Time to get Thankful on a Monday

How are you this whirlwind Monday?  Can you believe it’s October already?  For my family, this means it’s time to think about our first Thanksgiving of the year.  We celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving in the second week of October and then American Thanksgiving in November. Thanksgiving is such a nice holiday to be able to celebrate twice. When things get hectic with work, school, sports and all the other time commitments the school year brings, I need to remember to bring thankfulness to the forefront of our lives.  When I remember all the things I’m thankful about, it makes a lot of the small day to day heartaches and dramas disappear.  Do you have a way of remembering to be thankful?

It’s also nice to get thanked.  I just got a really sweet surprise thank you in the mail last week from a lovely friend Dawn who used to blog at “Not Just a Mommy” but now writes Revel and Glitter.  She always has fun party and craft ideas and I love that she has a bunch of unique and stylish ideas for Thanksgiving on her blog too.  I was putting together a coffee day Instagram post with the candy she sent me and a cute coffee pin I got from the Department of Brewology but when I stepped away to get my coffee cup to add to the picture my guys started eating the candy so I had to give up…..

I also need to send the biggest thank you out into the universe to the Surfsand Resort.  We were hosted there last weekend for a site I write for called Trekaroo and it was one of the loveliest hotels stays we’ve had this year and it was an incredible way to spend my husband’s birthday.  I wrote my review here.  I am thankful to be part of the Trekaroo team and it’s such a useful site for finding parent-written reviews for family travel.  Supportive communities like this one are hard to find and I love that the people in this group are always extremely helpful with trip-planning.  If you haven’t tried their new family travel app, you can find more information here.

I also received a book in the mail written by an inspiring woman in Seattle named Moorea Seal that will also help with thankfulness.  Her first book, the 52 lists project is so popular in Seattle and I’ve seen it in my travels in bookshops around the world and I’ve bought so many lovely things from her gorgeously curated online and brick and mortar shop that I know this book will be great.  I love the idea of 52 lists for Happiness and I’m looking forward to how it helps me this year.  I also love that it makes such a great gift if you’re looking for a perfect “Made in Seattle” souvenir that doesn’t scream too touristy.

And if you’re looking for ways to give back while eating in Seattle this week there are two great events.  One is in Seattle’s Pike Place Market and it’s fun because you get to eat nibbles at a bunch of beautiful Pike Place Market restaurants and give back to Neighborcare, an organization that provides free healthcare to low-income neighbors.  It’s called Feast at the Market and it happens tomorrow night.  The other is the Seattle Weekly’s Voracious Tasting Awards benefiting the Market Foundation and I gave away two VIP tickets on my blog last week but they also gave me a coupon code to help you if you do decide to attend.  You just have to go to bit/ly/SW8voracious and use promo code emerald2016 to purchase up to 2 VIP tickets at the GA price and this offer is valid until Wednesday, 10/5 at 11:59pm. Hope to see you there!  And if you have any tips on fun Thanksgiving ideas or ways to be thankful in the coming weeks, I’d love to hear!  Happy Monday!

(PS. Gilmore Girls lovers, we all have something to be thankful about.  Check here to see if there’s a Luke’s Diner pop-up in your neighborhood!)

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)