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An Ode to Thanksgiving: Traditions, Fails, and Why We’re Not Skipping This Holiday
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In this cozy and hilarious Thanksgiving takeover episode, Kallie hosts as the moms give the holiday the love it deserves! While Christmas seems to take over the stores (and the playlists) by November 1st, this week’s Just 4 Moms episode is all about slowing down and celebrating the magic of Thanksgiving — family, food, and funny memories included.
From rapid-fire Thanksgiving questions (canned or fresh cranberries?) to Turkey Day fails (like an early-bird turkey), Caitlin, Charlotte, Megan, and Kallie share their best stories, shortcuts, and hosting hacks. They also dive into their favorite traditions — from cousin chaos and Powderpuff games to baking night rituals — and reflect on what makes Thanksgiving special as moms now.
Plus, stay tuned for their Pits and Peaks of the week, featuring tappy hour, holiday campaigns, and a very loved strawberry hydrangea.
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Transcript
Email Management and Apps
00:00:00
Speaker
I just have one email. i Well, I have like 18 emails as everybody does, but only one that I like actually um actively reading, you know? So they'll be like, well, we emailed you. And I'm like, oh boy.
00:00:11
Speaker
so like i had sign up for- Don't you have it set up? Like I and know you have a dumb phone, but like on my mail, on because you're an Apple girly, right? Like don't you have all the mailboxes set up so that like I don't check anything. I just see that I have new messages to my business email and my personal. So then I click in.
00:00:29
Speaker
Oh, yeah, i don't have I don't use the mail app. Maybe I should. But the problem is my personal email, literally, I've had for a but bajillion years, and it's all just junk. I have to go in and clean it all up. I don't even want to open it. It's just Target hounding me. So I'm not interested.
00:00:45
Speaker
Yeah, I have it all on the mail, like... Oh, the app. Oh, that's a good idea. On my bar. Yeah. So when I see... it Right now, my little envelope has 20. And because i don't have a dumb phone, so but it's just easy to see where I have email.
00:00:59
Speaker
But you're right. My, like, old Yahoo email, I'll have, like, 30. And I'll literally open it just to delete. Yes. Like, I don't... I just literally... And that way it never gets overwhelming.
00:01:10
Speaker
Yeah. Because every once in a while there's something in there. Or how about Hotmail? i feel like I should just – I feel like I should start a new – Remember Hotmail? Just personal email. You know, just have a new one and start fresh. Yeah. I went right into Yahoo. Yeah. I feel like my dad still – I'm just thinking about AOL, guys.
00:01:26
Speaker
I had AOL, then Hotmail. My dad still has Hotmail. I'm like, Dad, you got to get rid of that with the spam and stuff, right? I that. So funny. Yeah. They know who they're really Yeah. And he had his, what did he have broken into? Something.
00:01:39
Speaker
Oh, I think with Microsoft, with Word and Excel, have you heard? Yeah. out Last year we were all together. I'm like, dad, got to get it get a new email. I'll help you. Yeah. It's like your iCloud storage is full. Please immediately click this button to figure it out. And there's a Nigerian prince that needs your help.
Podcast Introduction and Thanksgiving Theme
00:01:58
Speaker
welcome to just for moms i'm charlotte i'm caitlin i'm megan and i'm callie we are regular moms talking about regular stuff like aging parenthood work-life balance and figuring out what's for dinner again no judgment zone to talk laugh and maybe cry about all the things women think about on a daily basis Welcome back to, I don't know what episode, but that is Fine of Just for Moms with Megan, Charlotte, Caitlin, and I'm Callie. I think it's 35. Is it 35? Yeah, 35. Good. I wrote down 35, but then you said something earlier, then I started a second guess myself.
00:02:36
Speaker
It's episode 35, and today we are letting Thanksgiving take over the whole podcast,
Thanksgiving vs Christmas: Personal Preferences
00:02:44
Speaker
okay? Because i think we all, Halloween ends, and a lot of us go straight to Christmas, which is fine. I'm not judging those people.
00:02:51
Speaker
But, you know, Christmas kind of starts November 1st, and then it just is rolled out in the stores, and it's everywhere. And personally, my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. And so I feel a little bummed that we just jump over it, and people are like, well, I switch back for Thanksgiving.
00:03:07
Speaker
Fine. Fair enough. I just, it's my favorite holiday. And I thought that we could just give it a whole episode, because... I just want everything to revolve around what I like, obviously.
00:03:18
Speaker
I like that. Yeah. I support this. But Caitlin, do you have your tree up? Okay. Just checking. No.
00:03:28
Speaker
I actually just was thinking, I wish I found a turkey to carry and bring in with me, but... Oh yeah. I have, I mean, I have Thanksgiving specific decorations, which are not easy to find because there's just, they're not, they don't exist. And I've like, I've made it a mission to try to find like Thanksgiving stuff because you go into the store and it's just all, especially by the time Halloween's over, like it's just all gone.
00:03:51
Speaker
I have to really try really hard, but I do have. you get that cute? It was like a beaded turkey at Target, but I think it was John Derry. And did you get it yeah I now have a little bit of regrets. I don't decorate for Thanksgiving, so I think that would have been something where I get it because it's cute, and then I would forget to bring it out, and it doesn't like lend itself to other times of year. But that is real cute, that pillow. It is the cutest.
00:04:12
Speaker
Yeah, i don't not a huge just decorator in general. like I don't do a ton of decorations for any of the holidays, but I'll have like one or two kind of things. And when it came out last year, I got it just because I was like, there's never – Thanksgiving, anything. And I will, I will support this.
00:04:27
Speaker
And so I have it. Yeah.
