Cleaning out the closets and gathering items for the donation center on black friday. We give all that we don't need instead of buying more. It's become a great tradition.
As a web designer, I do tend to surf the web a lot. I try to make the brain-break as productive as possible by surfing design-oriented sites like Dribbble, Mashable or Pinterest, and I only do it when I'm working on tasks with less predictable billable time, like the discovery/research and pixel-pushing phases of a design project. That way, when I get an email coming through that is more task-oriented (like updating content, or cropping images), I can tear through those with little distraction.
So far, no one has ever complained. I actually have a reputation for getting things done really quick. I love the brain breaks.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is a long walk after the meal. We are lucky enough to have a Thanksgiving at our family's farm, so we almost always get to hike off the meal while talking and enjoying the beautiful Kentucky scenery. Much better than watching football or taking a nap!
We are a small family now, so the opportunity to spend a day together is what I enjoy the best. We eat, then clean up all of the dishes together. Then we sit down and fill out Christmas cards so they will be ready to mail the first week in December.
After years of trying to accommodate our merged family by splitting time (kids racing here and there to see their other families) and later trying to visit in laws as well...we just gave up! Now the 5 kids go where they want and we hold our Thanksgiving dinner the weekend after. Now we get all the kids and grandkids!!! Such a simple solution and all the tradition we need.
Your comment reminds me of Mark Twain's quote: "Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint."
I think most people would do well to avoid fad recommendations and just get some basic exercise.
As for me, I like to delve into tips, compare them to recommendations on reputable medical websites (like mayoclinic.com), see how they affect me personally, and toss them around with friends (like my cycling buddies in their 60s and 70s) who have seen fads come and go and seem to know what works for the long haul. Finally, I realize you can't live forever but you can have fun while you're here -- so it makes sense to do what is most likely healthy and what you enjoy.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is a covered-dish dinner. Being single with no family nearby, it is a lifesaver. Several of us single/divorced/widowed ladies who go to church together plan a football-free Thanksgiving. We go to someone's house. The hostess provides the dining room and fancy tablecloth, china, crystal and silver. She and a turkey committee bake the main course. Other ladies all bring the other components of the meal, and desserts, so that no one person is overburdened getting ready for the feast. We all arrive and take our places around the table, thankful for our friendships. We have nice quiet conversation -- like I said, there is no football game turned on competing with the traditional holiday gathering. Our only background sound is soft music. It is a wonderful heartfelt celebration and we don't go home until late.
These are gifts, not stocking stuffers. If it costs more than a buck or two, it goes under the tree, not in the stocking. Doubly so if it's breakable. (We still hang our stockings.) in our house, the stocking is like the teaser on a TV show, the quick tease before breakfast, followed by the tree. As the kids have gotten older, the tree gifts have gotten fewer and pricier.
I love the idea of experiences (or services) vs material items! I have been doing this for others for years! House cleaning, spa days, hotel vouchers, home maintenance, car washes, event tickets; you name it I have given it, carefully and thoughtfully. I can only hope-upon-hope that someday I will get one too (Insert Private Pity Party Here). In the meantime I LOVE the happy glow of someone on the receiving end!
Think I might grab that slow cooker, my old one is on the way out and it doesn't have a programmable feature which is a bit of a pain when I need the temp to change at certain times.
Honestly, we don't have many Thanksgiving traditions! We have bounced all over the place the last 10 - 15 years -- single, then married with no kids yet. I do love hosting a dinner for friends who don't have family in town sometimes, or going home with friends to their families tables, and when I'm with family I guess I love the meal (my mom always cooks an amazing dinner!) and catching a movie in the evening if we feel like it.
We have several traditions, the whole family together to eat, everyone saying what they're especially thankful for on that day, but the special one for our family is the "reading of the ads", which happens after dinner. We get out the huge newspaper with all the black friday ads and everyone shares the ads and makes their shopping list for the next day.
Cleaning out the closets and gathering items for the donation center on black friday. We give all that we don't need instead of buying more. It's become a great tradition.
As a web designer, I do tend to surf the web a lot. I try to make the brain-break as productive as possible by surfing design-oriented sites like Dribbble, Mashable or Pinterest, and I only do it when I'm working on tasks with less predictable billable time, like the discovery/research and pixel-pushing phases of a design project. That way, when I get an email coming through that is more task-oriented (like updating content, or cropping images), I can tear through those with little distraction.
