Hear it, Read it, Make it, Love it.

Looking out.

Welcome my friends to one of the most wonderfully weird weeks of the year where Monday feels like a Monday, but Tuesday feels like a Thursday and Wednesday feels like a Friday, but a summer Friday because you know you're cuttin out of work early Wednesday aren't you!? So even though it's Monday, we're all "I can conquer the planet if the planet only requires conquering for 2.5 days!" AmIRight!? To kick off the weirdo holiday week, I thought I'd deliver a long overdue Hear it, Read it, Make it, Love it for your enjoyment. Because you didn't really want to get any work done today anyway:)

* Hear It

Country girl legit takin hold of NYC.

I think it is time for us all to admit it out loud- Taylor Swift is awesome. There. I said it. I like Taylor Swift because her music is insanely catchy, she has mastered the power of reinvention and unlike so many other young musicians of her generation, T. Swift's talent is next level. The writing and instrument playing and now even sassy performing? On point Swifty. So stop being in denial and download a copy of her latest album 1989 today.

* Read It

Love this cover art.

I picked up a copy of Amy Poehler's Yes Please in hard copy last week and I've been enjoying every minute of my time with it. Well worth the investment over an eReader copy (there are cool pictures and graphics that just won't translate) this book is filled with stories of Amy discovering her comedic power, surviving a divorce and juggling a wild life (which she deeply appreciates while finding exhausting). The book has more advice and anecdotes than I expected and though  not outstanding or insanely laugh out loud funny (a la her buddy Tina's Bossypants), reading it makes me smile and I picked it over turning on the tv several times this weekend (and that's definitely saying something:) Go for it. (ps, OMGeeee I just learned while googling Amy for this post that her middle name is Meredith. How awesome!?!)

* Make It

May-jah Day after the Feast Nomnoms.

Because the only thing better than your Thanksgiving feast is the feast you get to have again the next day (and the next) with all those leftovers. I've got some serious leftovers inspiration for ya here, 50 recipes to be exact, sorted by item (e.g., cranberry sauce, turkey etc). A few of these recipes look so good you might be stowing away food for Friday on purpose!!

* Love It

Yes. Just so much YES!!!

Gobble Gobble

Can you guys believe that next week is Thanksgiving? I literally cannot wrap my head around how quickly yet another month has passed us by! It feels like just yesterday I was bemoaning the end of August and 10 seconds ago I was picking out a Halloween costume... whoa. Thankfully, because my dining room table ("dining room" used interchangeably with "only food-eating-height" table) seats just four people, it is not my responsibility to host Turkey Day. I am one of the lucky ones that gets to sleep in, watch the parade on tv and then show up with a bottle of wine in hand and eat until I pass out on my cousin's couch (#murica) But this complete lack of responsibility hasn't stopped me from collecting a TON of awesome Thanksgiving recipes and ideas from around the web for all of you to enjoy... 

So, with 1 weekend left to shop, here's everything you need to be declared Queen of the Pilgrims at your Thanksgiving Feast.

Even though people love their classic Thanksgiving side dishes, if you think your crew is willing to live on the wild side (literally hehe), these 12 Classic Thanksgiving Sides with a Twist like Buttermilk Biscuit Stuffing, Fully Loaded Smashed Potatoes and Sriracha Green Beans with Candied Bacon (good lawd YES!) are sure to be a hit.

If you are ready to channel your inner baking Goddess this Thanksgiving, these Sweet Potato Pumpkin Rolls with adorable little "gratitude scrolls" inside are for you! The recipe sounds absolutely delicious, the finished product looks wonderful and when guests crack open their rolls to find a little parchment paper note of gratitude (or some other message... know your audience:) inside, everyone will be blown away by your craftiness for sure!

Nothing welcomes guests like a home that smells of holiday sweetness. Whip up some of this Thanksgiving Stovetop Potpourri if you've got a stovetop burner to spare next Thursday!

Holiday eating doesn't have to be horrible for your waist line to be delicious (they claim) which is why I was excited to stumble upon this collection of Ten Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes including that delicious looking Farro, Cranberry and Goat Cheese Salad or maybe a Pumpkin Cheesecake Bite is more your "healthy" style!?

