As a Thanksgiving baby, I get kind of peeved that Christmas gets all the shine.

But even if I wasn’t born around Turkey Day, November is my favorite month anyway.

The weather gets a little cozier, but not outright frightful. Layering up (and covering that post-baby pooch that just won’t go away) is encouraged, and did I mention the food? Fall food is so much better than summer food. I feel weird eating soup in the summer, or pot roast or any of the other delicious meals that make life so much better.

I saw Christmas stuff out in stores two weeks ago and made a decision right on the spot that this Christmas would be different. My kids have a house full of stuff. And by “house full” I mean it. They still have practically every toy, book, puzzle, etc. they’ve ever received, so five years’ worth of stuff is threatening to eat my house alive.

This Christmas will be about the memories, not “stuff.” It will be about family. And Jesus. And enjoying life’s simplest gift: time.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, everyone! Save a plate for me

by Gerri Mitchell Kimble

It’s that time of year – picnics, barbeque, fireworks, family, and friends!

We’re just a couple of days away from the Fourth of July holiday, and now is a great time to talk with your child(ren) about the what the holiday means.  If you have a young one like me, it’ll probably help to read a book about it (and I have some good ones)!

Patricia A. Pingry’s The Story of America’s Birthday is about our country’s declaration of independence.  Pingry uses simple words and concepts and colorful illustrations, so it’s perfect for your baby, toddler, or preschooler.

Another thing that certainly comes to mind when thinking of our country is the people that have made it what it is today.

President Barack Obama does a great job of highlighting history-makers in his children’s book, Of Thee I Sing:  A Letter to My Daughters – everyone from Albert Einstein to Billie Holiday, from Helen Keller to Maya Lin, from Martin Luther King, Jr. to George Washington, and even more.   A perfectly fitting line from the book:

“Have I told you to be proud to be American?”

Let’s be sure our kids know the meaning of the upcoming holiday and what it means to live in a country as great as ours.  Happy reading!

Merry Christmas!!!

I’m not one to do holiday gift guides but as I sit here four days before Christmas and I realize I have yet to buy a gift for 1) my mom, 2) my dad and 3) my husband, I’m realizing some helpful suggestions might indeed go a loooong way toward saving me this “WTH are they getting?” headache I get every year.

I’m browsing online in order to make a mad dash to the store tomorrow and I’m sharing some of the items I’ve found. Love it? Already got ‘em? Leave it in the comments…

Your BFF since junior high

Who couldn’t use a new clutch? Seriously. And a pretty purple clutch with metallic accents? Yeah, I need one of these in my purse pronto. Payless, $14.99

Your toddler

So your little one is about 2 or 3 (or 4), right? So he/she doesn’t remember the whole “OMG I want a Tickle Me Elmo or ELSE I WILL DIE!” crazy from the 90s. Hell, the Original Tickle Me Elmo will do just fine and it’s literally half the price of the newest version. Granted, it doesn’t do as much stuff but hey, we’re doing the best we can. Toys R Us, $14.99.

Your caring boyfriend/fiance/husband

My husband is so hard to shop for I’m thisclose to giving up and just giving him cash every year. It’s ridiculous. The man has no hobbies and he has a closet full of clothes so I’m always short on ideas on what he would like. So I usually go the specialty food route, giving him a pack of spices and special sauces/marinades that he wouldn’t ordinarily get a chance to taste. Find a specialty food store near you and hook your man up right. (I have my eye on this Champagne mustard – yum!)

Your mom (AKA the On-Call Babysitter)

So Nana deserves something nice, right? Well, shoot, I wish I had “Get Nana a nice present” money because my budget is shot these days. But I’m doing the best I can to show my mom how much I appreciate being able to leave my kids with her and have total peace of mind. I would get my mom a couple of items from the Philosophy line (available at Sephora), including this Share the Joy gift set, $36

Hi lovely mamas,

Today feels like kind of a “write a letter to the women who make you smile” kind of day, so I’m writing a letter to you in the hopes that I can make YOU smile.

The past month or so has been filled with a crapload of change and transition for me. I’ve branched out and now I’m doing my own thing and I’m with my kids more and I’ve been scared and up and down and overwhelmed and happy.

The main thing that has kept me from being all “WTF am I gonna do now?” (although, real talk, I DEFINITELY have those days) is the fact that I still have this blog and I can come here and talk about things that really matter. Our “conversations” amp me up and I’m ready to face my challenges after a pep talk from my YML crew.

