We’ve always been huge fans of collages. All you need are some old magazines, scissors, and glue and you’ve got an instant arts and crafts project. We found a particularly inspiring project this year on Cool Mom Picks from the new DIY magazine Moomah. You can download a template, which includes an abundant cornucopia and the phrase “I am thankful for….” Look through newspapers and magazines Thanksgiving week to find pictures of characters, objects, animals, or even simply colors that your kids are thankful for. It’s a great way to keep them occupied while you’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen. And the results are simply frame-worthy.

Some of the best toys, whether paper dolls or paper planes, are the ones you can make together as a family. Moomah is a new type of community with a motto of “dit” or do it together, offering easy DIY that make fun projects to do with your kids. Their tagline: “Be inspired and know you are doing enough,” says it all. You can subscribe directly to their magazine to get smart, fun ideas delivered right to your mailbox.

I bought discounted treats from two of my favorite online store Thursday night after having a super yummy Thanksgiving. And yesterday I got 10 yoga classes online sale at my neighborhood yoga studio. But the rest of the day was spent taking a little hike, watching ducks and turtles and climbing trees. And making another batch of carrot soufflé for our second Thanksgiving meal!

It is now the time of the year where we all really focus on being thankful for what we have, more than any other time during the year. It is also a time when we give and share with others, some who are less fortunate than we are.

I feel that it is important to acknowledge people’s generosity and caring all year by writing thank you notes for gifts, and when people are generous with their time. Everyone likes to be acknowledged. As a Mom this is twice as true (to make up for the kid, who rarely thanks you). Thank you notes are a simple and nice way to say “I appreciate you for caring and sharing.”

Although I have terrible hand writing and it often takes me a bit of time; I send out thank you notes. I take pride in crafting thank you notes that express my thanks for the gift and for the friendship. I have fun too. I enjoy picking out cards that I know my friends will like. Who doesn’t like love getting a letter in the mail?

+ I am thankful everyday for my family’s heath, that we have food and a roof over our head. And for the fact that my problems aren’t really problems compared to most of the people in the rest of the world. Potable water comes out of the faucet when I turn it. I don’t have to send my daughter to fetch water twice a day in a hostile environment.