Thanksgiving inspires a lot of great crafting ideas, from the food, to the colors to the theme of thankfulness. Click HERE for an awesome list of "Best Ever Thanksgiving DIYs" from Style Me Pretty Living (my personal favorites are the leftover pie slice printables and the gourd candles (above)) and click HERE for 30 table-decor specific ideas. 

Finally, pick one of the many takes on Turkey Cupcakes and wow your guests with an easy to make dessert that will be (almost) too adorable to eat. Options HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Gobble Gobble.

1983

1959

1970 (Snoop has made more parade
appearances than any other balloon!)

From my family to yours, wishing you a very 

Happy Thanksgiving. 

May all the things you're thankful for continue to bring you love and joy. 

(Click HERE for more awesome Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade pics from the past)

Hump Day Distractions

Discussing their preferred hair product?

Because no day creeps by as slowly as the day before vacation, here are some delightful distractions from around the web to get you through the end of this half week and straight on to the turkey!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving my merry friends!

* THIS dog is hysterical, awesome, disciplined and just damn cool.

* A little Thanksgiving drinking game for those looking to make their turkey day extra "interesting".

* Adorable Thanksgiving Printables for those looking to cute-n up their table.

* Who knew there were enough songs out there to create an entire Channuka playlist?

* Want to see Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling fall in love for the first time!?

* Have you heard about the invisible bike helmet? Would you trust it?

*I've already got a Peter Pan collar dress, but someone has got to buy THIS dress!! (via exPress-o)

* NFL football another way... Graphic designers are oh so crafty! 

* So, when can I move in!?

* A fantastic answer to the age old question "are silent farts really more deadly?"

Thanksgiving + Hanukkah =

This post brought to you by the fabulous 

(parent)thetically speaking.

Thanksgivukkah. Are you familiar? Ok good, glad that’s taken care of (but please please please do not brine your turkey in Manischewitz, it would be much more fitting, and tasty, to deep-fry it). To me, Thanksgivukkah is like when two of your fav movies are on 2 different channels instead of back-to-back, or if the Golden Globes and Oscars were on the same night, or like a traffic jam when you’re already late (oops, nope, sorry, lost it there for a minute). Spread the joy around a little, wouldja? I know Merry Meri and I agree that, at first, we were not so merry about these holidays overlapping.

I like my Thanksgiving - time with family, in a warm house, eating warm, yummy food and feeling blessed to have all of those things, and more, in my life. And then roughly three weeks later (give or take) our houses fill with warmth once more, this time, from the light of the Menorah at sundown. We eat fried potato latkes with sour cream (so so so good) or applesauce (also delish) and fried dough (sufganiyot). We fry, ok? It’s alllll about the oil (but isn’t everything, really?). Oh, and I watch this video multiple times daily. I love these holidays. So while the overlapping is fun, and a chance to change things up, I’m a wee bit disappointed that within a week, both holidays will be over.

But it IS once-in-a-lifetime, and next year the holiday season will be back to normal (and it’s not in my nature to be a scrooge). So, let’s celebrate! Buy the Menurkey  (g-e-n-i-u-s!) Wear the shirts! Or if you’re me and my family…

* put colorful dreidels in glass vases and DIY a mini pumpkin menorah for centerpieces

* serve chocolate gelt pecan pie!

* Pop a super cute printable into an 8x10 frame for instant décor. Oh wait…I couldn’t really find one that worked…

Soooo…I made one!¹ And I’m sharing it with you! Click the image above to open it, save it to your computer and print as an 8x10. Use it to jazz up the dessert table, or add to a mantle display, or don’t, because you’re either A. not Jewish or B. don’t believe in Pilgrims or sweet potato pie. Enjoy!

¹ I ‘designed’ this in Photoshop Elements. While this is an original, with the prevalence of Pinterest, and Etsy, and general interwebs, I’m sure that the inspiration sunk into my subconscious at some point. I also used a few fairly ubiquitous phrases that have popped up along with Thanksgivukkah.

For previous posts from (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE.

Counting Down...

Perfect for the kids' table!

