Blogs for World Holidays Year-Round

I hope your Thanksgiving was blessed and filled with joy. I'll see you next year. In the mean time, stop by my other holiday blogs listed on the sidebar blog list. I'm kinda obsessed with holidays as you can probably tell: I've got blogs for most U.S. traditions:

The Christmas Season
Lent Activities
Free Printable Holiday (covers all world holidays that I know about!)
Free Valentines Day Stuff
Halloween Harvest October

Here are my religious themed holiday blogs:

Catholic Activities
3D World Vision (covers all world holidays)

I've got links to free printable crafts, coloring pages, greeting cards, calendars, games, puzzles, crossword, mazes, lesson plans and kid stuff--whew! Click this link for Christmas

Best Foods to Donate to Thanksgiving Food Drives

Tis the season for giving and my favorite type of giving is food. I love filling grocery bags with goodies for Thanksgiving food baskets. on. I've put in many hours in food banks, food pantries and shelter missions. There are certain foods and personal items that are donated in abundance (canned beans and corn). Some items come in that there's little call for. Other foods seem to run out quickly--peanut butter, tuna, turkeys, sweet potatoes. So I've compiled a list of Best Thanksgiving Items for Food Drives 

Squash Recipes for Thanksgiving

I love fall produce shopping. The glorious riot of vegetable colors is a feast for the eyes. And bold colors in vegetables equates to nutrient-packed super-foods. But pragmatically speaking, what do you do with those funny-looking fall squashes? Here are quick, delicious vegetarian recipes that capitalize on winter squash harvest goodness. Even picky eaters will love them! Perfect for harvest dinners and Thanksgiving meals. Recipes included. Easy Vegetarian Super-Food Recipes Using Winter Squash

Easy Thanksgiving Dinner Guide--Shopping List, Menu, Recipes, Step-by-Step Preparation

Congratulations, you're hosting the Thanksgiving fest this year. Nervous? Well don't be; even if you can't get till the day before Thanksgiving here are tips to get you through. This surefire planner has all you need for shopping, preparation and cooking. This diy guide comes with free printable grocery list, recipes, step by step guide and timetable. Recipes cover turkey, giblet (and plain bread) stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries and pies. Includes cost-cutting tips, too. Emergency Thanksgiving Holiday Shopping List, Menu and Recipes 

Kids and social justice: How parents should teach awareness, develop empathy

Sensitivity training isn't just for adults. It has to begin in childhood. It's essential that parents teach awareness--especially of social justice issues like poverty--early and often. When teaching compassion and empathy, here are things to keep in mind. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to explore ways to develop empathy in kids. There are many ways to encourage sharing and practice volunteerism. Helping at a food bank or homeless shelter is a great way to develop awareness. Read on Kids and social justice: How parents should teach awareness, develop empathy

Free Printable Thanksgiving Crafts for Preschool Kids

Hands-on preschool games and activities help build developmental skills in early childhood. There's no need to spend money on lessons for preschoolers. You can find free printable games and interactive educational materials online. Many preschool printables are also cut and paste crafts that kids can make themselves. Here are free printable alphabet activities, reading and letter games, math worksheets and shapes lessons. Lots of Halloween, harvest, Thanksgiving, holiday and Christmas themed free printable activities. Free Printable Preschool Games, Hands-on Activities, Lesson Plans

Free Printable Thanksgiving Pilgrims Crafts

Thanksgiving in the US celebrates the survival of the pilgrims who came on the Mayflower. We remember the difficulties faced by the pilgrims, the help they received from local native American Indians. Here are free printable pilgrim crafts.  Free Printable Pilgrim Crafts for Thanksgiving 

Free Printable Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar

It's so difficult for children to wait for an long anticipated holiday to arrive. Around our house at holiday time, we heard 'how many days till...' every day it seemed. If your little ones have difficulty waiting for a holiday, how about a countdown calendar? Countdown calendars help children track the days until the big day. Countdown calendars do double duty, too. Countdown calendars are educational and they keep children occupied productively while waiting for the holiday to arrive. Countdown calendars are a great learning tool to practice that oft-challenging skill of counting backwards. Best of all, countdown calendars are lots of fun for children and adults to make and use. They make an inexpensive, interactive family craft. Here's a free printable countdown to Thanksgiving calendar craft.  Free Printable Countdown to Thanksgiving Calendar

Free Thanksgiving Dinners in Michigan

Organizations and churches in Metro Detroit are gearing up to provide Thanksgiving dinner for those in need this year. Here are groups that host a community meal or provide free groceries to cook a Thanksgiving meal at home. Are you unemployed, disabled, shut-in, elderly, homeless, or otherwise in need? Contact one of these organizations to get food assistance. Some offer support specifically for veterans, also.

Many of these are available in other areas of Michigan. If you live elsewhere in the U.S., use this guide to locate free Thanksgiving dinners from similar agencies in your states. Churches, Second Harvest Gleaners, food banks, food pantries, VA and social services groups are good resources.

If you'd like to donate food for holiday baskets or help with meal preparation or serving, contact these groups. With Michigan cuts in food stamps and welfare cash assistance and high unemployment in Detroit, the need for assistance will be even greater in 2012.  Where to find free 2012 Thanksgiving meals

Free Printable Thanksgiving Greeting Cards, Color Your Own for Kids

Thanksgiving is a great holiday for sending greeting cards. It's a season to let people know you appreciate them. Here are free printable color your own Thanksgiving greeting cards. Children can enjoying coloring and giving to friends and loved ones. (Hint: for busy parents, coloring printed greeting cards makes a great child-minder activity!) Read more at  Free Printable Thanksgiving Coloring Page Greeting Cards 

Free Printable Apple Activities for Thanksgiving, Fall Preschool Lesson Plans

Apples are a popular theme for fall lesson plans, especially for preschool lessons. Apples tie in with Thanksgiving  themes, too. Looking for apple activities? Have I got a great sweet treat for you--a plethora of free printable apple-themed fun. This booklet includes apple math activities, science puzzles, social studies lessons and history extensions. There are printable creative writing prompts, word games and more. Read more at Free Printable Apple Activities for Fall Preschool Lesson Plans

Free Printable Native American Indian Totem Pole Designs, Coloring Pages

Looking for Native American crafts to use with preschool, home school or in classroom lessons? This guide provides links for free printable totem pole crafts and Indian designs. I've been interested in native American lore since I was child. When I was six my family moved to Haines, Alaska. We lived with a clan of the Tlinget Native American Indians. Autumn and back to school are great times to explore Native American Indian culture. Here are free printable totem pole design templates. Totem poles are an important part of Native American Indian culture, particularly in the Pacific Northwest Indian tribes like the Tlinget. and Chilkat that I lived with and also the Kwakiutl, Haida and Tsimshian.  Free Printable Native American Indian Totem Pole Designs and Coloring Pages