5 simple gratitude activities that will fill your holiday table with love

Though we encourage our children to count their blessings and express gratitude throughout the year, the holiday season offers a unique opportunity to lead by example. As a mom, it is important to me to show my kids that I take time to express my thanks.

But what are some tangible ways for parents to illustrate these lessons?

In recent years, I've seen a growing trend among my friends on Facebook taking the time to publicly share things they are thankful for in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. It's a simple but powerful way to use social media. However, since my young kids aren't on Facebook, I want them to be able to witness my thankfulness firsthand.

Today I am making my #ThankList public here on the site to share with you but I plan to write down each name on my list to include as part of our holiday table for us to pray blessings over come Thanksgiving Day.

Check out these 5 simple gratitude projects perfect for decorating your holiday table:

I love this free printable for the kids on Let's Lasso the Moon. Have your kids complete one and place it by their plate for Thanksgiving dinner.
How about using slips of paper to create this gratitude jar over on Inner Child Fun?
Make "thankful stones" using this tip from The Artful Parent, perfect for sprinkling amongst the dishes.
Print off these adorable thankful quotes from Simple As That and write your blessings on the back, use as place cards.
Make thankful turkeys using this adorable idea from Modern Parents Messy Kids: the perfect centerpieces.

American Greetings asked me to share my #ThankList with you. What are you thankful for this month? Please feel welcome to share the name of someone you are thankful for in your life in the comments below! For every #ThankList created on social media channels, American Greetings will donate $1 to United Way for hunger prevention! So go ahead and share yours publicly, too.

My 2015 #ThankList:

The Peanut: the girl who made me a mom and kickstarted some of the happiest years of my life.
Little Pea: the girl who makes me laugh daily and completed my "perfect set" of daughters.
Handyman Tim: for encouraging me and my crazy dreams for as long as I can remember.
Ms. Kramer: a high school teacher who recognized something special in me and made a point to tell me about it.
Mr. McGinn: a high school teacher who instilled a love of story telling through photography.
Mr. Grandy: a high school teacher who improved my writing beyond measure.
Ms. Weiss: a high school teacher who encouraged a life long love of learning.
Annette: a sorority house mother who was my mom away from home.
My college girlfriends: I could fill a separate list with just these names for the ways they've each touched my life.
Michelle Malek: my "call her at 2 am when life is falling apart" friend knowing she will pick up the phone to help. Whatever would I do without her?
Julie Finlay: my first "real" boss in the working world who taught me dedication, loyalty, and to bring my creative voice to the table.
Carol Kroll & Katie Brown: artists who inspire me to push hard to develop my own creative talents.
Johnathan Crawford: a man who structured his company in a way that specifically supported a young mom's desire to be home with her baby and who taught me the in's and out's of building my own business.
Zina Harrington: my "BBF", a.k.a. best blogging friend, without her this site would not even exist. Her contributions to this blog and to my personal life warrant their own #ThankList.
My Gurnee Playgroup Friends: too many to list but who were my lifeline in early days of motherhood. Nothing says love like a 2 am online chat about feverish babies.
My Original Book Club Ladies: friends who made sure I didn't completely abandon my love of reading despite the challenges of early motherhood.
Dr. Fireman: the pediatrician who not only cared for my babies but took time to notice and care for their mother during the darkest of post-partem days.
Dr. Kut: who quite literally saved my life after we discovered I had a blood clot in my lung post-partem and who took extra special care with me and the {very little} girls during my many trips to her office.
Nurse Cathy: the ray of sunshine who brightened my visits to Dr. Kut's office.
Heidi Peters: a friend that eased my fears about our big move to NC, who showed up on moving day to help in such amazing hands-on ways, and who continues to be a radiant source of joy in my life.
Miss Megan & Miss Yvette: Little Pea's preschool teachers who encouraged my baby and brought about such positive changes in her behavior. In ways they may never understand, they transformed our family life.
Coach Heacox: the soccer coach that instills confidence and encourages hard work and boosts the Peanut's confidence.
Uncle Tod & Aunt Colleen: Tim's family who dropped everything to help out in a pinch so we could run for St. Jude Children's Hospital earlier this year.
Paul & Erica Snyder: friends who serve our country in some of the most difficult ways. Their sacrifices keep us safe and we are ever grateful for their friendship.
Our lovely neighbors: friends that have made our new state feel like home, have taken the kids when I needed help, and welcomed us to celebrate with them for big things and small.
Our parents, sisters, and extended family: So many names, I could make an entire list just of family we love and appreciate. We are who we are because of them and the roots they gave us.