Cozy Thanksgiving Traditions

I can't believe Thanksgiving is almost here! I'm sitting here trying to figure out where October went!

Ever since I was a child, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. We lived pretty far from family so every Thanksgiving my parents would invite over people from our church who didn't have any place to go for Thanksgiving. When I woke up in the morning, the wonderful aroma of turkey and pies would fill the air and the house would be bustling in preparation for our guests. Someone would turn on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (most likely to occupy the two overly excited little girls who may get in the way in the kitchen) and we would watch with a cup of cocoa until it was time to get  dressed for Thanksgiving dinner. We would all gather around the Thanksgiving table while the cold Nebraska winds blew outside and even as a child I remember smiling around at the many faces gathered there and being truly thankful for what God had provided to us.

Some things changed as an adult, but only some. I still woke up to the smells of Thanksgiving cooking. As an adult, what drew me to the kitchen was the extra-enticing aroma of a freshly made pot of coffee! I still watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade, this time with a great big cup of coffee, but rather than sit and wait for the guests to arrive, I was part of the preparations (see last week's post on recent Thanksgiving favorites!).

This year things will change again. Jeremy and I are far away from family and good friends have invited US over to THEIR home for Thanksgiving. There won't be the smells of turkey roasting in the oven, but Jeremy and I will start to build our own traditions. We will still have the smell of a fresh pot of coffee and plan to make these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls as part of our own Thanksgiving morning tradition and we will curl up in our comfy clothes and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We will still gather around a warm Thanksgiving table and be thankful - for the wonderful new home he has provided us and new town we are now a part of, the amazing new friends he has brought into our lives, and the way he has met our needs as I still wait on a more permanent job. We really have so many things to be thankful for!

My favorite snuggle up items are my new cozy sweater and my faux fur blanket. I have been waiting to share this amazing sweater with you and this is the perfect time. It is the most ridiculously soft, warm, and over-sized sweater I have ever found. If you follow me on Facebook, I shared this a few weeks ago when I took a trip to the mall. Well, I stalked this sweater and when it went on sale, I snagged it up with an added coupon and now I wear it nearly every day (which I realize is sortof gross...). It would be the PERFECT Thanksgiving sweater - excellent for warm snuggles in the morning and cute and long enough to wear for Thanksgiving dinner. I sized up one size for coverage in back. This blanket was a Target steal (they have this one and this one still in stock online) and it is a Black Friday deal this week for $20!! You can't beat that for quality and price! Make sure to add it to your Black Friday shopping list!

What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Let me know in the comments below! I truly hope you have a peaceful, warm time with family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Linked up with: Living In Color  |  Stylin' in St. Louis