I honestly don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you all in my life. Seriously. Despite the fact that I’ve only met a handful of you in person, you all are like my sisters. You comfort me and lift me up and whenever I show some vulnerability, you grab your pompoms and shake ‘em like there’s no tomorrow. God, I love that about you all.

THAT is why I try so hard to do things that MEAN SOMETHING. Give YOU a pep talk when you’re on the ledge and feel like giving up. I want to support you in your journey and help all of us reach our goals. We’re in this together!

I have a crazy list of new projects coming up in 2011 so posting might be a little light here over the next week or so. But please believe that young mothers are a force to be reckoned with, and 2011 is going to see us shine like never before. Are you ready? ‘Cause I’m ready.

Let’s go!

Thanksgiving is hands-down my favorite day of the year. Even more than my birthday. Or my kids’ birthdays. (Don’t judge me.)

It’s a whole day dedicated to family, food and giving thanks and I can’t think of a single thing that could be better. (Plus, Beyonce has a concert special on that night! Woo-hoo!!!)

This year, I have a whole lot to be thankful for. I have two beautiful babies and a loving husband and parents that love being grandparents. I have sisters that are doing big things and cousins that are my biggest cheerleaders.

And I have you guys. My whole goal with this blog has changed a little over the years, and right now my goal is to make you smile and keep you inspired. I want you to feel good about yourself and to feel energized. There’s not a lot people out there telling you that being a young mom isn’t the end of the world or that you may have obstacles, but they can be overcome.

I feel so blessed to have you as part of my extended family. When I got laid off three weeks ago, I felt an outpouring of support that I never would have expected. You are all so kind, so compassionate. There really are no words.

So instead I will just say, Thank you. Thank you for the support. Thank you for the comments. You are so appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I don’t mean to brag but I’ve been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family since like, forever. Well, since high school and I’m almost 25 so let’s call that “forever,” okay?

Since I am a turkey baby (born at the end of November), Thanksgiving is ultra special to me. When I was younger it meant family members were always over my house on my birthday so even if they forgot I was turning one year older, I could count on them pulling out some cash.

I’ve been preparing for Thanksgiving 2010 since I put the leftovers of Thanksgiving 2009 in the fridge. Yes, it’s that big a deal.

Want to see my menu? Here it goes:

Traditional turkey (similar to this Barefoot Contessa version except I add celery to the pan)
Cornbread stuffing and gravy
Potato gratin (Might try out this Tyler Florence recipe)
Emeril Lagasse’s three-cheese mac and cheese
Greens with smoked turkey
Roasted green beans
Hawaiian sweet rolls
Sweet potato pumpkin pie (Yes, a hybrid! What y’all know about that?)

I’ve got my game plan on and I’m ready to roll. What advice can I share with you? Read on for your complete guide to a Thanksgiving that ROCKS!

Two rookie mistakes:

1. Don’t wait until Thursday to cook. Prep and/or make as much as you can on Wednesday. If you’re like me, your kitchen is not that big and you don’t want to get overwhelmed when you’ve got hungry (and nosy!) family members in the other room. You should basically be reheating your side dishes and giving your attention to the turkey. Which brings me to my next point…
2. Go small(ish) with the turkey. There are sooo many things that can go wrong if you’re fussing with a big turkey. It’s hard to keep a large bird moist, even if you baste it constantly. To figure out how many pounds you really need, check out the Portion Planner on Butterball.com. If you can, get a smaller turkey (12 pounds or smaller) and an additional turkey breast to serve with it.

 A word of caution:

Pick three side dishes and a large salad. No more, no less. More than three side dishes and you will get freaked out. (Yes, I have five side dishes but I am a freak of nature.) Less than three side dishes and it’s just dinner. LOL.

Need some inspiration on what to make? Check out my favorite recipes below:

Maple-Glazed Roast Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy

Mashed Caramel Sweet Potatoes

Southern Green Beans

There are 50 (count ‘em, 50!) stuffing recipes here.  Craziness, but good if you want to make something different.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Cauliflower

Can’t believe I almost neglected to mention this!

In the May 2009 issue of Essence mag (the very one you see to the left) yours truly has a quote on page 150. They asked a few moms how they like to spend Mother’s Day, and your favorite young mom talked about what makes my day special.

Go pick up a copy! While you’re at it, flip to page 157 and take a look at the feature on Akilah Richards, Mrs. Execumama herself!

