce
• 1 qt. beef, chicken or turkey broth, cold
• salt and pepper

in a saucepan, heat the country crock on medium low heat until melted.

add flour and stir for 5 minutes, making sure the mixture doesn't burn. then, add the garlic and cook for about 1 more minute. 

whisk in a cup of cold broth. add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer on low heat. continue adding broth if you prefer a thinner texture. let simmer on low for 20 minutes. salt and pepper to taste.

there's no doubt both of these recipes will be on our thanksgiving table this year and probably for many years to come.


what are some of your thanksgiving recipe traditions?


Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

jar of thanks - free printable from paper coterie

right now paper coterie has this free give thanks printable available for you. use it to make your own gratitude jar with your family this month and teach your kids about being thankful for all the things they have. it comes with a label to put on your choice of jar and paper writing prompts to help you jot down some of the the things you are thankful for. as you fill out each little slip you can use them make a gratitude paper chain. i put ours together in less than 15 minutes and we all have already filled out our first slip of paper to get our paper chain started (even jason filled one out). this is a fun activity for the whole family and kids love it because they get to help participate in the creation of something special.

this month i am participating in 30 days of thankfulness and really wanted a way to get my kids involved as well. it is simple to put this jar in a place where it is easily accessible to them, and each day they are able to grab one of the slips. thanksgiving evening, i hope my plan to get all my children together one last time before the day retires works out, and we can sit down and read each one as a family. i might have to bribe them with hot chocolate!

   

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

tv talk: 3 thanksgiving movies

although we put up our christmas tree and start preparing for christmas well before thanksgiving, i never start watching christmas movies until i have seen these three movies every year. there aren't a whole lot of movies that are situated around the thanksgiving holiday because, sadly, christmas tends to outshine this similar holiday of families getting together.

there are a few others that you might add to this list, but for me, it's all about these three.

1. son in law - who doesn't love the early days of pauly shore? after a few more of his movies, i was pretty much done with him, but this is hands down his best movie. a girl takes her a college friend, who grew up in the city, home for thanksgiving to her family's farm.

2. dutch - was this or wasn't this ethan embry's first movie? actually, i just checked and it wasn't his actual first, but it was one of his first starring roles. basically, he plays a spoiled rotten brat of a kid who gives his mom's new boyfriend hell when he does her a favor and picks him up at his prep school to come home for thanksgiving.

3. plains, trains, and automobiles - two strangers meet up and travel together to try and make it home in time for thanksgiving. if you haven't seen this movie, where in the world have you been? 

please tell me you have seen all of these movies!?!? are there any movies that you watch for thanksgiving that you would add to this list?

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

always thankful (even after thanksgiving)

near where we live, the less fortunate are hired to sell newspapers on the street corners to provide them with a little bit of income. thanksgiving day, we stopped to buy a newspaper, not because we needed it, or even wanted it, but simply because we knew it would help that person out. 

little moments like that make me feel better about myself as a person, and remind me of how much i have to be grateful for. some days stink! some days really stink! but i can't think of a moment in my life that has stunk any worse than the thought of waking up tomorrow and having to sell newspapers on a street corner to get my next meal. 

thank you Lord for everything you have given me. and even if some days i seem a little ungrateful, i thank you for those moments that bring me back to reality. 

my ABC's of thanks...

last week, i saw this abc's of thanks over at finding joy, and although i didn't get a chance to participate then, i still wanted to do it. 

what are you thankful for?

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

Gratitude Rocks

One of my parents at work brought in these great little {keepsakes} that I want to share with you. I have made some of my own to share with members of my {family} this Thanksgiving.

All you NEED is some beautiful river rocks

You can probably find some of these at a craft store.


Make copies of this sweet message.

Enclose them...one rock, one message...in some type of bag.

a ziplock bag would be just fine.

Remember This Movie?

Hands down one of the best movies to see during the Thanksgiving season.

And what about these?

Some other favorites goes to these two movies...
Can you name these movies? The first one should be easy, but what about the second one?