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Thanksgiving with Beth of Budget Bytes Beth Moncel of the clever and creative Budget Bytes blog shares her plans for – and thoughts about – the Thanksgiving holiday! Thanksgiving with Katie of Chocolate Covered Katie Meet Katie Higgins of the sweet Chocolate Covered Katie blog, who shares her plans for the Thanksgiving holiday! Thanksgiving with Jessica Gavin Jessica Gavin of the amazing JessicaGavin.com site shares what she will be cooking for this holiday!...

Cinderella pumpkins These pumpkins earned their moniker because they resemble the pumpkin that Cinderella’s fairy godmother transformed into a carriage. Cinderella pumpkins are also quite possibly the type of pumpkins cultivated by the Pilgrims. Their flavor is good for any pie or winter squash recipe. Pink banana pumpkin Pink banana squash’s flesh is finer grained and sweeter than a standard pumpkin, making it an excellent choice for pies, baking, canning and homemade baby food....

But what bottles of wine are worth picking up for your Cinco de Mayo festivities? You know, the ones that will make people forget they’re supposed to be drinking margaritas? Let’s taco ‘bout it. Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina 2017 $20.99 In the seaside town in the Basque region of Spain, San Sebastian is home to a low-alcohol, often fizzy, patio pounder wine, Txakolina. Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina is filled with notes of lime, green apple and salt....

And while the holiday had been celebrated throughout the country sporadically since 1789, President George Washington proclaimed Thursday the 26th of November 1789 a day of “public thanksgiving and prayer” following a resolution of Congress. He called it a day devoted to “the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.” However, we credit President Abraham Lincoln for declaring Thanksgiving a federal holiday in 1863, during the American Civil War....

Breakfast gift basket Thanksgiving meals take a lot of preparation and work. Most hostesses spend the better part of the week prepping, making, cleaning and decorating to be ready for the grand meal. Many of the dishes are cooked the day before or early the morning of Thanksgiving. So it’s no wonder that by the time Thanksgiving evening rolls around, the hosts are exhausted. In the course of this preparation, naturally the hosts have considered what wine to serve and decor....

When it comes to holiday travel planning, it’s never too early to start. Let these Thanksgiving air travel tips help to ensure that this year you’ll travel practically stress-free and arrive at your holiday celebration calm, collected and on time. Tips for Thanksgiving air travel DON’T: Wait. Book your plane tickets ASAP. Airlines start hiking fares up just after Halloween, and with fewer flights and more people wanting to fly, planes are already crowded....

This year, we challenge you to keep your Thanksgiving gratitude alive all year long. Take a look at the following six ways to show thanks on a daily basis. How to Keep Thanksgiving Gratitude All Year If you look around, you will notice that you are surrounded by blessings and things to be thankful for. Instead of focusing on the things that are going wrong (as there always seems to be), change your attitude and focus on everything that is going right....

Instruction To make these oven-baked green bean fries for Thanksgiving head to Brit+Co.

You might think of the margarita as a summer drink, but it’s truly one you can enjoy all winter long — especially this cranberry Margarita. The bright, vibrant citrus flavors of the most-ordered drink in America brighten up even the shortest, dreariest winter day. In fact, National Margarita Day is smack dab in the middle of winter — February 22 — when we all need reminders of summer the most!...

The main idea behind the festival is to celebrate and encourage the departed souls to come close and hear prayers as they travel in the afterlife. The family of the deceased usually celebrates them by cleaning their graves and decorating them with marigolds (the flower of the dead), making muertos (the bread of the dead), sugar skulls and cardboard skeletons, and preparing favorite foods. MORE: Sugar skulls and beyond: Easy Day of the Dead decorations While the sentiment behind Día de los Muertos is melancholy, the public celebrations and festivities honor the Hispanic cultural influence in our own country....

But first, you have to set the mood. A tablecloth with a large palm leaf print is a nice base for a buffet table, and grass skirts tied about chair seats are a unique twist. Flower crowns are a must, as are shell necklaces. A pre-movie game of “Restore the heart of Te Fiti” is great for getting into the spirit of things and will be a hit with the kids....

But when it comes to treating mental health, there’s an element of art mixed in with the science. Some doctors advocate medication, while others — even within the same specialty — are hesitant to write prescriptions. Some mental health experts are big believers in talk therapy; others prefer a structured approach, like cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavioral therapy. Some recommend mindfulness meditation and still others look for alternative approaches and emerging research....

Patriotic displays and decorations spring up everywhere when summertime holidays roll around. Get in on the fun with these red, white and blue patriotic candleholders, inspired by a craft at From House To Home! They’re cute, inexpensive, fun — and easy to make. Whether you’re decorating for a small indoor gathering or a backyard extravaganza, these candleholders will make the setting flat-out glow with red, white and blue. You don’t have to save this fun project for a get-together, though; it’s equally suited as a small touch of holiday color on table or shelf....

This grits and veggie dish is so versatile and would pair well with any meat, poultry, or seafood—from a roasted whole chicken to grilled pork tenderloin to sizzling shrimp. It is wholesome, tasty, and will be a hit on your family’s table! Yield 8

The only thing better than a friend on your doorstep is a friend on your doorstep bearing homemade baked goods. After all, some of the best gifts (at any time of year!) are those you can eat. That holds true for these tasty, quick mini cranberry bread loaves. While they’re called loaves, they’re really more like moist, buttery mini-cakes bursting with sweet-tart cranberries, raisins and a hint of cinnamon. A slice topped with a pat of butter is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee and good conversation....

Here’s a Thanksgiving recipe from Food Blogs Star Monique Kilgore of Divas Can Cook! See more from Monique’s holiday menu here. Monique’s Italian cream sheet cake The difference in flavor and texture in a homemade cake is immediately noticeable — and it’s so much easier to achieve that fresh, home-baked taste than you might expect! More: Pumpkin bundt cake with brown sugar glaze and pecans This light and fluffy Italian cream cake recipe combines a few simple ingredients to create a made-from-scratch taste experience that you and your family will savor....

I really find it effective combining the KonMari method – which encourages the purging of physical things that don’t bring you joy – with nutrition coaching. Among a number of reasons for this is it’s important to visualize how much better you will feel once certain changes have been made in your life. The power of intention is a mighty thing. Also, there are many areas of our lives where a good purge is necessary....

The rose is the iconic symbol of love and a favorite Valentine’s gift. Every year, an estimated 224 million roses are grown just for Valentine’s Day! Roses are beautiful, but for many, the way to the heart is through the stomach. That makes these mini apple roses a veritable feast for the eyes and the taste buds. They may look fancy, but they’re surprisingly simple to make with just a few leftover apples and some puff pastry....

I’m not going to lie: Using leather stamps takes practice. Sometimes, you hit the leather stamp too hard and you see too much of an indent; other times, you don’t hit it hard enough to make marks. My best advice is to practice creating letters on scrap leather before you start on your leather bracelets. Want to create a custom jewelry set? Take a look at our DIY for rainbow earrings!...

If you get into a frenzy every fall over the pumpkin spice latte, you’ve no doubt questioned how much of your holiday budget goes to that coffee place. Since it’s not exactly a mom-and-pop joint, we don’t feel too bad luring some of their customers away to try this delicious, satisfying, and affordable homemade version. The best reason to make your own (besides being able to pay your rent) is you can control all your ingredients and truly tailor the beverage to make your own special blend....