Our Thanksgiving Plan (+ Best Thanksgiving Games, Recipes and Ideas)!

Only a few days left until Thanksgiving, a holiday which I had begun to hate over the past few years because we moved away from extended family and lost many of the familiar holiday traditions we enjoyed.

But last year we came up with a Thanksgiving plan that we all love so I’m sharing it with you today, along with lots of other fabulous ideas for your celebration.

Morning Fun

We start the day with Pumpkin Spice French Toast and bacon while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in our pj’s, followed by the National Dog Show. We started watching the dog show a couple of years ago and love it. It’s so much fun to comment on the little cuties!

Family Meal

Sometime in the afternoon we’ll start eating our Thanksgiving meal. Last year we ate the traditional turkey dinner, but we decided we are not fans of turkey so we’ll be eating Italian this year with lasagna, salad and garlic bread.

If you decide to go with the traditional plan, let me tell you the best way to cook a fool proof turkey. Last year I used Alton Brown’s method of covering the turkey with butter and kosher salt, cooking it uncovered at 500 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes then covering the breast portion with foil and turning the heat down to 350 degrees for the remaining cooking time.

The turkey turned out beautifully (see bottom photo) after many years of turkey disaster (top photo).

Dessert and Movies

On Wednesday we’ll be making these delicious gluten free mini pumpkin pies to enjoy that evening along with some popcorn and jelly beans while we watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Elf.

Other Thanksgiving Ideas

Thanksgiving Meal Planner and Printables

Be sure to print my Free Thanksgiving Printable Planners to keep everything on track, on-budget and stress free. The Thanksgiving Menu Planner and Grocery Shopping List, Meal Prep Timeline, Black Friday Shopping Organizer and Thankfulness A to Z printable activity are each a part of my FREE Holiday Planner which will help you stay organized and joyful this holiday season.

Join The Peaceful Mom Community HERE to grab the planner!

Road Trip Activity Bags

If you’ll be traveling, take some time to put a couple of these DIY Road Trip Activity Bags together! They’re inexpensive, easy to make and a great way to keep the kids entertained without resorting to screens.

You can also check out 10 Road Trip Ideas for Kids for more ways to make your travels fun for the whole family.