Thanksgiving Rapid-Fire Questions
00:04:30
Speaker
Okay. So I'm going to start. Usually we do some questions at the beginning. I'm going to do Thanksgiving questions, but there's a caveat. It's going to be rapid fire. you You have to answer the question and like,
00:04:41
Speaker
A sentence or less, okay? Because I know me included, what we like to give extra. Yes, yes. Caitlin with a question. No, I'm saying I talk too much. Oh, yeah, we all just want to give more information.
00:04:54
Speaker
Okay, like try to do it super, super fast. Okay, so I'm going to ask the question, and then we're going to go Megan, Charlotte, Caitlin. I'll answer just to keep it fast, okay? First question is your favorite Thanksgiving dish.
00:05:06
Speaker
Stuffing. Sweet potatoes, marshmallows, stuffing. Deviled eggs. I think stuffing too. dish that you can skip. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Time out. You can't. You're not allowed to. But are is deviled eggs like a typical Thanksgiving thing?
00:05:23
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, like an appetizer. Appetizer. We don't have them. Nope. Okay. Go. Okay. Dish that you can skip.
00:05:32
Speaker
Gravy. Turnips. Sweet potatoes or turnips? I mean like turkey. um Okay, dress up or dress down? Dress up matching.
00:05:44
Speaker
Like the whole family? No questions. used to do that. You guys are so bad at this. Okay. Whatever. Charlotte. Whatever you want. Dress up or dress down. You don't care. Okay. No. ah Dress up.
00:05:56
Speaker
Dress up. Do you watch the Macy's Day Parade? Yes. Yeah. ye Try to. Guys, we used to live right there where they would blow up the balloons. It was so cool.
00:06:09
Speaker
You guys have to watch this year because the Yukon marching band is going in it. Yes. Cool. ah Do you do a turkey trot?
00:06:17
Speaker
No. Yep. No, absolutely not. No. Charlie, you do it, right? If I'm home, I do. We have one. Yeah. We're not supposed to converse. Sorry. We're really not doing great. It's fine. ah Pumpkin pie, apple pie, or a different dessert?
00:06:32
Speaker
Apple pie. Pumpkin. Apple. Both. All. Not a pie is my answer. um Are you hosting or attending this year? Always attending.
00:06:44
Speaker
Hosting. Always attending. Always hosting. I loved it. You guys did. yeah I mean, I'll give us a solid C plus on that. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, we're going move into mom fails, but I did prep you guys ahead of time that I want you to give a Thanksgiving-related mom
Thanksgiving Cooking Mishaps
00:07:02
Speaker
fail.
00:07:02
Speaker
So fail that had to do with Thanksgiving or hosting food. Charlotte, do you have one for us?
00:07:11
Speaker
No, I think my biggest one is just like not timing all the things. And the thing that pops up in the turkey, it lies. It's always like an hour, not like 10 minutes. It's always like an hour and a half early. So we've definitely served cold turkey in the past.
00:07:27
Speaker
Yeah. Caitlin? um So this isn't necessarily Thanksgiving related. It's a food related though. Okay. We host Christmas Eve every year and I always make some fish dishes. And I was super excited to make a shrimp dish that I read the recipe and I forgot to take the tails off and I baked it all together and my family's eating it. And they're like, it's really good. But as they get to like, like there's still like a shell on it
00:07:58
Speaker
And then someone like pulled it out, like pulled one out of the dish and just unwrapped it, all the sauce off. and they're like, you didn't peel the shrimp at all. And I was like, oh, I got i got carried away. so yeah.
00:08:11
Speaker
But I bet you always remember it to peel your shrimp after that. I will never forget. It takes one of those Never. Yeah. Yeah, but credits to you for like putting all the effort in. I don't even do that.
00:08:24
Speaker
Megan's like a shrimp dish. I buy it. I buy everything. Thanks. Do you have Thanksgiving and fail for us, Megan, or a cooking or hosting fail? So I remember pertains somewhat to me growing up. My dad decided to do the turkey on the grill where it rotisserie. Is that a word, right? No. Okay. Absolutely. Circles around. You could tell I tried the SATs like nine times here. Barely broke a thousand.
00:08:54
Speaker
um It's just Megan language. So- so the It broke. And it was like swear central drama. We had to take it off the grill and put it in the oven. Oh, God. Yeah. It was like, you know, every other word was F. And I remember like my brother and I are laughing. And then like my dad is like it broke. And then Cheryl had to throw it in the oven. And then some had to be microwave because the oven didn't. And it was like drama central. So don't if if you're going to do it on the grill.
00:09:24
Speaker
Yeah. Just make sure it was a big turkey in it. Mm-hmm. Make sure it reticerates long and slow. Yeah. Yeah. Get a proper skewer mechanism. That's the word. Yeah. A roller thing. Yeah.
Nostalgic Thanksgiving Traditions
00:09:38
Speaker
I don't know what that's called either, but, um, so mine's sort of similar. I feel like it's Turkey is poor Turkey. The first time I ever hosted Thanksgiving, was like, obviously so nervous. I have to get the Turkey. Right.
00:09:49
Speaker
Why? Does anyone love the Turkey? Like, are any of you like, I'm here for Turkey? specifically I want the leftovers to make a sandwich, but like yeah on that day of I've usually had like, it's not my first just a thing I want to eat. No, I like it in concert with the other stuff, but I yeah hear you. I hear you.
00:10:09
Speaker
And then every year. Oh, go ahead. Sorry, we'll get into this really fast, quick, quick, quick. No, it's fine. Joe's family does a ham too and then there's all this pasta stuff too because they're Italian. So it's not like there's a turkey and like pasta and raviolis and meatballs because, you know. Sometimes we have a lasagna.
00:10:28
Speaker
Oh my God. You need like a plan of attack. Like we do, yes we just get a little bit of everything and you're good. With that sort of a spread, you have to consciously choose. Yes, you have to pick a ah continent, maybe, that you're going shop from.
