A few shots from the last few days! Today I’m planning to eat more leftovers and do laundry. Glamorous!

How was Black Friday? Did you get anything good?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for this year, but instead of listing it out, I’ll just say that 2011 has been quite an adventure so far and I can’t wait to see how the next month or so will play out. I am lucky to have so much love and support from my friends (online and off!) and from my family.

Last year’s Thanksgiving I was sure I could not have any more blessings in my life than I already did, but I guess that goes to show you that life throws you surprises at times when you least expect it—but might need it the most.

I hope you have a wonderful day! Eat lots, nap lots!

xo,

Jackie

I realize it’s a little ridiculous for me to be posting about holiday shopping anxiety when I’ve been blatantly shoving gift guides at you for the past week, but there’s something I’ve got to get off my chest.

For the past few years, I’ve noticed that I tend to get fairly anxious or stressed around the holidays—something that I don’t think is too uncommon. Whether it’s splitting up our time with our families or trying to round up Christmas presents, I always feel some degree of stress and anxiety coupled with consumer pressure to buy, buy, BUY. Honestly, there is nothing that disgusts me more than the IDEA of Black Friday—let alone the execution of the event. It’s abhorrent. It’s ridiculous. It’s people lining up to buying TVs at 10 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Yet, despite the fact that I hate the entire idea of the whole thing, there is certainly some part of me that is susceptible to this massive shopping competition that holiday shopping has turned into. It’s not just Black Friday. There are a million sales to keep track of, stores to check off a list, “flash sales” that are happening. It’s a total cluster and I hate the fact that I even feel the little bit of compulsion I do to get out in the thick of it to try and score 45% off a sweater I didn’t even need.

On the other hand, with every passing holiday, the reason that I celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas becomes more and more apparent—and totally separate from the commercialism that is threatening to engulf more and more of the last two to three months of our calendar years. This is not to say that I don’t buy presents for friends and family—I do. But, I’m trying to stick to a little plan that I’ve tentatively entitled Jackie’s Holiday Sanity Plan.

• S - Spend time with loved ones and friends and value that above all else.
• A - Avoid anxiety about which family gets more or less of our time around the holidays. We can never please everyone perfectly, so we need to make plans that make sense for us and let everything else fall into place accordingly.
• N - Never, ever “seriously” shop on Black Friday or engage in a holiday shopping competition. After a leisurely breakfast, if we want to go wander through the remnants of Target’s bargain bins, so be it. But shopping before 5 am, 6 am—hell, 10 am—is just asking for panic attacks and misery.
• I - Indulge myself in ways that don’t revolve around shopping. I like watching marathons of our favorite holiday movies with favorite snacks or driving around the neighborhood and looking at Christmas decorations.
• T - Try to remember that gift giving should be about doing something thoughtful, not what is expected or what is popular.
• Y - You are the only one that determines whether or not you have a fulfilling holiday season. You can choose to give in to the stress and competitiveness, or choose to ignore it as best you can. This is incredibly hard for me to do. I want everything to be perfect…and I don’t even have a child yet! Imagine me next year. But, I’m going to try…and trying is half the battle, right?

So, as we enter one of the most crazy, over-hyped and over-wrought weeks of the year, join me in my attempt to keep a level head and a (mostly) closed wallet until we’ve had a successful close to Thanksgiving. There’s plenty of goods to go around and plenty of shopping time left. This week is all about the two “Fs” for me: family and food. Friday doesn’t even factor in.

How are you coping with holiday anxiety so far?

Let it begin!

I’m just getting started on cooking my way through 11 dishes (pies first!), so I thought I’d share what I have on the docket for tomorrow. We’re spending Thanksgiving with two close friends and their kids and I want to have some new stuff and some traditional stuff, but nothing too crazy or hard. I’m relying heavily on about 20 old issues of Martha Stewart and Food & Wine to make this happen, so don’t let me down, guys! (I know they won’t. If anything goes awry, I have only myself to blame!)

1. Pumpkin Pie

2. Pecan Pie

3. Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

4. Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Walnuts

5. Simple Stuffing

6. Roast Turkey with Herb Butter

7. Brandon’s Mashed Potatoes

8. Roasted Garlic-Parmigiano Broccoli

9. Relish Tray

10. Kale

11. Layered Salad

Phew! I’m most nervous about the two pies and the turkey. The other stuff will be pretty fast and simple. If you have any turkey tips, please pass them on!

What are you making for Thanksgiving?

dailybaxter asked: What’s your favorite Thanksgiving outfit? You know what I mean…something that’s comfortable to travel in, won’t rumple or look odd after hours in a car, and allows for ample intake at the dinner table while still looking seasonally appropriate and cute!

I’m definitely going to be wearing a version of this:

Leggings are too obvious, but jeggings have the perfect amount of stretch (stretch waistbands, FTW) and casual style. Cable knit is an absolute must-have (comfy, warm, baggy) and a sequin tunic adds a bit of holiday sparkle.

And, unless you’re planning on cooking in 5-inch heels (please say you’re not!), I’m going to be in a pair of glorified slippers.

The trick is to keep it cute enough for family portraits without showing up in your sweatpants. This is how I’d do it, what about you?

1. Charlotte Russe Sequin Tank, $20

2. Old Navy Cableknit Cape, $30

3. American Eagle Jeggings, $40

4. TopShop Swan Ring, $15 (not a turkey, but a bird homage nonetheless)

5. Minnetonka Suede Moccasins, $40

6. Forever 21 Earrings, $7

Daily Recipe : Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas

This year, I want to mix it up a bit and add in some new dishes to our delicious family Thanksgiving classics. The turkey and pie are off limits though—that’s my dad’s territory!

1. Brandon’s-Way Mashed Potatoes (Photo from Martha Stewart) — Brandon’s mashed potato recipe has lots of butter, heavy whipping cream and a couple other secret ingredients. So delicious!
2. Sauteed Sweet Potato & Spinach — A great twist on yams.
3. Kale with Garlic & Cranberries — Lots of leafy greens in this dinner! Kale is my second-favorite green (spinach takes first place). The cranberries will add a nice flavor.
4. Brussels Sprouts Vinaigrette — I know my mom doesn’t like brussels sprouts, but I’m going to win her over with this.
5. Green Beans with Vinaigrette — Green beans are a Thanksgiving staple, but usually in casserole form (blech). I’ll make them fresh and tasty with this mustard-infused recipe.
6. Mashed Potatoes & Turnips with Pear Puree — This is a little more intense as recipes go, but I may forgo the pear puree and simply make it without.
7. Glazed Squash — Need I say more?

Do you have any suggestions for delicious, new Thanksgiving dishes?

Daily Recipe : Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil & Goat Cheese Salad from Epicurious.com

Oh man. Look at that deliciousness just ready to get eaten fast, fast, fast! Pumpkin is most definitely the flavor of the fall season and I’d never think to add it to a salad, except perhaps in seed form. This is much easier to make than you’d think, and you’re sure to impress all at the table with your skills.

I’m totally making this for a Thanksgiving appetizer!