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Leaf and Steel

motherhood - growth - living

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 25, 2021

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

No matter how you celebrate, I hope you have the most wonderful Turkey Day.

Last year’s celebration was a blur. I had a literal newborn baby and there was a raging pandemic. I know that we visited my parents and in-laws, but I cannot remember it, if that makes sense. I do remember feeling really anxious and wondering if it was postpartum anxiety or just the baby blues. Luckily those intrusive thoughts and edgy feeling lifted after the first two weeks, but it made me feel a great deal of empathy for mothers who feel like that all the time!

I am a Christmas girl, through and through. But, since having a baby I’m becoming one of those every-holiday-is-a-party people, and today is no exception! I can’t wait for my daughter to experience the best parts of Thanksgiving – food and family. I can’t think of anything cuter than a little baby loving on some mashed potatoes and turkey.

This year, I’m extra grateful for my health and my family.

Between getting older and the state of the world these past two years, I have a newfound gratitude for my body working with me and not against me. I always took my health for granted, but not anymore.

It sounds obvious to be grateful for family, right? It sounds so simple, but it really is the most important thing in my life. I’ve been blessed with the best biological family and those that have placed in my life, like my husband, my daughter, and my friends.

This year is all about the gratitude.

I can’t wait to hear what you’re thankful for this year!

Be sure to check out my Thanksgiving Dinner This-or-That.


What are you doing to commemorate Thanksgiving this year? Has your celebration looked a little different since covid? Let me know below!

O.

More from Leaf and Steel:
  • Thanksgiving Traditions to Start with Your Kids this Year
  • Thanksgiving Dinner This-or-That Printable PDF
  • 10 Cozy Farmhouse Decor Items Under $20 for Winter
  • The Moody Writing Playlist II

Filed in: Living • by Olivia • Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving Traditions to Start with Your Kids this Year

October 26, 2021

Thanksgiving is the time to create family traditions!

I love the holidays and I love traditions.

Since I had my daughter, I’ve had a newfound focus on creating a family culture and making the most of each holiday.

I write down what we do for that holiday (even if it’s something small, like the first day of fall) on an index card and tape it to the inside of a cabinet so I don’t forget for the next year.

Traditions don’t have to look perfectly the same every year, and they don’t have to include just family.

To me, Thanksgiving is all about warmth, giving, and gratitude. And sometimes the food.

Keeping the focus on principles rather than material goods is a strong habit to foster in children, no matter their age.

So, here are some family traditions you can start this year to celebrate Thanksgiving!


Take a family walk

Taking a family walk together every Thanksgiving can be a great memory to make! Whether it’s before or after the big feast, it’s a great way to make room for some extra pumpkin pie! Have your kids pick up leaves, pinecones, and acorns along the way.

Bake the dessert together

It might be too much to have little ones help with the chaotic prep of Thanksgiving dinner, so let them help with a dessert! Bake a pumpkin pie, apple crisp, or whatever your sweet tooth is yearning for. Kids love to help and feel needed, so this is a wonderful way to include them in the festivities.

Give to those less fortunate

I love this one! Create a family culture of giving. There are countless families in America that will not be enjoying a delicious, hot meal in a cozy house this year. Donating a turkey, a few jars of gravy, your time at a food bank – any of it helps. Teach your children the spirit of giving young, and it will stay with them a lifetime. Check out more from Feeding America.

Create a family gratitude list

Sitting down and creating a family gratitude list also re-instills w

hat the holidays are all about: taking a moment to count your blessings around family and friends. Gratitude lists are another fantastic way to teach your children that they probably have more than they could ever want and need. Another way to do this is to go around the table at dinner and have everyone say one thing they are grateful for – a practice that can be incorporated into every dinnertime conversation!

Decorate Thanksgiving cards

Decorating Thanksgiving cards together can be so much fun! Using materials like feathers, rhinestones, and stickers can add to the creative spirit. Make cards for each other, veterans, family, or neighbors.

Create a Thanksgiving feast

This one is for younger kids, but create a Thanksgiving feast for the stuffed animals or dolls! Cut out paper turkey legs and mashed potatoes and let your children prepare their own “meal” for their toys. It’ll get them out of your hair for a little while and inspire their creativity!


Check out my other Thanksgiving posts, 10 Thanksgiving Decorations Under $10 , The Best Thanksgiving Books for Infants and Toddlers, and Thanksgiving Gifts for Babies!

What are your family Thanksgiving traditions? Do you do any on this list?

Let me know below!

O.

Filed in: Living • by Olivia • 6 Comments

Game Changer: Gratitude List

March 9, 2018

If you’ve ever done a quick Google search for the search for happiness you’ve probably heard of a gratitude list! It’s a quick, easy way to boost your mood and cultivate joy in one’s life. This simple tool has proven itself over the years to be an effective way to become a better you.

What is gratitude?

Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. It can be saying thank you for the the good or valuing those uncomfortable life lessons. In my experience, gratitude is a conscious understanding and  acknowledgement of life’s gifts.

What is a gratitude list?

A gratitude list is an inventory of appreciation for your life. It’s a physical list of whatever blessings come to mind. Very simple. Here’s an example:

  • I am grateful for a warm bed.
  • I am grateful for health insurance.
  • I am grateful for the help of friends.
  • I am grateful for clean water.

I was taught that it’s not supposed to be this big, daunting list meant to minimize whatever you’re going through – it’s just a way to consciously say “thank you”. I usually start with the big ones like my family, my house, etc. and then I’m moved to writing down most mundane parts of my life, those little things like a pillow or unspoiled food. In my experience, that’s the hit: finding gratitude in things I’m blind to on a regular basis.

The power is not simply in the list itself, but also in the action of writing it on down. Once it’s on paper, it’s hard to continue to tell yourself that you have nothing or that the world is against you. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bullet point list or a flow of sentences. There is no correct or incorrect time of day or time of life to write one! They can be as long or as short as needed.

Why does it matter?

We all get down in the dumps and have days where life seems so unfair. Ever feel like the world is against you? If you’re anything like me, you get caught up in comparisons – who has a bigger house, a fancier car, the usual. One of my favorite quotes about comparison is “jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own”. We are often caught up in this, especially today with the rise of social media and the elusive “perfect life”.

“Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.”

Here’s a link to a Forbes article from 2014 that lists the perks of the article. To summarize, here are their 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude,

  1. Gratitude opens the door to more relationships.
  2. Gratitude improves physical health.
  3. Gratitude improves psychological health.
  4. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
  5. Grateful people sleep better.
  6. Gratitude improves self-esteem.
  7. Gratitude increases mental strength.

So, it’s easy to see how gratitude can play a necessary part in improving our lives.

…

Taking a few moments out of the day to give thanks can yield great results. It’s an active step towards practicing gratitude in the real world, like keeping in touch with loved ones or holding the door for a stranger. When we are kind to the space and living things around us, we receive that kindness back.

So, do you have experience with a gratitude list? What’s something you’re grateful for today?

O.

Filed in: Living • by Olivia • 11 Comments

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