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My Step-By-Step Guide to Hosting Thanksgiving
Ever since we moved into our house five years ago we have been hosting Thanksgiving. I have two older brothers that live far away and it is an eight hour drive to my parents house. Since my parents are retired, and it’s a far way to drive for a long weekend, my parents started coming up here. I’ve had fun learning each year how to cook the whole meal (with the help of my mom). I’m excited to share what I’ve learned over the years!
One Week Before Thanksgiving
- If you’re buying a frozen turkey – buy it now!
- You can go ahead and make your cranberry sauce and store it in the fridge. This is the recipe I use every year! Fruit Infusion Cranberry Sauce
- Stock up on wine.
Sunday Before Thanksgiving
- Print out recipes and make a list of necessary ingredients.
- Clean out your refrigerator.
- Go shopping for the remaining items on your list.
- Put your turkey in the refrigerator to thaw.
Day Before Thanksgiving
- Cut up bread for stuffing. Season as desired and place on a cookie sheet overnight to dry.
- Chop vegetables and herbs for stuffing and store in the fridge.
- Make your pies, cover, and refrigerate.
- Prepare any make ahead side dishes and store in the fridge.
- Chill drinks.
- Set and decorate the table.
Thanksgiving Morning
- Prepare stuffing, cover and refrigerate. My mom is in charge of the stuffing and I don’t have her recipe. We don’t actually stuff the turkey with it.
- Since it’s just the four of us I make a turkey breast in the slow cooker. I use a liner for easy cleanup.
- Clean the turkey. I unwrap the turkey breast and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut off the skin with poultry shears, and discard.
- Salt and pepper the breast liberally. Plop it breast down into the slow cooker. Wash your hands thoroughly!
- Cut up an onion coarsely and push some pieces down next to the turkey and put a few in the rib cavity. Add a stick of butter on top. Pour two cups of white wine over the top. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Use a meat thermometer to test doneness – it should register at 170°.
Three Hours Before Dinner
- Start green beans. Again, this is my mom’s job and I don’t have her recipe!
- Make sweet potatoes. This recipe is my go to! Maple Pecan Sweet Potatoes
Two Hours Before Dinner
- Make mashed potatoes. This is how I do mine. Very Best Mashed Potatoes
30 Minutes Before Dinner
- Remove the turkey from the slow cooker onto a platter. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving.Â
- Make gravy.
- Place side dishes in serving bowls.
- Light Candles
Serve Dinner!
- Serve the wine.
- Set out a pitcher of water.
- Make sure there is salt and pepper on the table.
After Dinner
- Serve dessert.
- Everybody go Black Friday Shopping!
I hope breaking it down step by step makes hosting Thanksgiving seem a little less daunting. Don’t forget to pour yourself a glass of wine and remember that the holidays are about spending time with those you love. Cheers!
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Weekend Recap
Happy Monday everyone! We had a busy weekend so I thought I would recap it here including what I wore.Â
Friday I took a much needed day of from work. I have some vacation days to use up before the end of the year and I just needed a day to run some errands and get my house in order. I am such a nicer person when my house is put together! It felt really good to go into the weekend with a clean, organized home.
Saturday night we went to Pizza Man for dinner. I went to the original Pizza Man with my dad when we came to Milwaukee to find me an apartment. That location burned down but they reopened close to our house a few years ago. It’s so funny to go there with an extra little person now!
Sunday afternoon was Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood. Margot dressed up like her idol, Elmo. I promise she had more fun that it looks like in this picture! She of course wants to walk and do everything herself these days and did not want to be held for a photo. She was a little too shy to say “Trick-Or-Treat” or “Thank You!” but she had a lot of fun walking up to each house and getting candy. I think at this age Halloween is still more fun for the parents than it is for the kids.
I hope you all had a great weekend and have a fabulous week!
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Holy Hill
We checked another item off of our Fall bucket list this past weekend! It was the peek for fall foliage in the Milwaukee area and I wanted to go somewhere to see all the pretty leaves. We drove out to Holy Hill on Saturday afternoon, which was the perfect place to go for this activity. We got there right at golden hour, and it was beautiful! But also cold and windy. We froze our butts off! I think there were even a few snow flurries. We didn’t take many pictures because our hands were freezing but here are the few we did get if you’d like to see.
