Happy Thanksgiving!

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Five Reasons to Support Small Business Saturday!

I have always been a fan of Small Business Saturday. Since it has had a rise in the past few years and Black Friday is getting a worse and worse reputation as it takes over Thanksgiving as well, I wanted to talk about how different these two "holidays" really are. So while the craze of getting all your shopping done and getting great deals is what brings these two shopping days into the same weekend, here are five reasons why Small Business Saturday is the "holiday" you should be supporting more!

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1. Supports your local economy.
By spending your money in a small business, that money is more likely to stay and circulate in your own community. Buy from one local business and your helping that person buy from another local business and, probably more importantly, they are able to hire and give jobs to other locals. This is a win-win-win.

2. Family-owned businesses help families grow.
My dad owns his own business and I know that because of his hard work, my brother and I were able to take dance and karate lessons, join sports teams, learn how to play instruments. So just like #1, because people paid my dad, he was able to put that money back into the community through my dance studio and our music teachers, and that allowed my brother and I to have a great childhood. So when you buy local goods, you're not just getting a product or service in return, you're also allowing people to full fill their dreams and giving their family a life.

3. Shopping local saves you money.
This one might take some convincing, but honestly, after you factor in your time and gas money, how much did you really save by driving out to the mall or large chain store? While some products may be more expensive than you might think they should be, consider this, the person handing you the item was more than likely the one who made it. Large companies are able to make things "cheap" because they outsource the creation of their goods and we all know that's not always a great situation for the workers. However by buying local, the money you give for a product or service is going fairly and directly to the source.

4. Shopping local keeps more things local.
Salons, diners, restaurants, daycare, banks, theaters; the list goes on. These kind of industries only stick around if there are local shops to be around and support them in return. Without a way for a local economy to flourish, there is no reason for these other places to stick around.

5. Local shop owners appreciate you more than any big business ever will.
This is obvious, right? If you're active in your community, you more than likely know the owners of these shops anyway. They're your friends, go to you church, or your kids are in the same class. They will always consider you as a person and a valued customer, how many large companies will ever really do that? Local businesses live and die by word of mouth as their main source of advertisement. That usually means a higher level of customer service, more knowledgeable staff, and a higher level of appreciation for their customers because they know that they better they treat you, the more likely you are to come back. Something that not all large companies have been able to emulate.

So for the sake of your sanity, wallet, and community, get out there on Saturday and support the local businesses in your area! Where will you be shopping this Saturday?

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Friday 5 Link Up and More Than 5 Awesome Thanksgiving Ideas!

This week's Friday Five will be a little different!  We will still feature the link up so you can share your amazing Friday Five post, but rather than having a Friday Five of our own, we are sharing an awesome round up of All Things Thanksgiving, featuring posts from our members!

We've put together over 25 great ideas for a one-stop-shop Thanksgiving this year!

Recipes, Mains and Sides:

• Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey
• Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower
• Single Serving Sweet Potato Casserole
• Old Fashioned Turkey Stuffing (pictured above!)
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with ham and apples
• Perfect Gravy
• Thanksgiving Burgers

Recipes, Desserts:

• Pumpkin Roll (pictured above!)
• Apple Cranberry Crisp (pictured above!)
• Chunky Applesauce
• Rustic Apple Pie
• Thanksgiving Dessert Guide- Using Candy
• Acorn Oreo Balls

Crafts and Activities:

• Felt Cornucopia for Toddlers
• Pumpkin Pie Song and music sheet
• A Month of Thankfulness
• An Attitude of Gratitude
• Thanksgiving Hand-print Crafts

Decor and Centerpieces:

• DIY Fall Tablescape (pictured above!)
• Easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas
• "Give Thanks" Turkey Slat Sign
• Fabulous Thanksgiving Home Decor
• Chic DIY Pumpkin Centerpieces

Hosting Tips:

• First Thanksgiving Dinner Hacks
• So You're Going to Host Thanksgiving (pictured above!)
• Thanksgiving Hostesses Gifts

And for the next day:

• Holiday Breakfast Remix

And now it's time for the Friday Five!  Link up your Friday Five posts below, and be sure to visit some other blogs in the hop!


