Pre Thanksgiving Photos

My daughter and son in law have been visiting since Friday and we have been having way too much fun to take many photos, but have managed to pull out our phones and shoot a few here and there.  The weather has been absolutely beautiful, with sunny, pleasant days, beautiful sunsets and cool nights spent outside on the lanai with candles lit, cocktails and music playing.

We have two puppies running around and making us laugh.  A lot of good food has been cooked. We have ventured out to the beach and have also spent a lot of time lounging by the pool.  We have watched football and basketball games together, even though we are fans of rival universities.  My husband and I also celebrated out 37th anniversary yesterday with a cocktail at the beach, followed by a lovely dinner at home, cooked by our daughter.

And, Thanksgiving is yet to come.

Thanksgiving Favorites

We are all getting into that crunch time where getting ready for Thanksgiving is a priority and at the same time, Christmas shopping and decorating are looming.  My daughter and son in law are coming to visit at the end of the week, so there will be a lot of fun times keeping me busy and that is why my lists will come in handy in the next few days.  I’ll be checking off what I can before they arrive and using down time by the pool to do a little on line shopping.  Since I need to ship all my gifts, being organized is critical.

If you are looking for some delicious Thanksgiving recipes, these three dishes are tried and true and loved by my family.  I believe that Thanksgiving is meant for traditional, family recipes and I am happy to share these with all of  you.  There are so many years worth of memories in these recipes, especially my mother’s stuffing, because sadly, she is no longer able to make it herself.

For two simple and beautiful touches to your table, this no sew burlap runner and a sweet place setting using a strip of burlap and a sprig of rosemary, make a big impact, without a lot of effort.

Let the preparations begin!

No Sew Burlap Table Runner
Cranberry Apple and Ginger Chutney
My Mothers Stuffing
Cranberry Almond Spinach Salad
So Simple So Sweet Place Setting

Aldi Wine Advent Calendar (The Story)

Last week, I did something so unlike me.  I’m not a trendy shopper and waiting in line to spend my money seems kind of crazy to me.  But, ever since last year, when I saw bloggers and Instagram friends enjoying their single serving bottles of wine each night during advent, I was determined to not be left out of the fun this holiday season.

For some reason, the Aldi Wine Advent Calendar is the one people go crazy for, even though other places like Costco have their own version now.  From word of mouth, I knew I needed to get to the store early and wait in line, because they sell out quickly.  I didn’t know what to expect, so I got there at 8:00 for a 9:00 store opening.  Conveniently, Starbucks in right next door, so I grabbed my coffee and pulled up to find only two people in line at Aldi.

More shoppers began to arrive and I got in line with about ten people in front of me. Of course, since I live in Florida, standing outside is no problem.  I was very impressed with how organized it was.  An employee gave us a flyer (maximum two per person) while in line and 15 minutes before opening the wine calendar shoppers (about 40 at that point) could enter early, trade our flyers for boxes and quickly check out.  I was on my way back home before 9:00.

I was able to purchase one for me and one for my daughter, Megan, who lives in Pittsburgh.  Her local Aldi does not sell wine (Pennsylvania law) and  she is driving here for Thanksgiving, so no shipping required.  We will be opening and drinking our wine together, long distance.

There are several different varieties of wine (red, white, rose and blends) and each bottle is pulled
separately from a numbered opening, so each one is a surprise.

I can’t wait until December 1st!