Holy Hill is a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The shrine is located on top of a hill above 400 acres of woods. There is also an observation tower you can climb for stunning views of the fall leaves and the Milwaukee skyline in the distance. It was too windy the day we went, but the hike was beautiful and we still had great views from the base of the shrine. I’m sure we will have many opportunities to go back when the weather isn’t so crazy. How was your weekend?
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Where I Shop for Margot
To say I have fun dressing Margot would be an understatement. A lot of people have asked for my favorite places to shop for Margot and so here we go! Like everything else, I approach it with a high/low attitude. The bulk of her clothes come from affordable places and I splurge now and then on something that she really just has to have. It’s so easy to get carried away! Here are my go to brands:
Gap – I like to shop the Gap for dressier or trendier items. They can be a little expensive but they tend to run lots of 40% off sales!
Old Navy – I like Old Navy for play clothes and a lot of times they have sets, which makes getting Margot dressed in the morning super easy!
Jumping Beans – We love the Jumping Beans brand for leggings! They are stretchy and don’t shrink like some other brands! Plus they are super affordable and have tons of cute prints.
Carters – We always buy Carters pajamas. I have had a hard time finding fleece footie pajamas that go up to 2T for our Wisconsin winters so Carters is great for that. They do tend to shrink which is kind of a bummer but she grows out of them so fast it doesn’t bother me too much.
Mayoral – This is a new to me brand and they are a little pricey, but the quality is amazing. They have some super special pieces like this coat and a pom pom sweater Margot wore a few weeks ago. They run a little big so I know we will get a lot of wear of these items.
Nordstrom Rack – I swear by Nordstrom Rack for kids shoes! They have great brands like Converse and Toms for a fraction of the price. Who wants to pay an arm and a leg for kids shoes when they grow out of them so fast? I got Margot the cutest little pair of snow boots there last year!
Have any good stores or brands that I didn’t mention? I’m always on the hunt for cute little girl clothes, I’d love to hear!
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Morning at the Pumpkin Patch
This past weekend my mom came up to stay with Margot while I’m in New York this week. We had such a fun girls weekend! Saturday night Margot and I picked her up from the train station and we went out for dinner. On Sunday we got up and headed to The Elegant Farmer, despite the cold, rainy weather. I love going to The Elegant Farmer every fall for apple sider donuts, hay rides, apple and pumpkin picking, and the corn maze. They had recently gotten about four inches of rain so it was super muddy, but we stayed on the wagon and enjoyed our hayride before going into the shop to buy apples and a pumpkin. The also have the best apple pie in America. It’s baked in a paper bag and the crust is perfect! I highly recommend getting it with the caramel melted on top. Here are some more pictures from our day if you’d like to see!
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Life Update and Pics From the Weekend
Hi everyone – posting a little late this week. I don’t have a lot of time to post this week so I thought I would just pop on and do a life update! August has been a crazy month and in some ways I feel like it’s dragging, but on the other hand I can’t believe it’s almost September! I’ve been feeling torn between wanting summer to stay and being ready for fall. Now that it’s almost Labor Day I’ve decided to soak up this last weekend of summer and then jump head first into fall. I can’t wait for chilly mornings and changing leaves. I’m ready!
Anyway, on to life updates. Starting with my health. I have been sick since the 4th of July. Like have literally only felt good for a few days before I come down with something else. It started out with what I think was Coxsackie Virus (thanks daycare!). Margot had a mild case of Hand Foot and Mouth but I broke out in ulcers all over my throat. No fever or anything so I just thought it was stress and let it heal. Felt better for a few days and then I came down with a fever, chills, and body aches and more ulcers in my throat. That time I thought it was strep but now I’m not sure. That took over a week to heal and then I was finally feeling better and my throat started to hurt. I thought it was ulcers starting up again but turns out to be a cold. Still recovering from that so I am trying to rest and not do too much in evenings.