Tell me – what makes your Mother’s Day special? How do you usually celebrate?

I haven’t written you a letter since….well, ever. I’ve never really believed in you, but I have a few requests and I don’t reallly want to bother God with this. He has much too much on his plate to worry about me whining about Christmas presents.

So here it goes.

I would like a house. I know you’re thinking, “How the heck is that gonna fit on the back of my sleigh?” Hmmm…I guess you’re right. So let’s see…

I would like one of those adorable pom-pom scarves from Old Navy. Makes me feel like I’m 10 years old again, and I need something cute to distract me from the fact that it’s usually -45 degrees outside.

But seriously, do you know what I really want?

Joy for my kids. Not just on Christmas, when there are presents to open. But forever. Is that too much to ask for?

LeapFrog FridgeFarm Magnet Set, $18.99

I’m recommending a toy today that my daughter has owned for more than a year and she’s still in love with it. (Two signs that it might be worth the money, right?)

Why do I love it? For one, it keeps her occupied when I’m in the kitchen making dinner. She loves to be near me, but Mommy can’t get dinner on the table if I’ve got a toddler clinging to my waist. The LeapFrog FridgeFarm sticks to your fridge, playing a few songs, encouraging your child to match the correct animal halves. If she mixes, for instance, a horse top and a sheep bottom, the toy will reply, “A horse-sheep? That’s silly!” Very, very, funny indeed.

Guess what? It’s almost Thanksgiving!

Turkey day is my favorite holiday of the year. Once a year, I can just spend all day cooking and all day eating – my two favorite things in the whole wide world. This year, my hubby and I decided that we will stay home this year and enjoy our first Thanksgiving as a family of four!

Instead of my usual attempt to remake the classics, I’ve decided that we will have a very traditional Thanksgiving with all the fixin’s. Yummy! Roasted turkey, cornbread stuffing, sweet potatoes, greens, macaroni and cheese – oh my! I’m getting fat just thinking about it.

But for most of my friends, the kitchen is not their friend. They don’t really know how to cook, so the whole premise of spending hours upon hours in the kitchen is not something they look forward to.

So to make life easier for my non-cooking young moms, here are a few tips.

1) Something doesn’t taste quite right? Use a little bit more butter and black pepper.

2) Don’t try to make a whole turkey if you’re a Pizza Hut mom. It’s hard to make an amazing turkey right out the gate. Instead, just roast a whole turkey breast, which is easier and quicker to cook.

3) Clean up as you go! The only downside to Thanksgiving is that usually every single dish, pot and pan is dirty by the time you get done. Argh.

4) Make a menu. Choose one or two things that you will cook yourself, then buy the rest. No need stressing yourself out if cooking really isn’t your thing.

As soon as the Halloween costumes get marked down 75%, the stores begin to put out their Christmas displays. (Those who love Thanksgiving are just SOL, I guess.) Check out every parenting magazine and they are packed with gift ideas. I just read a few and was slightly impressed. They seem to understand that money is a little tighter this year. Good for them. But that 13 of its “58 Best Toys” were more than $50. I don’t understand spending more than $20 on a toy for a child. They usually don’t get how to play it right away, so they lose interest and therefore spend more time playing with the box it came in. Heck, you might as well hand them a $50 dollar bill and let them play with it. They might have more fun.

So in helping out my young mommies, I will be searching for perfect gifts that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Here’s my criteria:

1) Under $20. Anything over that is ridiculous. At least for small kids.

2) Some educational component to it. This way, when you hand the kid a toy to play with while you do something else, you won’t feel so guilty. At least they’re learning something, right?

3) Sturdy enough to still be in working condition by Valentine’s Day. I know this one might be a stretch, but let’s just see how it works.

My first recommended toy is this Learn & Groove Drum from (who else?) LeapFrog. Surely, you’ve seen the commercials with the huge frog man and know that LeapFrog is like FisherPrice. (Seriously, FP, step your game up!)

I saw this in the store and thought this was really cool. All the negative reviews seem to be from parents who have younger kids (under 6 months), so keep this off your list unless your little one is on the other side of 365 days, m’kay?

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=yxS-vbSQhqU]

Since I talk about Jon and Kate Plus 8 so much, here’s a clip of the show to celebrate Father’s Day. In this episode, Jon and Kate play hide-and-seek with the kids and when they can’t find their daddy, they get worried. How cute!