Posts filed under ‘Thanksgiving’
Fall Bucket List Update – November
Yosemite’s Ahwahnee Hotel had amazing centerpieces Thanksgiving weekend. #GratitudeScavengerHunt – This photo went into the “Something I’m grateful for that tastes good” category.
How well do you finish all the things on your bucket lists? I am great at writing them, but have troubles finishing. Well, not this month. This month, I finished all the things I wanted to!!!
Below is the original November list and some details about the item.
ONE. Read – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens before seeing the play. TRUTH DISCLAIMER – I didn’t actually read the book, but I listened to a free audio version. Except for kids books, I have never listened to an audio book. I thought I would do some work while listening to this story, but I ended up sitting in my chair on 3 different occasions just listening. This was quite enjoyable and I will do this again.
I also read a book about gratitude: Choosing Gratitude: Learning to Love the Life you Have by James A Autry. Here is my recap post about that book.
TWO. Field Trip – Go see A Christmas Carol: The Musical with the PEP group at Folsom Lake College. This was a fun night out with 9 women and 2 men. The acting, staging and music were a delight.
THREE. Write Another Bucket List – Write a Singles Thanksgiving Bucket List and do at least a few of the items.
Before Thanksgiving or during Thanksgiving weekend, I did numbers One (Watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving) Five (Made silverware holders), Six (Made this prayer pumpkin), Seven (Scavenger Gratitude Walk), Eight (I gave our waitress a BIG tip.) and Ten (Made a snowman ornament, but not the block one. I used these directions.
This spot in Yosemite didn’t have much snow Thanksgiving weekend, but it was beautiful and cold!
FOUR. Celebrate Thanksgiving in a new way – We won’t be going to the beach this year. I had the joy of Thanksgiving at my sister’s home. It was a merry and tasty time. And then I spent Friday and Saturday in Yosemite with my daughter.
FIVE. Make grown up Advent calendar. See this online Advent calendar. Here is an advent chain to make. Advent November 29 (ends December 24).
I made an Advent Prayer Wreath. The base is a felt quilled wreath kit I picked up from Michaels last year after Christmas. I cut out 24 extra leaves. Each day I will write a name on one leaf and pray for that person. And then I will glue the leaf onto my wreath.
All the numbers start off upside down. As each day comes and I finish the daily “project”, the number will be righted.
I also made a magnetic tree ornament advent calendar. I got the directions from here.
I decided to read several advent books.
- With my church I am reading Walking the Road to Bethlehem. The Sunday sermons will go along with these readings.
- I am also reading The Season of the Nativity: Confessions and Practices of an Advent, Christmas & Epiphany extremist by Sybil Macbeth. I will see if I add anything to my celebrations.
SIX. Donate something extra. Operation Christmas Child is something I always do. And I did it again this year. To add to the joy of doing this project, my daughter-in-law also did this with me. Together we filled 20 boxes.
Here are some posts about Operation Christmas Child . . . Everyone Can Help One Child . . . Grateful I am Able to Help . . . I Help Because I am a Parent, Auntie, and Missionary . . . Love in a Box . . . My Plan to Collect 55 OCC Boxes
SEVEN. Try a new pumpkin recipe. A friend (Michelle) and I made a paleo pumpkin and tomato soup. I made a 2nd batch and put some into the freezer.
Your Turn . . . Have you done anything mew this past month? Or something that helped you celebrate Fall?
Related Posts . . .
- Fall Bucket List Update – September 2015
- Fall Bucket List 2015 Update – October
- Best Things To Do This Fall – My Fall Bucket List 2015
- Singles Thanksgiving Bucket List
- Bucket List Index
Prayer Pumpkin
This is my take on a prayer pumpkin.
Do you pin many ideas to Pinterest? Do you do many of the things you’ve saved? Every once in a while I do! The latest thing I crafted was from my Fall Pinterest Board. It combined three things I love – Fall decor, puff paint, and prayer.
I created a prayer pumpkin.
The original post is here at Coffee with Us 3. Jamie used real mini pumpkins and a metallic sharpie to write names on the pumpkins. Read her post for all the details and to see her finished work. Leave her a comment while you are there.
I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on this project. So I went to the Dollar Store and bought one of those BRIGHT orange foam pumpkins. Boy, was it bright! Here is how I transformed if from BRIGHT to just right.
This craft cost $1 as I already had the bottles of paint.
- I toned down the orange by dry brushing on brown acrylic paint and wiping most of it off.
