Is anyone else having a tough time getting back to reality today after the long, holiday weekend? Mannnn, they always go just WAY too fast, don’t they??
I’m happy to share that we had a really wonderful Thanksgiving, and long weekend, at that.
Thanksgiving day started out pretty low key, including prepping the turkey, cleaning up, and of course, tuning in for some of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Much to my surprise, my non-stop moving boys were actually SO intrigued by the parade and sat for a decent chunk of time watching and talking (Lucas) about the different floats going by. It was adorable.
Early in the afternoon, our guests started to arrive and we all snacked on a few simple appetizers while hanging out and playing games.
My parents ended up bringing some fun ingredients to whip up some festive cocktails, so Jay go to work on making those for the group.
They included salted caramel vodka and apple cider, topped off with champagne, and a caramel + cinnamon sugar rimmed glass.
They. Were. Heavenly. And, of course, Lucas wanted one as soon as he saw it, so we made him a fun glass with some apple cider.
I think he liked it.
I loved it, but made sure to go easy on the cocktails since I definitely did not want a repeat of last year’s Thanksgiving. While I briefly mentioned it in the post, I never really got into the fact that those freakin’ sangria drinks had me quite…inebriated. Let’s just say, I don’t quite remember last year’s dinner.
Shortly after my parents and MIL arrived, our little guy was up from his nap and it was almost time to eat!
The bird, ready for carving…
And my plate! Yummmmm.
For dessert, I went a little untraditional, since pies always wind up getting at least half wasted, so I made some pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting and a chocolate brownie trifle. I kinda like this untraditional route.
As for the rest of the weekend, we didn’t have too many plans, but we did get to enjoy a couple of warmer days outside which was nice.
Lucas was making a “nice, warm fire” there, and Alex likely had dirt on him and was telling me “UH OH!”
We also got started on putting up all of our Christmas decorations, both inside and out. And I must say…having both boys helping with decorating the tree was definitely giving me all the feels this year <3
The last item on our agenda for the weekend was my first official booth with Usborne! There was an event happening at Proctors on Sunday, and I decided to sign up to give it a shot.
It really was a lot of fun, and I loved getting to chat with all of the kids who came up to the booth and help them find some fun books. My best-sellers, by FAR, were our Shine-a-Light books, and all of the kids loved playing with the Wind-Up and Pull-Back books, too.
And speaking of, since today is Cyber Monday and all, I have some specials deals going on today that are available to all STSL readers! To check them out, CLICK HERE!! PLUS, the first 5 orders today get a FREE GIFT from me! <3
Who else is planning on doing some serious Cyber Monday shopping today?? Any good deals on your radar?!
Have a great week, everyone! I’ll be back soon!
Melissa says
That cocktail looks and sounds incredible! Also, your Christmas tree looks beautiful!
Brynn says
All the feels when kiddos and the holidays come together. There is nothing better than watching the wonder and magic in their eyes.
Kaitlyn @ Powered by Sass says
This looks like such a nice Thanksgiving! We also went the non-traditional dessert route and had rum cake! It. Was. Delicious. A slice of that cake warmed with a glass of cold eggnog – omg.
Krystal says
Your Thanksgiving looked wonderful :) Totally off topic and random, but can i ask you what swing set you have for your boys? We are planning to get one for our almost 4 year old for Christmas and I have no clue which one to go with. Some look exactly the same as others but are sometimes hundreds of dollars different. Its such a big purchase, Im afraid to order one that isnt very good. Any tips?
Thanks!
Courtney says
Hey Krystal! My parents got ours for us, and I believe it came from Toys r Us. I’d say the quality is okay, the wood is definitely wearing quickly, but it serves the purpose!
Kayla says
What a beautiful Thanksgiving! Those cocktails sound absolutely delicious! Definitely something I would love!! Love your Christmas tree, it is gorgeous! Hope you have a great day! Xoxo
Katie @ Live Half Full says
What a fun weekend! Drooling over the cocktail and the desserts!
Abbie says
What a wonderful celebration! I might have to copy those cocktails! I had a week off with my son, and it was definitely a struggle on Monday for us too. I tried to find a few cyber deals but not much. I was actually looking for a coat for my son. May I ask where Alex’s coat is from? Love it- and he’s such a cutie in it!
Courtney says
Thanks, Abbie! It actually used to be Lucas’s and I believe it was from Target :)
Abbie says
Hand me downs are amazing! And of course it’s from Target – they have everything!!
Shawna says
Those cocktails look amazing. We used to go for brunch in NYC at a place called Penelope’s that had seasonal apple cider mimosas and they were so good…this adds a whole new twist on that. Looks like a lovely holiday weekend. <3
Mary Burns says
Could you please share the cocktail recipe?