November Is About Giving Thanks

There have been a number of posts on Facebook about being thankful as we count down to Thanksgiving. Some are as simple as posting one thing you're grateful for every day and others are more in depth like this 30-day photo challenge focusing on gratitude. 

It's nice to see all of the posts and to take a minute to remember all you have to be thankful for. This is also something I want my kids to understand and this project we did last year really helped.

They actually enjoyed it so much that they even recently asked when we'd be taking our 'Thankful Box' out. The idea is simple: every day everyone writes down something they are thankful for and puts it in the box.

Last year, my stepdaughter was nine, my son was four and my daughter was three, which certainly made for some interesting 'thankful notes.' They were all very sweet and ranged from "I'm thankful for my toys" to "I'm thankful for giraffes" to "I'm thankful for my family." 

Everyone really looked forward to doing it each day and taking some time to remember that we have a lot to be grateful for. I saved all of the cards because 1) I tend to save everything! and 2) I think it will be fun to look back at them over the years.

What You Need 

• A small shoebox
• Glue
• Patterned paper or construction paper

What to Do

Cut a slot in the lid of the shoebox. Decorate the shoebox and lid by glueing on patterned paper, pictures from magazines, etc. You can also color it or use stickers to decorate it. I used my Cricut (a die-cutting machine) to add 'Give Thanks' to the lid as well.

Use a small notebook or cut small pieces of colored paper to use as your 'Thankful Notes.' Have each family member write what they're thankful for every day (we dated ours, too) and put it into the box.