Thanksgiving Recipe: A Shortcut to Use
I’ve finally reached an age where I have my own traditional contribution to the Thanksgiving meal. My sister makes a delicious cheesy potatoe side dish and a delectable carrot souffle’ while my mom makes wonderful turkey and dressing as well as great southern style green beans (bacon grease is the key).
My Thanksgiving contribution? Pecan pie. It is my absolute favorite. Over the years, I have had to make adjustments and include a shortcut or two in order to achieve holiday menu success.
Lower your expectations.
Naively, for my first Thanksgiving meal as a married woman, I thought I would bring a homemade with handmade crust pecan pie. I can now laugh at my expectations. This may be a feat accomplished by others but I have learned that for myself, I need to dial down the idea of perfection.
Memories of purchasing Kentucky bourbon to add to my Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie along with large chunks of flour rising up through the middle of the pie come to mind. Oh boy! Since that time, I have discovered the beauty of a ready-made Pilsbury pie crust and the value of leaving the bourbon in a glass and not a pie.
Keep It Simple
Use ready-made ingredients such as the pie crust where you can. Keeping your recipe simple will allow for more time to complete it and less mistakes to take place. Also, following the basic pecan pie recipe included on the back of the light Karo syrup is a win all the way around.
If you are in charge of more than a pie this year, you can see my recommendations for making the day a smooth process, here. I recently found some cute tablecloths for Thanksgiving. You can view them here.
Make it a Tradition
Once you have a found the one item you are good at making, make that your tradition. You do not have to reinvent the wheel year after year. Stick to what you know. For me? The OG pecan pie is what I am going to bring to Thanksgiving dinner.
The beauty of traditions is that the only requirement is that you do it on repeat. Want to start a new tradition? Great, just do it year after year. Think you might not have any traditions? Stop and consider what it is that your family does year after year. That is your traditon.
Now, what are you bringing to Thanksgiving Dinner?
The Ultimate Self-Care Routine for Busy Moms
Finding a rhythm and routine that keeps you sane as a mom is of top priority. Read along as I share with you my ultimate self-care routine for busy moms.
Recognize the season
Being a mom is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. You will never be able to convince me otherwise. So before I launch into this ultimate self-care routine, please note that each mom has various seasons in motherhood. Some seasons are way more time consuming than others. With that being said, use this self-care routine simply as a suggestion and uses it to fit your needs. Hang in there, mama! You are doing great!
My Ultimate Self-Care Routine for Busy Moms
- Walk and/or run
- Devotions
- Wash face twice daily
- End the day with a book
Sleep
No matter the season of motherhood, adequate sleep has always been an issue. When my children were infants, sleep was hard to come by because I was meeting their needs (feedings, diaper changes, as they got older – chase away the boogie man). Older ages brought late night sports activities or waiting up for them to return home from dates. Now, in my mid-forties, lovely perimenopause is reeking havoc on my sleep schedule.
For the past few months, I have been attempting to go to bed earlier because I am getting up early in order to exercise. While the activity is good for me, it has also been good for me to attempt to go to sleep earlier. Now, if I can just sleep through the entire night!
Knowing that I will be waking up at 5:00 a.m. forces me to put aside the mindless scrolling and get to bed at a decent hour. First thing in the morning, I wake up, have a cup of coffee, then meet a couple of friends for a 3 mile walk.
Devotions
In a previous post, I’ve shared the importance of a quiet time. Why does this make the ultimate self-care routine for busy moms? Because a few moments of solitude to pray and meditate on what is most important in life gives me a purpose to my day-to-day.
Wash Face Daily
Why is this simple task so important? I’ve found as I age, the condition of my skin impacts my mood. When my skin is dry and the eye bags are heavy, I feel a little down. A little moisturizer goes a long way to boost my mood! And your skin care routine doesn’t have to break the bank. Recently, I discovered @lorafied on Instagram and she has some great tips for finding good skincare hacks. Below is some of her ideas for Dollar Tree Dupes.
End the Day with a Book
Reading did not become a hobby for me until adulthood. Now, ending the day with a book is a sweet treat for me. Reading allows me to unwind from the day and getting ready for sleep. Reading actually makes me sleepy and I look forward to becoming too tired to read. This habit is a part of my self-care routine because it helps my mind and body to slow down. Check out my Goodreads link at the top of my blog page!
Please share with me your ultimate self-care routine or feel free to copy mine!