00:10:42
Speaker
Right? You can't do it all. No. And then you see some of the uncles like eating it like this and holding it, and there's like juices flying. And I'm just like, I just look, and I'm just like, and Joe's elbowing me, and I'm like, that's disgusting. Yeah.
00:10:56
Speaker
I would like to be a fly on the wall for that Thanksgiving. um Anyways, okay, so I'm nervous about the turkey. why don't Nobody likes it really that much. And i It cooks way faster at to your point, Charlotte. And so then i'm but I'm so nervous. It's my first time. And I'm like, got a cooler and I'm like trying to keep it hot a cooler.
00:11:15
Speaker
it was just a whole I mean, it turned out fine. It was fine. Now I don't stress about the turkey because I realize nobody really gives a to to whatever about the turkey. Some years were like maybe just a chicken.
00:11:26
Speaker
You know, what about one or two nice chickens? don't know. Like a roast chicken? Yeah. you Like cook it the same way. but They just get a couple turkey breasts. Yeah. Yeah. And then do the kids eat it or are they eating rolls?
00:11:40
Speaker
No, my kids are not eating it. Or the marshmallows from the sweet potato thing. Yeah. Or the cranberry sauce. Yes. Yes. Only the jelly. good one Yeah. Yeah. No, are you guys jelly?
00:11:52
Speaker
Are you cranberry in the can? We're both. Both. We got to have both on the table. But both in a can, but whole berries and just that. The one that's in the, yeah, the slop out of the can.
00:12:04
Speaker
And then the whole berry one that cooked for like a long time and a season. so My mom always makes one like that. Yeah. Yeah. that's how we That's what I grew up with. i actually didn't even know it came in a can until I was like 25. I thought it was like a joke from movies because we didn't have it. And I was like, oh, it really – and it's pretty good. I like it. i mean Did you guys ever watch Honey Boo Boo? do you remember that show?
00:12:27
Speaker
Yes. I didn't watch it, but it was one of those shows that like I just – it was in the zeitgeist, and so I saw clips of it. There was one clip that is obviously burned in my brain where they literally – take the jellied cranberry sauce out of the can and they slice it up and they put it in a roasting pan and that's their meal.
00:12:45
Speaker
Does it melt? Maybe. I don't know if I got any further, but they, with and who knows if this was for cameras. I mean, I don't think they were a picture of health, but that was what, I just remember that like slicing and laying out the slices all nicely. And maybe they sprinkled something on top, but.
00:13:05
Speaker
That's a lot. I don't remember that episode, but that makes sense for them. Sure. Megan, why don't you try that for us next? ah That? Sure. And then cook it, maybe. and Maybe Google the Yabubu.
00:13:17
Speaker
With this on while I cook it, the posture belt. Okay. And the Yabubu. Yeah. Clipped on the posture belt. And your lip mask. Or maybe I'll key chain this to the the um dish of the- Sure. Sure.
00:13:32
Speaker
Right. And if you don't know what we're talking about, go watch our last episode. Yeah. You're obviously not in the know. God bless you. Thank you. Okay. like I said, because I love Thanksgiving, i kind of want to get, I want to like,
00:13:48
Speaker
bring back some of the excitement of Thanksgiving and get people excited about it. So I want to start by asking you guys what some of your favorite traditions were from Thanksgiving growing up.
00:13:59
Speaker
Like what are your favorite sort of memories or what you think about when you think about Thanksgiving growing up? And then are those the same traditions that you're trying to replicate for your children or are you creating new Thanksgiving traditions for them?
00:14:14
Speaker
are you like, I don't give a you-know-what about Thanksgiving, Callie. Can you shut up about Thanksgiving? I don't even care about it. Caitlin, I'm going to go to you first. Imagine if I just said I don't care and then I turned my mic off. I was trying to think about this. We used to have a lot of different Thanksgivings growing up just because – we would go to different sides of the family's houses.
00:14:36
Speaker
But one consistent memory that I have is we would all, all the kids would end up when all was said and done and everyone was done eating and, and whoever was hosting like the parents' bedroom, I don't know why there was a TV up there when everyone would watch TV, there'd be some movie on and we'd all just pile in the bed and,
00:14:58
Speaker
I'm just going to tell this story because i have to Someone in our family would get terrible gas from Turkey and just stink up the whole room, like hotbox the room.
00:15:11
Speaker
And to this day, when all the cousins get together, this gets story gets brought up. I have no idea like if I could ever reveal who did this, but it always gets brought up.
00:15:22
Speaker
They would eat turkey and deviled eggs, and there we go. So my children now, with all their cousins, pile in my mom's room when all the food is said and done and sit on her bed and watch some TV. And every time I see them doing it, I'm like, huh, it's like little versions of us, except- Oh, I love it.
00:15:41
Speaker
Yeah. out Without the stink. Yeah. Yeah. I also really appreciate that heartwarming family story. You're welcome. It's a beautiful. i'm actually, when we talked about Thanksgiving on the old show, my cousins were like, why didn't you talk about Thanksgiving?
00:15:57
Speaker
the farts. Yeah. Was it, do you think it was something that really did happen every year or was one of these memories that happened once and then you, it just becomes solidified as that's the thing?
00:16:09
Speaker
So I think it was, it happened on other holidays too. Okay. So it was a repeat offender. Yeah. Like Christmas. Yeah. I mean, we all know who it is.
00:16:22
Speaker
And do they as adults have intestinal issues? Are they fragile in that? Okay. That person really does. Okay.
00:16:31
Speaker
Charlotte? we Ours was pretty low key. i wouldn't say that my parents were big, like event. type it just It was what it was.
