This Thanksgiving felt different in the best way. We kicked it off at 630 am AZ with the Macy’s Parade yes, the big balloon-filled tradition many of us grew up watching and I turned our living room into my own little parade-watch BINGO party.
Because why not make watching fun? Bingo sheet and coffee in hand, we had our own family game going. My son was ON POINT- he practically won bingo before the floats even reached Herald Square. Since the broadcast runs long, we went with blackout style bingo so we could all stay engaged right through until the end. I printed 2025 cards from Music City Moms and their squares were so specifically on point to this year!
I need to mention the deocration that will help to take center-piece later… Mini City and Parade Balloons! Inspired by The House That Lars Built but wanting to do my own version of it we set our first buidlign and Bluey up on the tv console. When the last balloon drifted across the screen, its was time to set the table for later.
No offense, but Im tired of the usual turkey-leaf plates and beige tablecloth- this year, I decided to mix things up for Thanksgiving with bold, fun, and a little bit nostalgic, turning our backyard into a long dining mini parade route of its own.
I saved you and I the money and my my own printable cityscape skyscrapers and taxi-cars and even made some coloring sheets for the kids and word search the adults loved! Colorful Mylar balloons on sticks (taped to Jesus candles to weight them down) were rising above like parade balloons dancing over the city. The whole table looked like NYC- minus the cold and crowds! Honestly? It was a vibe. Guests walked in wide-eyed: surprise! Not your average Thanksgiving. Plates, cups, and napkins themed black and white and gold.
PRO TIP: I hit up Michaels for the small foil balloons (turns out way cheaper than ordering online).
Now, I’m not gonna lie. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the leftover balloons or extra food yet. But once the chaos calmed down and the plates cleared, I caught myself thinking: this might just become a “we do this every other year” tradition. Because here’s the thing: Thanksgiving isn’t just about the turkey or the football- It’s about having fun and making memories. And if that means turning my house into a Parade Route / Bingo Hall- I’m in.
XoXo
Britt