Hello hello and happy Monday my merry friends! I am officially in "it's almost the holidays" mode, thanks to Thanksgivukkah being just 10 days away. Even more exciting though is that I will be departing for the land of loving Grandparents and sun (aka, Florida) in one week from tomorrow. Tick tock is it time to go yet!?

Here to get us into the holiday spirit are some standout Thanksgiving suggestions - everything from tablescape to a hostess gift and dessert, it's time to get our turkey on people!!

Gold & Burlap elegance.

This table decor is so easy to execute and so elegant to look at that I'm actually disappointed to not be hosting a feast of my own to set it up at. Simply pick up some pine cones, gourds, berry branches, leaves and any other seasonal items your yard (or nearest Michaels crafts store) has to offer and head outside with a can of gold spray paint. Lay across the center of your table on a burlap (or other solid color) runner, add some votive candles and voila! The classiest Turkey Day table you ever did see!

Bite sized YUM. 

I love this idea! Since everyone loves the crispy outer edges of the stuffing casserole dish, why not make every bite an edge!? Using a muffin tin to bake your stuffing (whatever recipe you prefer) creates adorable individual portions with lots of crispy edges for everyone to enjoy.

Put a bow(tie) on it!

Looking to one-up all those guests who arrive with a bottle of wine and say "thanks for having me?" How about this idea from Real Simple? Pick up some fresh "Italian for dinner" supplies (pasta, sauce, herbs, olive oil) then box and wrap them with string and (pasta) bows. Adorable, inexpensive and perfect for the Saturday night after when the idea of more leftovers just isn't cutting it!

Candy Corn "bark"

Helllllo lover. Time to put all that leftover candy corn to use before it's out of "season"!! 

Click HERE for the full recipe or HERE to pin it. YUM.

Eat, Sleep, etc.

I'm with ya kid.

When I found that picture, I couldn't believe how perfectly it embodied how I'm feeling on this sunny fall Friday. Really hungry and pretty darn tired... I'm ready for a tasty meal and a serious nap. Way to get things done kid.

Also, want to hear something kinda nuts? In two weeks from today, Thanksgiving will be over and Channuka will already be underway. Holy holiday season how quickly you've snuck up on me!! (And don't even get me started on the turkey/dreidel overlap, more on that next week...) This will be my last weekend hanging at home for a bit, so I'm hoping for a solid combination of productive (I need to get gift shopping!) and relaxing (family Sunday brunch reservations made.) And since we've still got plenty of football to be watching:

"Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week: 

Cranberry, Butternut and Brussels Sprout Brie Skillet Nachos

* brought to you by Half Baked Harvest

These my friends, are not you're average nachos. These are a high brow, brie-tastic, fancy feasting treat perfect for your "it's too damn cold outside, this game will be better from the comfort of my couch" viewing party.

Since this recipe has a whole lot of ingredients (and some pretty drool-inducing photos) on the Half Baked Harvest site, why don't you just click HERE to learn how to cranberry, butternut, brussel sprout brie nacho your weekend or click HERE to Pin it for later.

And for all of the "Feed Your Football Face" recipes of the week, click HERE.

A Thankful Hump Day

Sup G?

Happy almost Turkey Day my merry friends! In honor of the holiday and the day we all collectively say "why on earth did I bother coming into work?" (aka, today) I've compiled a fantastic list of distractions for you. I wish you all safe travels, delicious meals and a few moments of peaceful reflection to remember that no matter the challenges you face, there is much in this world to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving.

* I love this NYC tradition more than you can possibly imagine.

* Big Squishable Animals. Yup.
* So funny. So true.

* Some people should really stay off of Facebook.

* The truth about what will be on your tv all day tomorrow.

* So easy, you can have THESE on your dessert table even with less than 24 hours notice. Sure to be gobbled up (hehe).

* Why Friday just might be more awesome than Thursday.

* Two really cool ways to support those still recovering from Hurricane Sandy HERE and HERE.

* 49% of me says "ahhh! so dangerous!" but 51% says "damn I want to try that". (Skip to 1 minute mark).

* Be thankful for what you have. Be charitable to those who have less.