00:16:41
Speaker
But as a kid, we would go up to New York City and stay with my grandparents. in their apartment building on the Upper East Side and that as a child. i don't I think we maybe did it four or five years and then there were too many.
00:16:53
Speaker
Maybe my brother was born or something happened. And I just remember that being magic. Like as a suburban kid going to the city with the doorman and the elevator and like the black and white tiles in the lobby And i don't remember what we did when we were there. i think we probably just drove up and hung out in the apartment. But that, when I think of notable Thanksgivings, it's that.
00:17:18
Speaker
I love that. But now it's cold. No, we don't do it. I mean, we cook the same meal and the kids look forward to that. We sort of go back and forth between where we spend it. The last few years we've been down with my sister in Philly because I've been doing the White House holiday stuff. So Philly was like an easy spot for me to get back up to from D.C.,
00:17:39
Speaker
My parents are DC. This year we're hosting, but it always, like the kids will run around in the morning. i might do the turkey trot. My brother might join me. And then our meal is so basic, but that's sort of all people want.
00:17:52
Speaker
So I think it's just going to be hanging out with everyone. You stick to the the essentials. Yeah. I guess that's, I'm going to take a tangent before I have Megan answer. Do you guys stick to the traditional Or do you like to go? I know, Megan, you guys, your family does like all the Italian, but even that still is like it's repeated every year. It's formula. It's always the same stuff.
00:18:13
Speaker
Or do you like to do different? Like, are you guys like on New York Times food, like trying to find something cool and quirky? Yeah. we We have our staples, but we somebody is always jazzing up something and bringing it. And then my brother and my sister-in-law and my mom they're vegan vegetarians.
00:18:30
Speaker
So they're always trying something fun, new, or getting ordering some kind of fun dish from somewhere. But yeah, we're never we we do have an Italian section.
00:18:43
Speaker
And then we have like your staple section, and then you have like the new fun stuff. One thing that we didn't grow up My mother was bare bones. There was never any exceptions.
00:18:54
Speaker
My sister will usually have like her in-laws, they make cheese. And so they'll often have like a nice cheese. And then they also will get some sort of bougie pies, which are fun. i the last time I hosted...
00:19:07
Speaker
I think I made like a corn pudding, which is, i just think it's really good. And I like the vegetables. Yeah, I think it's great. So I probably will do that. don't know. I do like finding new things. So maybe I'll bring in a couple, but it's not like part of our, it's not like we have the staples, like you're saying, Caitlin, and then someone brings in something unique.
Thanksgiving Meal Tips and Hacks
00:19:25
Speaker
I like to try something different. I mean, it's always risky to do something different on like a special day, right? You're supposed to like test it first. But I always like do one. I'm like, I can do one if that one sucks. Whatever. I think it's fun to have one something different, you know. Well, it makes it more fun for you, right? Because all the other stuff, it's just.
00:19:43
Speaker
Yeah, that's boring. It's so boring. Megan? Megan? Growing up, I remember Thanksgiving. I remember I loved going out the night before Thanksgiving with like my high school and college friends. We always had this one place we all went to and like packed in.
00:19:59
Speaker
And I did that up till I feel like maybe even a few years when I had Ava. And then we all kind of stopped doing it. Yeah. And traditional, very traditional, like I don't shouldn't say boring, but, you know, the turkey, the football.
00:20:18
Speaker
um I do remember a few years going to – it's a farm in Guilford that has those colored turkeys, and now I've taken my kids there. Yes. Wait, what? Yeah, they color the turkeys. Oh, my God, I used to live like right there. ah Like they dye them?
00:20:34
Speaker
Yeah. Gazi's. G-O-Z-E-I. Gazi's, yeah. yeah Yeah, they're colorful. Yeah. But then there's like, you know, there was this whole outrage with it and it's organic dye now or something. But it's like fun for the kids to go and see. I know.
00:20:50
Speaker
I was like, oh boy.
00:20:54
Speaker
Oh, and then a few years, we would actually, after having dinner, my dad would take us after, which is so random, but like we would go tag our tree in like the evening or in between. oh yeah.
00:21:07
Speaker
Yeah. Dinner and dessert, because there was, where and when I lived in Harrington, which is in Litchfield County area, there was a tree farm right down the street. So a few times when it was just like my parents and maybe my grandma, a small group, because at the time I wasn't married into the big Italian situation I'm in now we would go and tag the tree yeah so where does Thanksgiving fall this year I feel like that's pretty it's like end it's late yeah so we could because some people do you're right they get their tree literally that Friday after and it always feels like that and you have a dead tree on Christmas no yes I feel like we do but yeah we would tag ours and then I feel like then we would get it because I was in the nutcracker then we would get it like in December like late oh oh oh you'd claim it
00:21:53
Speaker
No, we always get ours the weekend, not Friday, but we always get it the weekend after Thanksgiving. I feel like maybe one year we did shift it a little because it came early. Like Thanksgiving was like weirdly early or something. Yeah, this year is the 27th. So that's right. Yeah, no, we always get it the weekend of and we're fine.
00:22:08
Speaker
It's four weeks. one thing I remember new now, Callie, that you had mentioned something like different is because we have a lot of cousins cousins who are in college and stuff. And I'm not trying to take this the wrong way for anyone, but we try different cocktails.
00:22:24
Speaker
Oh, that's fun. With the aunts. Yeah, that's fun. i like that. um I just thought of something, because all I talked about was like farting in a room.
00:22:35
Speaker
When we would get home from wherever we were, ah the Wizard of Oz was always on. Did you guys ever watch that? That one time a year. it would Yeah. and um And art it still does.
00:22:47
Speaker
Like it still plays Thanksgiving. So that sometimes if we're home in time or, you know, we pop that on the TV. I just remembered that. Oh, yeah. That's fun.