Work has been crazy. Just super busy and with a fair amount of stress, which is probably a factor in getting sick. I just feel run down and it’s one thing after another. Trying to hang in there and get through this time, I know it’s going to get better.
Margot is having a rough week. We had an eye doctor appointment Monday morning. She has a bit of a lazy eye so we wanted to get that checked out. Right now we just have to wait and see if she grows out of it and we have a follow up in six months. When we got to the eye doctor she had her exam and then she had to get dilating drops and wait for 30 minutes. While we waited she was playing with the toys in the play room when another little girl and her mom came in. The little girl started playing with a puzzle that Margot had been playing with earlier. Margot was holding a book and when she saw the little girl playing with the puzzle she threw the book at her head! It didn’t actually hit her but I was horrified and made her apologize. Then she needed a diaper change and kept saying “Poop!” over and over again. Toddlers man! IT’s funny now but I was so embarrassed! After her appointment I dropped her off at daycare. Her best friend just moved up to the next room and when we got to daycare she was asking for him. It was so sad! I just feel so bad for my baby girl and I can tell by her reactions that she is having a rough time. It makes me want to cry!
On a bright note Matt started his new job a few weeks ago and it has been really nice to have him home in the evenings before Margot goes to bed. We always say you need at least three adults to raise kids so it’s nice having at least one extra set of hands.
Last weekend I was able to attend Gals That Brunch. It’s a super cool organization that puts together brunches that anyone can attend. It was really fun to meet some new ladies and enjoy a tasty brunch and mimosas. Sunday it was starting to get dark and stormy so we went for a walk to look at the sky. It was super hot and humid so our pictures weren’t great but we still enjoyed the walk.
That’s all for now! Looking forward to Labor Day weekend and onto fall. I find fall so restful, I really hope life starts to slow down.Â
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Perfect Black Jumpsuit
It was another great weekend for the Hansen family! Not to sound all sunshine and rainbows, because we definitely have our stresses and worries. But we’ve really been trying to soak up every last bit of summer while we can.
I was in New York for work last week. Matt was home with Margot and he took her to the beach Wednesday morning. Ever since I got home she’s been asking to go to the beach so we took her on Saturday morning. It ended up being the perfect time to go, before it got too hot or crowded. She of course had a blast and it was a wonderfully relaxing way to start off the weekend.
Saturday evening some of friends of ours had people over so we got to catch up and watch the kids run around. It’s really nice to be in the same season of life as some of your friends in that way. Everyone was able to relax knowing someone always had their eyes on the kids and we could have a beer and hang out. Margot had a blast pushing the bubble mower around the yard!
Back to New York for a bit – I wore this jumpsuit last Tuesday and it struck the perfect balance between professionalism and comfort. We went to the Ralph Lauren Polo bar for dinner Tuesday night. I wanted to wear something that could get me through the work day and still look chic for our fancy dinner. I wore it with flat sandals during the day since I am on my feet all day when in New York. So glad I did because it was also over 90 degrees. We had a short break before dinner so I was able to go back to the hotel to drop my work bag and put on my heels. All in all it was a fabulous New York night!
I hope everyone has a great week! I’m putting out my good vibes and determined that it’s going to be good one!
Shop the post: Jumpsuit // Heels // Bag (similar – mine is the same brand but a few years old)
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A Walk In The Park
Another Monday is upon us. Last week was one of the roughest I’ve had in quite a while. I’ve actually had three rough weeks in a row at work which cause me to be worn down and stressed and I ended up coming down with strep throat two Fridays ago. If I’ve never had a moment where it was very clear I needed to slow down and rest, I have now. I had to take care of myself and get to bed early every night so I could take care of everyone else during the day. Such is mom life I suppose. But, the blog did fall to the wayside a bit. It killed me to do it, but it had to be done. Thanks for sticking around. All five of you!
By Friday I was feeling better and spent two nights in a row at out neighborhood beer garden. I love that we live so close to so many great places and we are definitely regulars at this park and beer garden in the summer. Friday night Matt, Margot and I walked down for beers, brats, and pretzels. We didn’t get there early enough for Margot to run around much so when my parents came into town Saturday night we went again. Afterward we took a walk along the river so Margot could run around and we could enjoy the cool breeze. It really filled up my tank to be surrounded by family this weekend.