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Maple Bacon Green Beans

Thanksgiving is a little over a week away and I can't believe it! Does anyone else feel like this year has flown by?! I can't wait to see my family and friends and EAT! The food is my favorite part of the holiday season, if we're being honest...

However, my family tends to always make the same traditional Thanksgiving dishes year after year. Not that I don't absolutely love the food, but I feel like it would be nice to spice things up a bit. Green bean casserole is not really my style but maple bacon green beans ARE my style!

 

 Ingredients:

• A bunch of fresh greenbeans
• Maple flavored bacon
• 1/2 cup of minced onion
• Garlic powder
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Steps:

1. Boil water for the green beans
2. While it is boiling cut the ends off of the beans
3. Cut 4 maple bacon pieces into half inch sections and saute in a saucepan
4. Once the bacon is crispy add in 1/2 cup of onions and cook until translucent
5. Cook green beans until 90% done and then add to pan with onions and bacon
6. Add in a dash of garlic powder, pepper, and salt
7. Stir thoroughly and cook for additional 8-12 minutes

 

What Thanksgiving dish would you enhance?

The Friday Five Hop and Five Ways to Be Grateful This Month

 Welcome to the Friday Five, our weekly link up for all those Friday Five, Five on a Friday, High Five for Friday types of posts!  Check out our Friday Five post and then link up below!  Today's post is written by state rep Valerie!

It’s crazy that as soon as Halloween is over, out come all the Christmas decorations, commercials, music, you name it! Some people fully embrace it, while others turn into the Grinch. Now, I’m all about Christmas (it is after all one of my favorite holidays) but it upsets me that we seem to totally forget/skip over a very important holiday- Thanksgiving! Instead of rushing around and freaking out about Christmas gifts and holiday plans, we should really be taking this month to focus on what we are thankful for. What we are grateful for as the year comes to an end. That’s what Thanksgiving is really all about (plus, food, of course). So before you get yourself all up in a frenzy over the upcoming holiday season, take a moment today to reflect on your life and what you are truly grateful for. Sure, we may not have it all, but we all certainly have things to be thankful for. Learn to appreciate the little things (and the big things!) and try to spend the next couple of weeks in this mindset. Here’s a short list of some things you can do to help you get started.

1. Send out snail mail to loved ones - How often do you still send out letters or greeting cards “just for fun”? Just to let someone know you miss them or how much they mean to you? This is a perfect way to put a smile on someone’s face and I guarantee it will make you feel better, too. 

2. Make a list of five things you are grateful happened to you this year - This one can be super easy or if you really want to dig into it, super hard. Instead of thinking of the ordinary “happy” moments that happened to you, think of the hard moments. The heart wrenching ones. Then think about how they changed you and what you got out of it. Even in our darkest moments, there is always some light to be shed. There is always a lesson to learn. Try and come up with a list and when you’re done maybe you’ll realize that those difficult moments held something positive in them. 

3. Go on a nature walk alone - Usually our most profound moments of thinking happen when we’re by ourselves. Even better, when you’re surrounded by the beauty and stillness of nature, it’s even easier to remind yourself of all that is good. Nature has a way of bringing out these thoughts. 

4. Go through old photo albums - While yes, this has the potential of making you sad, at least you have a reason to be sad. That means in your lifetime you made memories that were worth remembering, worth missing and worth reminiscing. They can also make you smile or laugh as you remember those moments. They can make you appreciate so much. They will also make you stop and realize that life moves pretty fast if you don’t stop and look around every once in awhile and hopefully this holiday season you will slow down and take the time to make new memories with family and friends.

5. Call someone you haven’t in awhile - It can be a long lost friend, your grandma you never speak to anymore (shame on you!), someone whose been super busy and so have you so you guys haven’t had the chance to talk, etc. Just call someone to catch up with them, see how they are doing, talk about life, anything really. It’s so easy to disconnect from people nowadays. We all get busy, but you need to remember that life is short. Don’t lose touch with your loved ones. A quick phone call can become the highlight of someone’s day, maybe even yours. 

What else have you done to help you realize all you have to be grateful for?

And now it's your turn!  Link up your Friday Five post below and be sure to hop around and visit a few others on the link up!

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