We try to keep a small Thanksgiving tradition of filling our homemade “Thanks Jar” with little notes of gratitude throughout November. This year our book tour kept us away for most of the month, so we almost missed it. Over the weekend we squeezed the tradition in at the last minute and gave it a fresh twist by using our new chalkboard.
We created the lettering at the top of the board together. Sherry searched for pretty script examples and sketched a flowing “thanks” with curls and flourishes. I added shading and filled in “Give” and “2012” in my own blockier “man font,” as Sherry joked. It felt collaborative and fun, and the result looked just right for our family display.
I actually like experimenting with type and lettering, but writing with chalk almost did me in. The sound, the gritty feel, the potential for screeching—chalk gives me the heebie-jeebies. It didn’t bother Sherry or Clara, so maybe it’s just how it feels in my hand. Still, tackling the project felt a bit like therapy for my chalk-phobia: not pleasant, but entirely doable. I’ll admit it’s not as terrible as I imagined.
Once the lettering was finished, we moved on to writing gratitude notes. For just about $10 in Target magnets and some cut-up cardstock, our “Thanks Board” was soon covered with colorful cards sharing things we appreciate.
A few of the round, painted magnets were gifts from Megan, who stopped by one of our book signings. She painted small wood disks, added stripes with tape, and glued magnets to the back—simple and adorable. Those handmade pieces quickly became our favorites on the board.
We chose to write our notes on paper cards for two reasons: first, we can later store them in our thanks jar with the notes from 2010 and 2011; second, it meant I didn’t have to write directly on the chalkboard more than necessary. Baby steps.
This was also the first year we got Clara involved. Explaining gratitude to a 2½-year-old isn’t easy—our explanation was basically, “Think of things or people that make you happy.” She surprised us with sweet answers: “Mommy and Daddy make me happy,” plus a few toddler favorites like a balloon, the bookstore, and Bridget’s party (Bridget is our neighbor who rented a moon bounce and earned “best neighbor ever” status).
Here are a few of the cards we wrote. To make Clara’s cards easy to spot we let her color them with crayons—her scribbles are unmistakable. For example, I wrote that I’m thankful for Skype (especially that week), while Clara’s card celebrated Bridget’s party with bright crayon marks.
Clara got distracted before we finished, so if you see a note about Play-Doh cookie cutters, that’s definitely hers—not mine.
A quick safety note: kids and small magnets are a risky combination. We gave Clara a firm reminder that the magnets are not toys or food. She’s past the habit of putting things in her mouth, but we didn’t want her to think the magnets looked like candy. Later we heard her telling our dog Burger that he could “look but not touch” because magnets aren’t yummy—an adorable moment that made us laugh. After the photos we moved the smaller round magnets out of her reach and kept larger, non-swallowable magnets lower on the board to be safe.
We’re glad we carved out time to revive this small tradition. Writing down what we’re thankful for is a rewarding exercise, even when the list includes simple pleasures—like a weekly TV show that helps us unwind. Yes, Dexter even made the board.
We intentionally left a big open area at the bottom for our resident chalk artist. Clara clearly didn’t inherit her father’s hesitations about using chalk—she drew and filled the space with confident marks.
She’s fearless with chalk, much to our amusement.
We hope everyone celebrating Thanksgiving this week enjoys good food, safe travel, warm company, and plenty to be thankful for. And for those not observing the holiday, we wish you the same comfort and joy. Here’s a little Thanksgiving greeting that always makes us smile.
Oh Burger, you slay me. Happy face-stuffing to one and all!
Looking for more Thanksgiving ideas and traditions? Check out these posts:
- A free Thanksgiving printable to mail messages of gratitude to friends and family
- A DIY Thanksgiving craft: a glass-etched Thanks Jar
- Our daughter’s first year writing Thanks Jar messages
Update: You can check out our favorite holiday decor finds—many under $15—on our holiday decor favorites post.