So far, no one has ever complained. I actually have a reputation for getting things done really quick. I love the brain breaks.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is a long walk after the meal. We are lucky enough to have a Thanksgiving at our family's farm, so we almost always get to hike off the meal while talking and enjoying the beautiful Kentucky scenery. Much better than watching football or taking a nap!
Thanks so much for including me in your round-up!
I'd also argue that the Internet is full of information and inspiration - that's a good thing for productivity too!
Great tips presented in a nice, concise format. Thank you!
My mom's sausage stuffing! So good!
We are a small family now, so the opportunity to spend a day together is what I enjoy the best. We eat, then clean up all of the dishes together. Then we sit down and fill out Christmas cards so they will be ready to mail the first week in December.
the food, shopping, and football are all great, but Family is definately the ebst part
I just love Thanksgiving in general. We don't really have any traditions besides coming together and enjoying the food and company.
After years of trying to accommodate our merged family by splitting time (kids racing here and there to see their other families) and later trying to visit in laws as well...we just gave up! Now the 5 kids go where they want and we hold our Thanksgiving dinner the weekend after. Now we get all the kids and grandkids!!! Such a simple solution and all the tradition we need.
My mom's chocalate pecan pie! It's the best Thanksgiving tradition!
Your comment reminds me of Mark Twain's quote: "Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint."
I think most people would do well to avoid fad recommendations and just get some basic exercise.
As for me, I like to delve into tips, compare them to recommendations on reputable medical websites (like mayoclinic.com), see how they affect me personally, and toss them around with friends (like my cycling buddies in their 60s and 70s) who have seen fads come and go and seem to know what works for the long haul. Finally, I realize you can't live forever but you can have fun while you're here -- so it makes sense to do what is most likely healthy and what you enjoy.
How about reviewing smartphones for those that don't use contract services? Thanks!
Homemade cranberry sauce. I always make extra to use in scones. Yum!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is a covered-dish dinner. Being single with no family nearby, it is a lifesaver. Several of us single/divorced/widowed ladies who go to church together plan a football-free Thanksgiving. We go to someone's house. The hostess provides the dining room and fancy tablecloth, china, crystal and silver. She and a turkey committee bake the main course. Other ladies all bring the other components of the meal, and desserts, so that no one person is overburdened getting ready for the feast. We all arrive and take our places around the table, thankful for our friendships. We have nice quiet conversation -- like I said, there is no football game turned on competing with the traditional holiday gathering. Our only background sound is soft music. It is a wonderful heartfelt celebration and we don't go home until late.
These are gifts, not stocking stuffers. If it costs more than a buck or two, it goes under the tree, not in the stocking. Doubly so if it's breakable. (We still hang our stockings.) in our house, the stocking is like the teaser on a TV show, the quick tease before breakfast, followed by the tree. As the kids have gotten older, the tree gifts have gotten fewer and pricier.
We always have Andes mints with dessert. When I was little I thought those little rectangles and foil wrappers were the height of elegance. :-)
Thanksgiving is so nice- family over and dinner is the top two!
I love the idea of experiences (or services) vs material items! I have been doing this for others for years! House cleaning, spa days, hotel vouchers, home maintenance, car washes, event tickets; you name it I have given it, carefully and thoughtfully. I can only hope-upon-hope that someday I will get one too (Insert Private Pity Party Here). In the meantime I LOVE the happy glow of someone on the receiving end!
Think I might grab that slow cooker, my old one is on the way out and it doesn't have a programmable feature which is a bit of a pain when I need the temp to change at certain times.
Honestly, we don't have many Thanksgiving traditions! We have bounced all over the place the last 10 - 15 years -- single, then married with no kids yet. I do love hosting a dinner for friends who don't have family in town sometimes, or going home with friends to their families tables, and when I'm with family I guess I love the meal (my mom always cooks an amazing dinner!) and catching a movie in the evening if we feel like it.
We have several traditions, the whole family together to eat, everyone saying what they're especially thankful for on that day, but the special one for our family is the "reading of the ads", which happens after dinner. We get out the huge newspaper with all the black friday ads and everyone shares the ads and makes their shopping list for the next day.
Going around the table and saying what we're thankful for, no matter big or small!
we have a table cloth we sign every year with what we are thankful for that year.