- Then in a few spots, I dry brushed orange and yellow acrylic paint over the brown.
- Again I wiped most of it off.
- Using puff paint I divided my pumpkin into 7 sections.
- I wrote the days of the week at the top.
- And in each section I wrote what I am praying for that day.
I have never prayed according to day before. So I spent time brainstorming what could go in each section. The list I narrowed it down to as follows.
Here is the bottom of my pumpkin.
- Sunday – Church, Love God, Love Others, Harvest
- Monday – Christian & Missionary Alliance District Office and Head Quarters
- Tuesday – Small Groups, KidMin, PEP, Women’s Ministry (What I’m involved in at work/church)
- Wednesday – My Friends
- Thursday – Family, Relatives, Their Friends
- Friday – Governments
- Saturday – Missionaries (I miss spelled that on my pumpkin)
- Every day – on the bottom of the pumpkin – Godson, Grand daughter, My Kids, Facebook needs (a main reason I am on fb), and BUFF (my diabetic support group)
This is an easy craft and prayer project to do with any age. Instead of puff paint which might be hard for the younger kiddos to use, try letter, word or picture stickers. Of course the 7 sections are optional. You could do what Jamie did and devote one pumpkin to each family or group/need.
I love this newest addition to my Fall decor collection. And I am intrigued to see how this new way of praying goes.
Your Turn . . . What do you think of this idea? If you make one, please link back to your project as I’d love to see your take on a prayer pumpkin. . . . Have you ever prayed certain things for each day of the week? If yes, what was your experience? Do you have any tips?
I am linking up with Works For Me Wednesday hosted by Giving Up On Perfect. Be sure to go there to check out all the other ideas.
Related Posts . . .
Singles Thanksgiving Bucket List
My version of the prayer pumpkin. Read #6 to know what I am talking about.
Sometimes single people don’t get to spend the holiday with family or friends. It is more of a solo event. But even if that is true, we can still celebrate and celebrate well. I’ve seen lots of Thanksgiving Bucket List ideas for families, but none for singles. Below is a list of some things to do, if you are alone this Thanksgiving. Of course, these ideas would work for couples or groups of people as well.
- Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Youtube has this 25 minute video here. After you have watched the video, take this quiz.
- Watch one of these motivational movies (all on Amazon Instant Video) – Ring the Bell, Faith Like Potatoes, or The Ultimate Life
- Write a gratitude letter. Or better yet start your own gratitude project. Here is my original list. The main point is to tell someone thanks and why you are grateful for them.
- Eat a festive meal. Of course the traditional turkey and stuffing works. But if that sounds too time- and labour-intensive, make a shepherd’s pie with ground turkey and mashed sweet potatoes. Here is my recipe.
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I printed the silverware holder on orange paper. Isn’t it cute?
Add decorative table touches. Fresh flowers put into a faux pumpkin (or even real pumpkin) are very nice. But you could also make your decorations. For instance these silverware holders are easy to make: Print, cut, glue. We made and used these at our October Secret Sister Reveal Party.
- Pray. Praying ad-lib or using a prayer prompt are some standard ways of praying. But what about adding faux or real pumpkins to your table decor and using them as a prompt? Of course you are confused. So go read this post about prayer pumpkins.
- Take a walk. Enjoy the scenery. Say hello to other folks who are out. But you can add something special to your time outdoors by taking yourself on a gratitude scavenger hunt. Go here for directions to this activity.
- Execute a Random Act of Kindness. At this post I give 20 RAK ideas. At this one, I list 10 RAK ideas.
- Read. Choose your favourite genre or something . . . . funny . . . encouraging . . . or heart-warming.
- Craft. A holiday is made better when crafting time is allowed. What about making a Christmas ornament? I have a ton of ornament ideas at this Pinterest board. I make snowman ornaments with my family (almost) every year, I am thinking about making this block snowman ornament especially since I still have my kiddos’ wooden alphabet blocks.
- Put up your holiday decorations. Turn on some holiday music and turn your place into a winter wonderland.
- Watch a Christmas movie. Here is an idea . . . Paper Angels. Now that you are at the end of your day, watch a movie. Here is my post 3 Reasons to Watch Christmas Movies.
- Insert your idea here. What would you add to this list of things a single person can do to spark up what could otherwise be a lonely holiday?
Your Turn . . . Will you be doing any of these activities? . . . What would you add to this list?
Related Posts . . .
Fruitful Words 