00:22:58
Speaker
I know back in the day when you had to like live and die by the TV guide because like we didn't catch it. Then it's not like you could watch it tomorrow. See you next year. It's like the great pumpkin Charlie Brown, though. They still only play it on CBS.
00:23:10
Speaker
I haven't looked it up when it's going to be on. but Yeah. I don't have live TV. do you guys have live TV still? I don't have live TV. I think we do right now because of football.
00:23:21
Speaker
That sense. I think we can get to it through YouTube TV, maybe. that yeah youtube yeah YouTube TV is live TV. yeah do Do your towns do powder puff? Because this is a tradition that we have in our town. yeah It is where we have two high schools and the girls play flag football against each other on Thanksgiving Eve.
00:23:42
Speaker
And so it's always the seniors and so growing up. We would go, if you knew like seniors, you would go watch them or if you had family members and then your senior year, you got to play. So that's something that I did and I'm excited for my kids to do because they'll get to play their friends on the other side of town that they know through like dance and religion and stuff. They'll get to play against them when they're seniors.
00:24:06
Speaker
I forgot, Megan, you didn't, you shared some of your your like traditions, but are there any that you are trying to replicate for your children or new ones that like you want them to remember? Like when they think about Thanksgiving growing up? Yes.
00:24:19
Speaker
I feel like, again, it's just traditional, the Turkey being around family, watching football, just very like basic and traditional and just keep it simple. I feel like I just want to to be just like how I, you know, and if there's some drama with the Turkey and swearing, I mean, they can,
00:24:39
Speaker
Be exposed to that too. It's all good. It's part of the memory. It's all part of what makes Thanksgiving special. And is swearing about the turkey. Yes. One thing, and I'll be really fast. I feel like I shared this before. My cousins, we have this ongoing thing, and now I do it with my kids and they do it to me.
00:24:53
Speaker
where we'll be like, Casey, did you see the green beans? You like green beans. Your mom says you like green beans. Did you try the green beans? Casey, did you see the corn? So we all the cousins used to be around because you know how parents are. I do it too.
00:25:05
Speaker
Did you see the chicken nuggets? That's the kind you like. And now I do it with my kids and um'm and they like roll their eyes. But it's, you know, that's how my cousins, we would make fun of our parents. And now my Ava will be like, just basically like, shut up. But I'm going to keep doing it because I think it's funny.
00:25:21
Speaker
I like it. So growing up for me, Thanksgiving was most of the Thanksgivings I remember. I'm sure they weren't all is we would go actually to my mom's best friend's house in Massachusetts.
00:25:33
Speaker
And so for me, Thanksgiving, i mean, like they were it was her best friend. So they were like family, but it wasn't always like a family event. For me, it was just like getting together with like people that you that you care about, like, you know, you're together with people you love.
00:25:47
Speaker
And so I feel like that's a big part of how Thanksgiving has been for me in adulthood. It's always like whoever wants to come comes like the past few years, my best friend has come to our Thanksgiving and we've invited her family if they want to come. And so it's kind of just always like a little bit of a grab bag of who wants to come.
00:26:05
Speaker
which I think is really fun. And it' sort of, I feel like a piece of Thanksgiving from my childhood that I've sort of brought. It's not like this exclusive, like only for the relatives sort of thing. um And we kind of go out of our way almost to make it everybody, like friends included and not just family.
00:26:22
Speaker
um One tradition that I have started for Thanksgiving for my kids, that this was not something we did growing up, but just something that I thought would be fun was because I don't participate in Christmas before Thanksgiving.
00:26:35
Speaker
I have a fun tradition that when the Christmas dinner is done and the table is cleared, we all turn on Christmas music and we get to listen to Christmas music. And we like Thanksgiving dinner. Yes. Yeah. The Thanksgiving dinner. Sorry.
00:26:45
Speaker
Once Thanksgiving is done and we've cleared Thanksgiving tape, then we turn on Christmas music. And so it's just like a fun little like we like switch on Christmas because listen, I love Thanksgiving, but I love cururt like I don't want to pretend like I love that. Yeah.
00:26:56
Speaker
So it's like our fun little when Thanksgiving is is cleared, then we we have Christmas time. And I feel like in the past few years, that's when I give my kids their Christmas pajamas too. Because I always think it's silly to get them Christmas Eve because then you want to wear them all season.
00:27:10
Speaker
yeah So i think I feel like the past few years, I gave them each a Christmas book and Christmas pajamas on Thanksgiving night. And then they got them for the rest of the they could use them for the season. That's a good idea. yeah Our elf brings our pajamas. But I think the elf o is maybe retiring soon.
00:27:25
Speaker
i'm Taking a year off. I don't know. I'm just looking at the demographics of the family. And at some point, It's got to move on to another family, not my family, but another family.
00:27:37
Speaker
um Okay. Before we move ah away from Thanksgiving, I want to know if anyone has any sort of like secret hacks or like Thanksgiving tips or like whatever that they think would be helpful. Like a little one that maybe somebody shared with you that now you always use or that you think is really great or awesome.
00:27:56
Speaker
Megan? Buy it at the store. Store bought. I like that. yeah If you're don't like like the stress is too much for you or you're not into cooking, buy it, put it on a dish, put it on the table. They won't even know if it's store-bought or if you made it.
00:28:12
Speaker
love it. Charlotte? No, I don't have any hacks. I mean, I will say every time I host Thanksgiving, it's never as complicated or stressful as I am envisioning. Like, I do think there's something about Thanksgiving that we make a bigger deal it just doesn't have to be. It's like you're making four things and half of them are potatoes that you can cook a week before and like mash. And so it's just go easy. It doesn't have to be as stressful as you might think.
00:28:38
Speaker
Yes. Love that. Caitlin? Ours is always stressful. I don't understand. Like I don't, if we go to my mom's the night before now. We prep everything that you can prep in advance And then the next day, there's still so much happening.
