myKind

MYkind: thanksgiving traditions.

by erin |
thanksgiving

thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday (I’m quite certain the bulk of carbs play a role in this decision), and in an effort to remember this day, I wanted to write down my very, very favorite Thanksgiving traditions. Join me in reminiscing?:

1. Board games. I could host a board game party any night of the week, but Thanksgiving is the one day a year that my friends/family humor me and play along. Bonus? Both my grandmother, my mother and myself all have horrible hearing, so when we play CatchPhrase, there’s quite a bit of “Mary Francis, Mary Ellen and Erin! I guessed that already!” spasms heard ’round the household. Oh, it’s a time.
2. Beige food. My family always gathers in southern Indiana for an inordinate amount of food, and I laugh every year at the color-coordinated shade of beige that exists: mashed potatoes, fettuccine, turkey, white cheddar mac + cheese, gravy and rolls. And before you call blaspheme, I’ll note that we do serve green bean casserole on select occasions, so we’re not entirely neutral. Entirely.
3. Road trips. Our families live a few hours apart, so Ken and I pack up the pups on most holidays and spend a few hours road tripping to whatever destination we’re headed that year. It’s my favorite time with him – pups on my lap, tunes on the stereo and (most of the time!) snow falling outside. Magical.
4. Leftovers. Every year I can remember, I’ve snacked on a leftover turkey and mustard sandwich on white bread. It’s a pretty gross combination, but I loved it as a kid and it makes me so nostalgic for childhood family get-togethers, so I still indulge (with a bit of salt and pepper now that I’m older!).
5. Movie marathons. We’re not a big football family, but we love The Christmas Story marathon that plays every year (my father and I can recite that entire movie). After lunch and games, we snuggle up on couches and tune into whatever holiday movie is looping at the moment – and usually stay there until it plays… oh, six times. It’s a beautiful study in slothdom, and I look forward to it every year.

What do you do on Thanksgiving?

I’ll be down south visiting my parents through the weekend, but will catch you here on Monday for the first in a looong series of gift guides! We’re going to have a beautiful season, friends. Promise.

  • Same here. Green bean casserole is about the only thing we’ll have that’s not beige. Come to think of it, it’s actually kinda beige once it’s topped with the french fried onions. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

    xoxo,
    Courtney

  • my dad’s side of the family gathers at my oma and opa’s house. everyone wanders around, shouting and hugging and sneaking olives off the table. every year, we have shrimp cocktail with bits of ice still clinging to it – and it never lasts long at all. there is a fire in the fireplace and it usually takes about four rounds of “wash up for supper” before we all make it to the table. there we say grace and proceed to argue, every year, about which way things should be passed before indulging in a sumptuous feast. (we’re not in on the beige tradition though. we usually have lettuce salad, fruit salad, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, and an exceptionally colorful stuffing.)

  • Happy Thanksgiving to you too! I just remember the amazing feeling of having family over that you didn’t get to see very often…lots of laughter and love. Beautiful memories!

  • you make me laugh so much, erin. beige food! what no cranberry sauce? and i’m an italian jersey girl and have never had fettucini on thanksgiving. maybe we should?

    have a wonderful holiday and we love the christmas story, too. sadly, when we get really mad we reference the scene where ralphie goes berzerk just for context. xo, c

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