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"PIE NIGHT" ...My Favorite Holiday Tradition!!!
Some people prefer to keep these special traditions to themselves, but I prefer to share with all of you in hopes that some of you will either be inspired to begin your own holiday tradition or share in mine :)
When I was growing up my mom's best friend Chris had this wonderful thing she called Pie Night! It was held annually the night before Thanksgiving and we all gathered in her home o...well...eat Pie! It was so much fun and it was a grat way to prepare our stomachs for the challenge that lie ahead the following day...Thanksgiving Dinner :)
Unfortunately, for all of us, Chris moved away to live near the Lake a couple of years ago and Pie Night was lost...I really began to miss the time together and it really did start off the holiday season for my family.
Some people prefer to keep these special traditions to themselves, but I prefer to share with all of you in hopes that some of you will either be inspired to begin your own holiday tradition or share in mine :)
When I was growing up my mom's best friend Chris had this wonderful thing she called Pie Night! It was held annually the night before Thanksgiving and we all gathered in her home o...well...eat Pie! It was so much fun and it was a grat way to prepare our stomachs for the challenge that lie ahead the following day...Thanksgiving Dinner :)
Unfortunately, for all of us, Chris moved away to live near the Lake a couple of years ago and Pie Night was lost...I really began to miss the time together and it really did start off the holiday season for my family.
My husband and I were talking one afternoon about traditions for our family. Times that we would remember and events we could create so that our friends would look forward to them and our children would remember them. We thought about a Halloween Party, but too many friends already hosted Halloween. New Year's Eve might have been fun, but it goes so late and babysitters cost a fortune. We really wanted to create an event that adults and children could both enjoy! I mentioned how much I enjoyed Pie Night and how much I would love to carry on the tradition, but make it a little different. Although he was a little bit unsure at first, we just completed our second Annual Pie Night and it was a HUGE success!! My husband and I were joking the next day that we will have to tent the backyard and get a band if we have any more guests next year!!
The Secrets of Pie Night!!!
So, these are some of the things that we do for our Annual Pie Night...some you may like and care to adopt and some you might pass over, but all of the below proved important to a successful party...
*We send out an invitation and it invites everyone to "Kick-Off the Holidays" with us. The key here is everyone is welcome and you really need to be prepared for this. The bottom line is alot of people have extended family in town for Thanksgiving, so our rule is ALL are welcome, whether you bring two people, nine people or come with just your family, we welcome EVERYBODY to celebrate with us.
*We ask everyone to bring their favorite sweet. This year we requested that everyone bring their favorite "Homemade" Sweet. It was incredible because we had everything from Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies to Pumpkin Cupcakes along with every pie imaginable. The most requested pie at our house is Aunt Jen's Kentucky Derby Pie!!and we are lucky she humors us all by turning up with it!
*I decorate my entire house for Christmas with the exception of the decorations on my Christmas Tree. I ask that everyone eat, drink and put three ornaments on my tree to help me complete my home. Then, I vow to leave it alone...however my guests decorate it (and we have some wildcards in our group) I leave it just the way they did it. My husband, son and I then place our special ornaments on the tree on Thanksgiving.
*The Kids...The Kids...and we have tons of kids (all different ages) that come to Pie Night, so we have a woman who comes and makes holiday items with them up in the gameroom. We put a Holiday Movie on and they can make anything from ornaments for their trees to placecards for their Thanksgiving Table...whatever their hearts desire!
The rest of Pie night consists of just enjoying each other's company and catching up with everyone while enjoying lots of sweets accompanied by plenty of holiday libations.
The Secrets of Pie Night!!!
So, these are some of the things that we do for our Annual Pie Night...some you may like and care to adopt and some you might pass over, but all of the below proved important to a successful party...
*We send out an invitation and it invites everyone to "Kick-Off the Holidays" with us. The key here is everyone is welcome and you really need to be prepared for this. The bottom line is alot of people have extended family in town for Thanksgiving, so our rule is ALL are welcome, whether you bring two people, nine people or come with just your family, we welcome EVERYBODY to celebrate with us.
*We ask everyone to bring their favorite sweet. This year we requested that everyone bring their favorite "Homemade" Sweet. It was incredible because we had everything from Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies to Pumpkin Cupcakes along with every pie imaginable. The most requested pie at our house is Aunt Jen's Kentucky Derby Pie!!and we are lucky she humors us all by turning up with it!
*I decorate my entire house for Christmas with the exception of the decorations on my Christmas Tree. I ask that everyone eat, drink and put three ornaments on my tree to help me complete my home. Then, I vow to leave it alone...however my guests decorate it (and we have some wildcards in our group) I leave it just the way they did it. My husband, son and I then place our special ornaments on the tree on Thanksgiving.
*The Kids...The Kids...and we have tons of kids (all different ages) that come to Pie Night, so we have a woman who comes and makes holiday items with them up in the gameroom. We put a Holiday Movie on and they can make anything from ornaments for their trees to placecards for their Thanksgiving Table...whatever their hearts desire!
The rest of Pie night consists of just enjoying each other's company and catching up with everyone while enjoying lots of sweets accompanied by plenty of holiday libations.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season enjoying their friends and families!
XOXO, Tamara
