Thanksgiving is here. It’s time to get together with family and friends and start the holiday season off and celebrate all that we have to give thanks for. Once the turkey, stuffing, cranberries, sweet potatoes, and pie have been consumed, it’s very easy to plop down in front of the TV with the remote in hand and just veg out. How about instead of doing nothing, consider some of these ideas to will keep you busy and active for the rest of the day.
Clean up. More than half of American households do not completely clean up after their Thanksgiving meal. It’s easy to put all the dishes in the kitchen on a full belly and say “I’ll deal with that later.” Why not just get it all done? You’ll have nothing to worry about the next day and you’ll be ready to do your Black Friday shopping or just enjoy a bonus day off of work. If you engage all your guests it takes no time at all, and the conversations can keep rolling while you all do dishes.
Decorate for the holidays. A huge meal can make it hard to get motivated, but if you start decorating for the holidays after your meal, you not only help your digestion by keeping your body moving, but you’re transitioning right into the spirit of the season. You don’t have to do it all, but staying active prevents that tryptophan from kicking in and putting you down for the rest of the day.
Take a walk. If you’re fortunate to have nice weather on Thanksgiving, take advantage of it. In many parts of the country, the cold wind and snow of winter will be taking over soon so get out, get some fresh air, some vitamin D, and as a bonus, you’ll walk off some of those calories you just ingested.
Play games. There are plenty of games to keep you active without overdoing it. Think Twister, charades, corn-hole, or a friendly game of football.
Work on holiday crafts. After Thanksgiving dinner is the perfect time to get the family’s creative juices flowing. Put on your matching family pajamas, pull out the supplies crate, and start your holiday crafting. You’ll be glad you did once the hustle and bustle sets in and you suddenly realize you’ve run out of time to do all those things you planned to do.
Get started on your holiday cards. If you plan on sending holiday cards this year, after your Thanksgiving meal is a great time to get the ball rolling. With expected post office slowdowns this year, starting sooner than later will get them in people’s mailboxes on time and you won’t have to rush to get them done.
Volunteer together. Consider heading to a shelter or soup kitchen to help serve meals to people who may not be as fortunate as you are. If you don’t have a shelter in your area, perhaps you have an elderly neighbor or friend who may not have family to spend the holiday with. Bring them a meal, spend some time with them, and maybe even help them out with some simple chores around the house like raking leaves or cleaning up. They will be thankful for you and that is what this holiday is all about.
Prep for Black Friday. Supply shortages and high demands may make your shopping a bit more difficult this year. If you plan in advance and have a strategy for what you need, where you’re going to get it, and set an actual schedule, your holiday shopping adventure will go much more smoothly.
We hope these ideas motivate you to have a full, fantastic Thanksgiving from the time you get up until the time you hit the sack. We all have plenty to be thankful for so let’s make the most of the day.
From all of us at The Pajama Company Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
