Things I Love Thursday - Lovin the Little People

Going along with my wish for the vintage Sesame Street Little People set for Reid, I came across all these vintage Little People that I actually owned when I was a little girl. The Little People house was at my Aunt Jo's and I played with it each and every time I went there to visit. I get so excited when I see anything vintage, so I get super excited when I see vintage toys that I played with when I was little. Which brings me to the present. Reid loves his little people, too. The people are much chubbier than the ones I played with and they are all plastic, as opposed to my wooden head people. The sets from, oh say 20+ years ago weren't as fancy as the ones now, but the barn door moo'd when you opened it, and the doorbell rang when you pushed it. That's about the extent of the high tech features of the vintage sets. The new sets, however, sing, talk, and make all kinds of sounds. They are so sweet. Reid got a ton of Little People and Little People sets for Christmas, and I think I was just as excited as he was when he opened them. Looking at these photos below have taught me one thing...not one piece of the little people that we currently own will be thrown away, put in a yard sale, or otherwise gotten rid of. Rod will love that by the way. He already thinks I'm a packrat, haha! I wish so much that I still had my Little People so my kids could see them. So I want my kids to have theirs, for their children aka my grandchildren (gulp!), to play with when they are at Meme's (that will be me someday). It's funny the things you think about and the memories that return just by seeing some old photographs and toys.

Thanksgiving Twenty

Do you cook all or part of the meal? I usually take peanut butter fudge to Aunt Jo’s (because it is Aunt Jo’s request) and I this year I will take broccoli casserole to Dad & Beth’s.

How much do you spend buying groceries for the meal? Not much really, twenty bucks tops.

Do you eat at home or go to someone else's? Always someone else's. Aunt Jo’s and Dad & Beth’s. I have never hosted a Thanksgiving on my own.

Describe your perfect bite? Injected turkey made in the turkey fryer.

White meat or dark? For me, dark, yum, yum. For Rod, white. For the boys, Reid doesn’t care & Gauge doesn’t like turkey (big shock there since he doesn’t like ANY meat).

Stuffing with giblets or without? No stuffing for me thanks. But Rod loves stuffing. I’m not sure he would love it so much if there were giblets in it though. YUCK!

Anything you won't eat at the Thanksgiving meal? Stuffing is the only thing for me. I don't think there is anything Rod or Reid won't eat. And Gauge pretty much doesn't eat anything...except cheesy potatoes and corn, and desserts.

Carve Mr. Gobble at the table of serve on a platter? Our turkey is always carved. One of the men takes care of that job.

Favorite pie? Cherry crumb (from Beth’s baker lady) or the Ripley Peanut Butter pie

Formal table or Chinet? Beth doesn’t like to eat on paper plates, so we always use real plates. At Aunt Jo’s we use disposable plates.

Your menu? Aunt Jo’s – Ham, turkey, Italian sausage, California medley, mashed potatoes, rolls, and many desserts.
Dad & Beth’s – Ham, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, Johnny marzetti, rolls, cheese ball, lots of pies.

Favorite leftover? Everything!!

Extended family, friends, both or just immediate family for dinner? At Aunt Jo’s, it’s mostly extended family and at Dad & Beth’s it’s our immediate family.

After dinner, do you go to the latest movie or football on TV? This year, Dad bought the kids a Wii and they played it all evening. Lindsey, Amanda, Ashley, and I went to see New Moon at the theater. Usually, there is scrabble involved, but not this year.

Do you watch the Macy's parade? Every year it’s on at our house. And every year I love it more and more. I want to go so bad!!

Christmas decorations up before or after? Before….always before.

Black Friday shopping or sleep in? Up at 2:30 and out the door as soon as I am ready. I love every minute of Black Friday. The crowds, the craziness, the sales, and the laughter.

Any special Thanksgiving tradition? No, just time together.

Favorite thing about Thanksgiving? A day to be thankful.

Favorite Thanksgiving memory? I don’t really have one. I just love the memory of the same family event every year. I love tradition, so I guess the tradition is my favorite memory.

Top Ten {Tuesday} - Thanksgiving Traditions & Ideas

1. Dinner at Aunt Jo's - which I absolutely love because it is one of the three days a year that my mom's family (paternal side) is all together.
2. Dinner with Dad & Beth - which usually happens the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
3. The Macy's day parade - I promise you, one day I will be there to see it...anyone want to go along??
4. Fried Turkey - seriously there is no other way to have turkey!?!
5. Green Jello Salad - it's a staple food at all get togethers at Aunt Jo's house.
6. Black Friday shopping - Mom, Lindsey, and I get up at oh about 3am to get to Canton by about 4. And spend most of the day shopping! Too much fun!!
7. I try to make a thankful list of one thing, per day, that I am thankful of in November.
8. All day, family time, Thanksgiving day.
9. Usually a Christmas movie or two, or ten begin to play at our house over Thanksgiving weekend.
10. Christmas lights - Rod usually goes home before dinner at Aunt Jo's to let the dogs out and turns the Christmas lights on. Every year, the kids are surprised when we turn the corner and they say "Look at those lights!" and then realize they are on our house. It's too cute.