November, the month of gratitude. What are you thankful for this season? Hopefully your family has much to be grateful for. And if your family happens to be struggling with challenges this month, hang on to the hope of brighter days and count the small blessings as wins until bigger ones come along.
Give thanks for the ray of sunshine filtering through the leafless trees. Be thankful for the cooler temperatures of autumn weather on the horizon. And most especially, be grateful for cherished moments with family from little adventures to big ones to everything in between. Celebrate family with some of the unusual holidays below and create a few unique ones of your own to make every day a holiday.
Better Conversation Week – Find ways to improve conversation throughout the month of November with family members. Be intentional to turn off screens during meals and other times of togetherness and focus on one another instead. Share happenings from the day, plans for tomorrow, and dreams for the future. If you lack ideas for discussions, conversation starters can be found online. Make a list of starters that would work for your family and keep the list handy. Pull out the list occasionally for ideas to spark deep conversations with the ones you love.
Veterans Day – As a family, show your respect to a veteran you know by inviting them to dinner or sending a heartfelt card.
Extra Mile Day – This day on the calendar is meant to be celebrated by going the extra mile to encourage someone. Talk with your family about someone for each person to encourage. Find unique ways to encourage that person, like a special gift, a phone call, a card dropped in the mail, a bouquet of flowers, a milkshake coupon, or a fresh-raked yard. Be sure to encourage the recipient with a tangible treat, but make sure to use your words as encouragement, too. And to top off the celebration, as a family, go for a mile-long walk at the end of the day and discuss how each person encouraged another person.
Gingerbread Cookie Day – Though this holiday seems self-explanatory, I hope you’ll allow a shameless plug about my new picture book that just released last week. Look for "A Gingerbread House" wherever books are sold and plan to attend a fun book launch event and gingerbread celebration for families at the Sugar Magnolia Coffeehouse on November 23 from 2 to 4PM.
Until then, plan to bake up a batch of gingerbread cookies to enjoy with the family. Here’s a recipe to try. In a large bowl, whisk together three and one-half cups all-purpose flour, one teaspoon baking soda, one-half teaspoon salt, one tablespoon ground ginger, one tablespoon ground cinnamon, one-half teaspoon ground allspice and one-half teaspoon ground cloves. Set aside.
With a mixer, beat ten tablespoons unsalted softened butter until creamy. Add three-fourths cup packed dark brown sugar and two-thirds cup molasses and beat well. Beat in one large egg and one teaspoon vanilla extract on high speed for two minutes.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap, forming a somewhat-flatted disc shape. Chill dough for three hours or longer.
After dough is completely chilled, take out from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap one disc and place onto a generously floured workspace. Roll out disc until one-fourth inch thick. (If dough cracks, gently press back together with fingers.) Cut into gingerbread boy and girl shapes and place one inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Repeat with other disc of dough. Bake cookies for about eight minutes or eleven for larger shapes. Let cookies cool and frost, if desired.
National Love Your Red Hair Day – Do you have a favorite red-haired family member or are you the one sporting red hair? Make this craft together in honor of a favorite red-haired beauty. Start with a paper plate and add facial features with markers. Then turn the paper plate into a red-head in one of these fashions. Use hole punchers to poke holes across the top and then tie red yarn or ribbon pieces into each hole. Or, glue strips of red crepe paper in place for long red hair. Or crumple squares of tissue paper into small balls and glue into place.
Count your blessings in November and count family members as double-blessings. Gobble up goodies on Thanksgiving and enjoy everything November has to offer with those you love.
Author and Statesboro native Julie Lavender welcomes the launch of her picture book, A Gingerbread House this month. Look for "A Gingerbread House" wherever books are sold.