Hey there Besties! We are one week away from Thanksgiving here in the United States. I for one am ready for the holiday season to start. Holly and I are hosting Monthly Musings a week early in November to share all of the tips and tricks for prepping for Thanksgiving and kicking off the holiday season. If you are linking up with, please share all of the holidays you celebrate this time of year and if you are Canadian, tell us about your Thanksgiving in October. Ready, set...holidays!
1. Favorite Thanksgiving dishes?
Unpopular opinion, I like turkey maybe once per year but I am all about the sides. I like a really Good mashed potato, gluten free dressing and the right gluten-free dessert. Running Daddy also takes a lot of time to select the correct wine to go with turkey.
2. Stuffing or dressing? Please share a recipe.
I don't love the idea of putting the stuffing in the raw bird. I know we did this growing up and I did indeed survive, but I prefer to make this on the side in a caserole dish.
Here is my recipe for cornbread, sausage and chestnut dressing. Updated tip from when I first posted this recipe, Trader Joe's makes pre-cooked roasted chestnuts which really speed up the prep time for this recipe. This can also be made gluten free.
3. Are you hosting any of the holidays this year? Please share your tips.
While I am not hosting this year, I do have some grocery shopping tips to share. Mostly, I always pick up popular ingredients weeks before. Below are the list of ingredients I typically try to purchase weeks before the holidays:
-Chicken broth
-Pumpkin pie filling
-Sugar
-Flour
-Cream cheese
-Nuts
-Cranberries
-Cranberry sauce
-Melting chocolate
Feel free to share your early purchase ingredients in the comments below.
4. Turkey trot or football game?
For the record, I don't participte in either. I usually just accompany Running Daddy at the Turkey Trot every year. I am his driver and hype squad that day.
5. If you decorate for Christmas, do you decorate before or after Thanksgiving?
I don't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I am doing something differenlty this year and having Running Daddy bring down the Christmas decorations the weekend before Thanksgiving so that I can be ready to go the weekend after. I want all of the boxes staged in the correct room.
6. Are your holidays sit-down meals or more casual affairs?
We keep our holiday meals casual.
7. Pumpkin or apple pie? Another dessert?
I have never been a pie person. I would much rather have the carrot cake I make (full disclosure, it's from a mix) or something peppermit and chocolate.
8. Are you traveling for Thanksgiving or staying closer to home?
We are staying local this Thanksgiving.
9. You you Black Friday shop?
Yes, I Black Friday shop in person and on-line all weekend! I love to get a jump start on my holiday shopping.
10. Things you are most looking forward to this holiday season?
Top of the list is that I am looking forward to having Hockey Guy home for Christmas break. This year, I am truly looking forward to everything about the holidays. I can't wait for my house to be decorated inside and out. I can't wait to make food I love and watch Christmas movies. I am looking forward to seeing my friends all dressed up and sharing festive times with them. I also really look forward to the silence I feel late on Christmas Eve after going church.
There have been some really tough times in 2025, and I want to do everything I can to end this year on a beautiful and magical Christmas season.
Ok, Besties, share your tips in the comments below. If you are linking up with us, please use the link below and link back to Holly and me in your post. If you can, please try to visit at least two other writers who wrote on topic with us this month to strengthen the Monthly Musings community.
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