00:28:54
Speaker
and And like my mom is sweating and mashing turnips like a stool with this giant masher. And I'm just like, why are we still making turnips? I hate these things. But my tip is, like Charlotte said, you can make so many things in advance.
00:29:08
Speaker
My mother-in-law, if she hosts, I see her pulling everything out on Thanksgiving morning. It's all done because she cooks it all week long. But if you can't do that, if you are making mashed potatoes, you can peel them.
00:29:21
Speaker
Make somebody else do them, peel them, cut them and put them in water and they can soak all night long and then boil them and make them the next day. That's a good idea.
00:29:32
Speaker
Yeah, mine's similar. i i mean, I do this for any time that I ever host any meal of any kind ever. Like, I'm almost never cooking. Like, people always come to my house they like, how can I help with dinner? I'm like, I literally did it all three days ago. So I've just gotten really good at like, I can't, there's too many children. How am I going to roast a turkey?
00:29:50
Speaker
But yeah, you'd be surprised how much stuff and like, I'm constantly googling like, how long are potatoes good? can Can I freeze cupcakes? Like, and you can almost everything you can like, yeah Yeah, ahead of time, which that's a big one.
00:30:01
Speaker
But I'd say my like one little one is I feel like the one stressor for me is always gravy, because it's like you can't make the gravy until the turkey is done. Like that's not something you can I'm a planner and a prepper. That's also why i do all this stuff ahead of time.
00:30:14
Speaker
So that's always like my one thing I worry about because I'm like, I have ah can't do that one ahead of time. Well, I started buying gravy, not the can, not like the, like from a, there's like a little ah local country place that like, you know, you can, you know, you can like get Thanksgiving catered and they make their own gravy when they do their turkeys.
00:30:32
Speaker
So I buy just the gravy and then I still make my own gravy, but I know I have this gravy in case something goes wrong and I don't have to worry about it. So it's like the one. It's like taking me gets like the one like think of the one dish that stresses you out the most and and then just like outsource that one because that's mine.
00:30:46
Speaker
I bet the gravy is so much better too. Like, yeah, it is. It's, it's so strong having to do it and you're having to like, do I feel like every time I've ever been to like even Friendsgiving and everyone's like the gravy. Cause you have to wait until the end, you know? Yeah.
00:30:59
Speaker
and That's a lot of work though, Callie. I give you like, I see the aunts again. i don't do any of it, but I mean, I give you guys all credit for doing all this. I, if I had to host, I would order the turkey, all the sides and just have it delivered to the front door. Yeah.
00:31:13
Speaker
But I like it. See, like I enjoy. You enjoy it. Like again, when people come over and they're like, how can I help? I'm like, watch my children so I can cook because I actually enjoy. That's awesome. That's what I like doing. Yeah.
00:31:23
Speaker
um Okay. I also have one other question that I didn't put on here. Has anyone tried any like viral or like you saw it and doesn't have to necessarily be just Thanksgiving. and And then you tried it. The reason I thought of this is I think two Christmases ago, i saw some Instagram reel that said the best way to make mashed potatoes is you're supposed to cook the potatoes in milk instead of water. Yes, I've heard this. Because then you drain – when you drain the water out, you lose all that delicious starch from the potato.
00:31:51
Speaker
Well, I did it. And cooking potatoes in milk is a pain in the butt. And it literally tastes exactly the same. Yeah. So there you go. That was mine. Does anyone have one? Well, at least Yeah, I tried. I tried Well, I'm also one of those no-nos where I put the stuffing in the bird because it just tastes better. It tastes so much better.
00:32:07
Speaker
It's okay. It's okay. Okay. Anyone else try a weird? I wouldn't say mine was like a, it was something I kept seeing on Pinterest. I don't know what I had searched, but this recipe kept coming up. That was cranberry sauce, like but out of a jar, some kind of sausage, some kind of cheese and a crescent roll. I don't remember.
00:32:29
Speaker
And I made them and it said to use a mini muffin tin. It didn't say to line them. It didn't say anything. And it just, all of the cranberry caramelized and burnt on top of the melted cheese and it smoked and the kitchen stunk and everyone said it was trash so yeah there's so many recipes I watch now where I'm like that's not real that's wouldn't work like that no well like I think I tried to brine so the last time we hosted everyone was the last time we were in our like three houses ago and so it was like we're moving in a few months comes anyway
00:33:03
Speaker
I think I brined the turkey, and I don't know if that's because it was all over social or I cook looked up, like, had it. And I didn't taste a difference. It's not wildly different. It's not, like, hard.
00:33:14
Speaker
But I don't think I needed to have done that. My brother-in-law deep fries it, so he'll probably bring that. So we usually do one deep fried turkey and then one roasted turkey because there's going to be – I've never had a deep fried. is it I feel like maybe i would like turkey if somebody deep fried one for me. i feel like I would enjoy that.
00:33:32
Speaker
It's definitely like, you know, in a regular turkey, there's parts that are just too dry. yeah there's no real part of that with the deep fried. It also takes like an hour and a half. If that. It's so fast.
00:33:43
Speaker
Have you, ah this is a tip. We're not talking about tips. So giving a tip. Whenever we get home from Thanksgiving, we don't have any leftovers because usually there's so many people at my mom's house that I just don't get anything anymore because it's my mom.
00:33:56
Speaker
So it's just like, whatever. So we would get Trader Joe's has a turkey breast that comes in actually a brine. It's super easy to cook.
00:34:07
Speaker
And just have it in the fridge so I can make it the next day. It doesn't take a long time. And then you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Not having enough. Yeah, not having enough leftover turkey has never been my problem. There's always so much that I don't know what to do with it.
