
With Thanksgiving and the holidays fast approaching, my mind is a buzz with ten thousand different things that I must somehow accomplish in the days that I’ve got left. Every year the same thing seems to happen as I find myself stepping into the second week of November.
I find myself making lists…
And checking them twice, even thrice.
Then there’s shopping.
More lists.
Cleaning.
More shopping.
Panicking.
A mild breakdown that leads to a “why in the world do I do this to myself every year?”
A self talk that usually involves more list making, perhaps a glass of wine with soft music and candles and then finally a calm…
I remember that I am human, not super woman…
that I live in Suburbia not on an HGTV set…
and that my guests and family will remember the special details not the hours that I’ve spent killing myself.
So you know what I do to make Thanksgiving less stressful? I make boxed pumpkin muffins iced with a pre-made icing and topped with a sweet festive handmade flag!
Here’s how to do it…
A box mix is so simple and easy and ya know what? It still fills my house with the deliciously intoxicating spicy pumpkin aroma that the muffins from scratch do. Only with less work.

I happen to love the Trader Joe’s pumpkin mix! It’s fabulous!
Have you ever tried Pillsbury’s cream cheese frosting? Um, incredible.

I could whip up the frosting in no time flat, but why bother when I have this?
Begin by following the easy directions on your boxed pumpkin mix, pour the batter into pretty paper muffin liners placed in a muffin tin (I used the gold ones) and bake according to box instructions.
While the muffins are baking, it’s time to make the flags.
Here’s what you’ll need: a paper cutter (or scissors) glue, and some pretty paper.

I happen to love scrap booking paper as you may already know, but any paper will do. I chose colors and subtle patterns that I thought looked “Thanksgivingly.”
You’ll also need toothpicks.

Now cut the paper into long, thin strips (the length of the paper)using a paper cutter or scissors.

After you’ve cut the long strips, you’ll then want to cut them into 4 inch long pieces.

Fold the four inch piece in half and cut a little triangle piece out of the open end. Then squeeze a bead of glue on the inside of the fold and down the inside length of the flag, place the toothpick along the fold and hold the two pieces together until you think that they’ve stuck together.

Next, grab a pen and write what you’re thankful for on the flag. It can be anything, family, laughter, hope, Starbucks…oops, did I just say that out loud?
Or sometimes I just like to write my guests names on one side and what I’m thankful for about them on the other side!
Just use your imagination and have fun with it! Obviously this idea can carry over to any holiday or special event!
After the muffins have cooled and you’ve told your kids for the hundredth time that they can’t eat any muffins until Thanksgiving…

Just slather on some of that creamy, rich and yummy pre-made icing…

Then stick a flag toothpick right in the center…

and make a silent promise to yourself to never, ever, let yourself get stressed about hosting a family holiday or get together again.

Aren’t they just darling?
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned through all the blood, sweat and tears of life, it’s that life is too short to be stressed and to always try to have a house full of …

Now go enjoy the holidays! I know I will!
Wenderly