Will you also be enjoying a Thanksgiving meal hosted by someone else this year? If so, here are several DIY gift ideas to let your hostess know just how thankful you are for their hospitality. They are simple but lovely ideas that are sure to make your hostess feel appreciated on the day devoted to giving thanks.
Are you the one hosting this year? You'll find that these ideas are perfect to have on hand for your own guests this Thanksgiving. However/wherever you're celebrating, I hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful holiday!
Fabric and wood come together to create this fun garland that anyone would be delighted to receive!
2. Gather Napkin Rings / Bittersweet Walnut Grove
What hostess wouldn't love these adorable bird napkin rings?! Click over to download and print off your own copy of the leaf tags.
3. Orange Soap / Simply Stacie
A package of handmade soap always makes a lovely gift. And I bet the dried orange slices for this soap recipe smell amazing!
4. Pumpkin Roll Bath Salts / Life-n-Reflection
These sweet smelling bath salts are a wonderful gift option. Don't forget to make a batch for yourself to leave out for your own guests to use during the holiday season.
5. Pumpkin Pie Granola / Artful Homemaking
A batch of this tasty granola is a perfect snack to have on-hand for guests on Thanksgiving Day. Packaged up, it also makes a scrumptious hostess gift if you aren't the one hosting this year.
On a more personal note: I know that the blog has been a stream of link parties lately. This week's party post is even coming to you late due to a stomach bug. Yuck! I know! (I backdated it for Wednesday to keep from confusing everyone on what day it is supposed to post, but it's really Friday when I'm writing this.) Week after week the only post I've managed to get up has been this weekly link party.
The tragedy that our family faced back in May has left the whole family struggling. Grief is a difficult road to walk and the effects have been felt in every area of my life--including with the kids. I've had three heartbroken kiddos with their own insecurities and grief. As much as I LOVE this little blog of mine, stepping back from it to focus on our children, our home, and myself felt like the right thing to do. I've had to drop the ball on a lot of things related to the blog, but this time of refreshment was much needed. I'm limping forward though. God's peace and sustaining presence continue to wrap around our family and allow us to keep trudging forward one moment at a time.
With the holidays coming up, it's especially hard. My dad and my sister Allison always loved this time of year. Daddy could whip up the creamiest mashed potatoes you ever did taste and expertly carve that turkey on Thanksgiving. After he passed away, Allison was the 'glue' that held our holiday season together and encouraged us to keep our family traditions going. She LOVED the holidays and was a gift-giving extraordinaire! Anyone who ever received a gift from her knows how true that statement is--especially her handmade presents! I always tried to rival her on her gift-giving talent but often fell short. I saw the perfect gift for her on Instagram the other day and burst into tears thinking about how she isn't here with me anymore. My heart aches for her. Some wounds may never heal on this side of heaven. All I ever want during the holidays is to have my family close to me, and the thought of the empty places around this year's holiday table is heartbreaking.
I write all this to share a tiny glimpse of what we've been facing and to explain why things have been so slow here on the blog. Thank you for bearing with me. Last month one of my recipes went viral across Facebook and my stats were soaring higher than EVER. What a blessing! (It was this recipe if you are interested.) I try not to get caught up in all of that, but I felt like the boost in numbers during this down time gave me further permission to step away from the hustle and bustle of running a blog. It was as though the blog was running itself without me and that took a huge weight off my shoulders.
I'd like to encourage you to do something here in the final months of this year. Find a way to love on someone who is grieving this holiday season. Even if they don't say it, they need to know people are there for them. The holidays reopen the wounds of a grieving heart. Do you know a widow, heartbroken parent, or grieving friend that could use some extra love this holiday season? Give them the gift of your time, friendship, a listening ear, and maybe even a shoulder to cry on. In all the merriment, there are people around us who are hurting. You can be a blessing to them this holiday season!
Don't forget to hug your family extra tight too. I know all too well that we are never guaranteed a single day more with the ones we love. Thanks again, friend, for following along! I have some great ideas in the works for future posts. I'm in my happy place when I crafting and creating, and I can't wait to share more of that with you very soon.
Now it's time for...
Tanya | The Natural Homeschool | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Jennifer | The Life of Jennifer Dawn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Vanessa | Mama's Happy Hive | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Sandy | Pink Tool Girl | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Are you ready to share your own posts and projects? We can't wait to see what you've been crating, creating, decorating, mixing, and posting!
If you were featured this week, feel free to grab a button...
Party time! A Little Bird Told Me that you've been doing some amazing things! I'd love for you to share! Link up a recipe, craft, home decor project, home school post, activity/craft for kids, or any other post you're proud of! Your post will be shown on each host's blog where we will individually pick features each week. We're teaming up to bring you an even bigger and better party!
Follow each host, grab a button, link up, visit others, and be sure to leave some comment love on each other's posts! That same little birdie told me that we all love comments! If you don't have anything to link up, that's okay! Sit back, get comfy, and glean inspiration from the amazing posts shared below...
Remember that you must link back in order to be featured. If your link does get featured, I have a special Pinterest board to further showcase your tremendous talent! Just a few more things... This party is not for giveaways or other link parties. Be sure to link to the specific post and not your blog's homepage. By linking up, you are giving us permission to feature your post. All features will be given credit and a link to its source.
Here we go! I can't wait to see what you're sharing this week!
Thank you so much for the feature, I am actually bringing these pumpkin bath salts as a hostess gift with pumpkin spice tea for Thanksgiving at my sister in law's tomorrow!
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