00:34:20
Speaker
I think we did it this summer. Like we're allowed to make Thanksgiving anytime we want. Yeah. but like i think And I think I did chicken instead of turkey because chicken's better and it's smaller. But I, at one meal, like a few months ago, we did the sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows and the stuffing. And it was like, it's, you're allowed to do this anytime you want.
00:34:42
Speaker
and it We do Thanksgiving at the beach every summer with my husband's family. yeah Yeah, it's fun. We do Christmas at the beach one night and Thanksgiving at the beach. My parents make turkey all the time. Yeah. I feel like it's just a really good family meal.
00:34:57
Speaker
Like an actual giant turkey? Yeah. she My mom. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. they They like turkey. I don't. Yeah. But for me, Callie, I would say with my kids, we've tried some of those Pinterest turkey desserts. Like Gian, I'll go and Buy it for Gianna and the ones that like look like a turkey or like the cookies. You can make the hat. So I feel like we tried that. It doesn't really look like the Pinterest, but we try. So I would say the Pinterest desserts, we try. I thought you meant it like an actual turkey turkey dessert. I also thought that. Yeah. um like That like look like in the shape of the turkey. Or those, so we bought those cookies that you can like, the kids can like color.
00:35:40
Speaker
They have them at Costco. Have you seen those for like, yeah, stuff like that. That's like just random. Yes. You know, for the kids. I feel like whenever I see any recipe online that's supposed to look like something, like a Christmas tree, whatever, I'm just always like, ah this is, I don't think this is going to go the direction that I. Except for Halloween.
00:36:00
Speaker
Halloween, there's some fun ones, like the pretzels that have like the fingers in the end. Like I do think there's some funny looking ones. Spiders, pumpkins. just feel like I'm not going to be able to execute. I just always am worried that I'm not going to be able to execute.
00:36:12
Speaker
That's fair. Yeah. Okay, we have to, I saved a couple Thanksgiving facts. So you guys can tuck these away so you can, when you're talking to your weird uncle that you don't want to, you have a
Thanksgiving Facts and Cultural Significance
00:36:24
Speaker
talking point. Okay.
00:36:25
Speaker
So the first fact is that turkeys are bigger than they used to be. In the 70s, the average turkey weighed 17 pounds and now the average is over 30 pounds and that is thanks to selective breeding.
00:36:37
Speaker
Ew, that's gross. Okay, your next fact is that 91% of Americans celebrate Thanksgiving each year, which is one of the highest participation rates of any holiday. The next one is Jingle Bells was actually written for Thanksgiving.
00:36:50
Speaker
Lord, no, James Lord Permont wrote it in 1857 for a Thanksgiving program in his church, and it didn't become a Christmas song until later. Yeah, so what the what do bells have to do with Thanksgiving?
00:37:03
Speaker
Jingle, I don't know. Dashing, well, you think about Over the River and Through the Woods is a Thanksgiving song. Oh. So it's about maybe everyone used in the 18th when you were riding your horse to Thanksgiving at your grandma's over the river and through the woods and the jingle bells were jingling, obviously.
00:37:19
Speaker
Obviously, don't you take your jingle bell horse to Thanksgiving? Yeah, but dashing through, but I'm okay. Jingle bells is about a guy and a girl in the sleigh.
00:37:29
Speaker
Yes. Smooching. And the bells are jingling. I love Charlotte singing over there. So am I. i mean what Thanksgiving is the rose most romantic holiday, obviously. Okay.
00:37:40
Speaker
What about, isn't it that, doesn't Adam Sandler have a turkey song? Yeah. like Love to eat turkey. Yeah. yes yeah it does Okay. Save the best one for last. It took a mom to make Thanksgiving a national holiday.
00:37:54
Speaker
There was a writer named Shara Joseph, whatever. it doesn't matter what her name was. She wrote Mary Had alo she wrote mary had a Little Lamb. She was a real mover and shaker. 17 years to campaign before Abraham Lincoln finally declared Thanksgiving a national holiday 1863. So go me a little, well I got chills.
00:38:15
Speaker
But until then, do you think it was and agreed upon day? Like was the whole country celebrating this thing on a specific date and it just wasn't a holiday? Or do you think everyone just would pick a day in the fall and do their Thanksgiving? I'm going to it was already happening. It just wasn't a national holiday yet. That's so weird. Yeah. Yeah.
00:38:35
Speaker
Yeah. Anyways, thanks, Sarah. Thanks for that. Thank you. right, it is time where we go into pits and peaks, which i allowed you to not have Thanksgiving pits and peaks because that wouldn't make sense.
00:38:48
Speaker
Megan, do you have a pit or a peak? Okay, so I'm not sure if it's a pit or a peak yet, but I need to ask Charlotte about this. So we're finally redoing our driveway outside. Fun. Okay, we're repaving and making it larger six years later.
00:39:04
Speaker
And there's this beautiful strawberry hydrangea plant at the end of the driveway. Okay. It's beautiful. It's huge. I just cut some of the branches, put them in a vase to look like I'm very like, you know, got my shit together.
00:39:20
Speaker
can can i Not I. Have someone transplant this because my husband's claiming it cannot. And I love this strawberry hydrangea plant. Of course you can. Thank you, Charlotte.
00:39:33
Speaker
Thank mean, it if it's big, that's the only thing. You'll have to get enough of the root ball and you'll know because it won't live. But if it's going to get chopped down for the driveway, try to move it.
00:39:44
Speaker
Yes. Okay. So. And do it now. Okay. This is a good time. Do it now before. Because someone was supposed to come this morning and do something and Joe was like, well, I have to cancel it now because I didn't move the hydrangea plant. And I'm like, I told you two weeks ago I wanted that plant moved.
