Will you be hosting your first Thanksgiving Dinner? Or, will you be entertaining a few less or a few more guests than usual? Maybe you need some help planning a more traditional or an alternatively unique Thanksgiving Day menu? No matter your challenge, you must check out this totally cool tool over at bonappetit.com…!!

* * * Update: Stephanie’s store is now Family Traditions! * * *

Like it or not, Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

My dear friend, Stephanie, owner of Dream Dinners in Lexington (Kentucky) is offering a great deal on a fabulous Thanksgiving spread—enough turkey and side dishes to feed 12 to 15 people! So, if you’re anything like me and prefer not to spend hours toiling away in the kitchen, you should definitely give Stephanie a call… she’ll “hook you up”!

If, on the other hand, you actually enjoy spending time in the kitchen preparing a traditional Thanksgiving feast for extended family and friends, you’ll find these tools helpful—Martha Stewart’s Thanksgiving Planner (5053 downloads) and Real Simple’s Thanksgiving Dinner Invitation (6838 downloads) .

Recycle old crayons that are too short to draw with to make new crayons in fun shapes.

Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl. With this in mind, we chopped up crayons and baked them in shaped mini cake tins, making large blocks that are easy for toddlers to hold and will surely inspire older artists.

Encourage kids to come up with their own combinations—a blue-and-white blend for drawing the sky, or a mix of reds and oranges for sunsets.

Tools and Materials : old crayons, kitchen knife, mini cake tins

Crayon How-To Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like. Preheat the oven to 150°F while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs. Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place the tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop right out.

— courtesy of Martha Stewart Kids

Have you ever sounded like a broken record?

Back up [ from the TV ]. You’re too close.
[ in a sing-song voice ] No, no, no… Drinks stay in the kitchen.
[ gasp ] Watch out!… awwww, crap [ or alternate expletive ]… too late.

Well, I’m not afraid to admit that I have experienced this phenomenon since becoming a mom… However, I recently picked up this really great tip from Keely, one of my “mom friends” from MOPS and owner of BookJingle.com :

Use a small (but not too small) colorful area rug to designate a spot on the floor for your child(ren) to sit while watching TV. The rug is also a great spot for doing artwork or eating a snack.

I have personally used a blanket or towel to serve this purpose in the past, but the area rug’s backing and overall density virtually eliminates any tripping hazard—and, let’s not forget, saves the carpet (or hardwood or tile or whatever kind of flooring you have) from utter disaster!

Plus, when your little area rug gets too grungy (’cause you know it will), it’ll be a cinch to replace!

The Recipe Nest^® is the perfect solution for those of us who clip (or simply tear out) recipes from magazines, or for those of us who tend to let things stack up in piles before we deal with them months later.

Not only is it ideal for sorting and storing recipes, but the Recipe Nest^® also turns into a fabulous easel (with a handy clip) to hold your selected recipe at an eye-pleasing angle while you prepare it. Add the spill-proof vinyl covering to the trendy color selection, and you’ve got a real winner!

So, what about you? Are you a ‘recipe collector’ like me? What is your favorite way to store recipes? Share your thoughts in the comments!