This week I’m off to NYC for work. It’s always crazy busy when I’m there but I think it will actually be nice to get out of the office. We’re going somewhere super fancy Tuesday night and I have a killer jumpsuit I’m excited to wear! Please pray that I have a better week, I really need it. Love you all!
Shop the post: Dress // Bag // Sunglasses // Sandals
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July Blogger Collab
A few weeks ago I had the chance to participate in a super fun event for local Milwaukee bloggers. I had a blast meeting other ladies that share similar interests and learning about some local brands. The event was originally going to be held outside but the weather derailed our plans. Luckily Pin It Live came through and offered for us to use their space! I had never been there and it was the cutest space. And what a great idea! You can drink wine and make Pinterest projects! So fun!
Part of this blogging endeavor is about making connections. I’ve really been trying to put myself out there more and even though I was a little nervous to go to an event by myself where I didn’t know anyone, I had a really good time! We drank wine, ate Ian’s Pizza and Smashmallows, got to model some lovely Kendra Scott jewels, and got sent home with swag bags with goodies from MJ Creative Co, Tampon Tribe, Rit Dye, and Press Seltzer.
Here are some more pictures from the event if you would like to see!
Left to right: Alexina Gosh, Justine Moore Sloan, ME!, Terressa Dotson
Left to right: Karri Tait, Diana Elise, Sreeja Pedapudi, Crystal Flores, Justine Moore Sloan, Alexina Gosh, Me
Modeling by Leena Asuma
Other ladies involved not pictured: Heidi Fischer, Justina Gemignani, Megan Baylerian, Elizabeth Saksefski, Erika Kyle, Maia Nolan-Partnow, Olivia Medrow
Amazing Photog: Amanda Vick
I can’t thank Terressa and Amanda enough for pulling this together. I can’t wait for more events to hang out with these ladies again and meet more Milwaukee bloggers!
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Rainy Sunday
One thing about a rainy weekend in July? Getting to wear some of my new fall clothing! I love being outside in the summer and soaking up the sunshine but every once in a while it is nice to get a rainy weekend so I have an excuse so get stuff done around the house and stay inside.
If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw my post about this past week being weird. It started on Monday when I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning. It always seems weird to start Monday morning by coming in to work a little late.
On Wednesday I took Margot to the doctor. She has a bit of a lazy eye so we have an appointment with a Pediatric Ophthalmologist next month. She made need to wear a patch or glasses for a little bit the strengthen her weak eye. I’m trying to just be calm and wait and see what the doctor says. Of course, prayer are appreciated! Also on Wednesday we got some good news about Matt’s job which is going to make it so he can be home more in the evenings during the week. This has been a huge praise! Both of us have had some challenging work circumstances for over a year now and this is such a relief!
Speaking of challenging work circumstances…Let’s just say I had a rough week. I don’t want to go into too much detail but I would greatly appreciate any prayers. I’ve been dealing with some adversity at work for over a year now and for the most part I deal with it and move on but there are times when it just really brings me down. On the bright side it brought me to starting this blog which has been a huge blessing!
Part of starting this blog was to do something for myself – something creative – and also to connect with others. Friday night I had the opportunity to attend a Milwaukee Blogger Collab Day. It was so awesome to meet other creative women that are putting themselves out there through blogging! I will do a full post about the event in the future but I am really looking forward to getting out there more and meeting more local bloggers. I was a little nervous to attend an event by myself with a lot of people I’d never met but everyone was so nice and I had a lot of fun!
Now it’s Sunday evening as I’m writing this post and I’m trying to keep the Sunday Scaries away. I know some of you guys get this feeling on Sunday evenings, too. I actually used to be super excited to go to work on Monday and hang out with my co-workers. It’s just that things have changed. But I have faith that things can change again I will get through it. It’s just a blip.
I hope everyone has a fabulous week – myself included!
Shop the post: Free People Saturday Morning Cardigan // Cami // Jeans // Slippers