00:39:58
Speaker
I'm not just throwing it away. And I love this plant, bush, whatever, hydrangea plant. So. Yeah. hundred percent 100%. Okay. Thank you, Charlotte. So my pit is hopefully going to turn into a peak. Stay tuned. Great.
00:40:12
Speaker
How big is it? can't wait. It's big. i'm and I'll text you a photo. But it's it's like a tree or a bush? it's like It's like, yeah, it's it's like a bush now. It's big. And so many people text me and they're like, oh, that beautiful hydrangea plant. Like, we drove by your house and it's so pretty. I'm like, thank you. Try it. You'll need to get dig. Yeah.
00:40:31
Speaker
Yeah. And I said to Joe, that's your view of landscapers from your job sites. are You had two weeks. I'm not just throwing it away now. Sorry. Drama central this morning. Sorry. Moving on. Oh, me?
00:40:43
Speaker
Hmm. I don't know. don't really have one. boy. Nothing. Oh, okay. Here's a peek. I was going to buy you time. know. Like what? Like, I don't mean to be such a dud.
00:40:54
Speaker
ah no, I have a peek tap class started again for the adults. And I was really excited last year when a girl that I had tapped with, I guess, I don't know what, what's 40 takeaways 18.
00:41:07
Speaker
How many years ago was that long time ago? 22 years. I haven't seen her. She walked in and I was like, oh my gosh, I get to tap with someone I used to tap with. Well, at our first class, she walked in and I cheered.
00:41:19
Speaker
And then another girl that I haven't seen in a long time walked in and I cheered. And then a guy I used to tap with that I have not seen since I was probably 17 came in that and I screamed and I was so excited.
00:41:30
Speaker
So I'm tapping with three people who like have known me since I was a kid. And it's just such a cool. Yeah. Once a week. Love that. Yeah, that's fun. Charlotte? I have, I may be cursing this, but right now I'm excited. I have a Christmas campaign that, you know, when you like when a brand calls and you have a campaign, sometimes you pitch the idea and they're like, okay, I'll let you know.
00:41:52
Speaker
So they approved this idea that I had and it's so freaking cute. The kids are excited. I'm excited. excited. If I have to have it done by the end of next week, which at the time of recording is still prior to Thanksgiving, that will not, that always is tricky, but I'm excited because I haven't had a, haven't had a campaign for a while that is like holiday driven and yeah, fun, but it's nice when sometimes the ideas you come up with are a stretch because you just want to get the campaign.
00:42:20
Speaker
But when they are something you're excited about, you're like, yes. Oh, I'm excited for you. And the kids want to participate. They – typically don't – I don't bring them in too much at this point, but they're excited about the idea.
00:42:34
Speaker
or at least Arthur is the others. So they might help Decorator get involved in it They might, yeah. Awesome. Enjoy it once Charlotte has put the blood it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Okay, what's yours?
00:42:45
Speaker
um I realize I didn't write one down. Okay, I have a peek – But I feel weird sharing it because it's a Halloween peak because when we're recording this, technically Halloween has not happened yet. But when you're listening to it, Halloween has already passed.
00:42:58
Speaker
Anyways, my best friend is coming over tonight and we are watching – we're doing a friend's viewing of Practical Magic and having midnight margaritas. I love that so much. We're going to pull the projector down.
00:43:11
Speaker
so i'm just i just rewatched that. It holds up. It's so cute. It's best. That soundtrack, man. That was – And they're doing a new one, right? Yeah. think you're right. That's right.
00:43:22
Speaker
You could watch that and do Midnight Margaritas any time of the year. You could. You could. I know. Yeah. Wait, I feel like you're an early bird. Are you actually doing them at midnight? No. No, God, no. We're just calling them midnight margaritas. Because that's what they call them in the movie. yeah Yes. Okay.
00:43:35
Speaker
Well, they have them at midnight in the movie. just missed that detail. Yeah. And they call them midnight margaritas. We're just having margaritas. Yeah. I thought that too, Charlotte, because I know sometimes I text Callie. It's like 8.30 now. She's like, can I get back to you about this tour? I'm like, yes, she may. She's going big. will text you tomorrow 4 a.m.
00:43:51
Speaker
Yeah. no No, no. I mean, I'll be up past 8.30, unfortunately, but. I will not be drinking margaritas at midnight ever, probably. What time's your bedtime, Callie? I need to be in the bed before 10.
00:44:05
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. like But I'm like done with work, it computers, and anything that revolves around me having to compute things in my brain by like 6, 5, probably.
00:44:18
Speaker
6, 7. Yeah, my brain stops working. Yeah. I'll maybe text you back. up Megan froze the one person that gets the six seven reference and she froze. She did. She definitely did.
00:44:29
Speaker
All right. Well, that's probably a sign that we're done. I guess I'm going to take a picture of this moment though. Cause it's kind of funny. She's so frustrated. Her, her frozen face is so frustrated. Oh, there she is. Oh, well now she's happy at least as she's frozen happy.
00:44:44
Speaker
Oh, now she's gone. She's gone out and she take her headphones off and threw them to the floor. Well, it's all right. I need to go juice some limes for my minute margaritas. Oh, jelly. Oh, have so much fun. Have fun. Cheers.
00:44:59
Speaker
yeah ah Also, I just noticed you have the best laundry hamper in the back. of That is the best laundry hamper that ever existed. Okay. um Yes. Leave us a review and um we'll see you next time.
00:45:12
Speaker
Megan will be here. Bye. Bye. I love it that's been there for two recordings, so people are going to be like, dang woman. No, but I didn't see it before. it was i didn't either. i haven't I think the light was different though because it was like darker, like the sun hadn't hit the window yet.
00:45:29
Speaker
I've tried, written down the words to say, it is time, I've been waiting five days to explain how you make feel inside.