RICHMOND, Va. -- For many families, Thanksgiving is going to be a little different this year thanks to the pandemic.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to celebrate and make the holiday special while maintaining COVID-19 precautions.
Emmie Croxford of The Richmond Mom Collective rounded up some of her favorite ways to keep the Thanksgiving spirit alive. First, she says don't be afraid to re-write the rules this year.
"Just stay in your pajamas all day," said Croxford. "We've heard of Christmas jammies. Why not Thanksgiving jammies?"
She also suggests taking inspiration from your favorite cooking shows and having a bake-off or cooking competition. She says it's not hard to create fun in the kitchen.
Croxford suggests starting by creating some fun rules.
"So every time you crack an egg, do you have to make a chicken sound? Kids love that kind of stuff! Anything that can make it silly and fun," she said. "Get those rules started early agree with what they are and then just go for it!"
This is also a great time to be a tourist in our own city.
Richmond Mom Collective has a Richmond scavenger hunt to help you explore new places around town. Croxford says it's a great way to make memories.
"You're going to be able to go and see the different sites, it will lead you to different places," said Croxford.
Many families traditionally volunteer over the long holiday weekend and while that might look a little different this year, there are still ways to lend a hand.
Croxford suggests using the finished baked goods you make during your baking competition.
"Take them to your local nonprofit's main office. Those people are boots on the ground all day every day. And often they work a thankless job," she said.
One way to give thanks at home is to remember what we love about our family and remind them too.
Croxford's family does that with a blessing jar. She puts out a jar with different colored strips of paper for everyone in her family.
"You just grab a piece of paper as you're going along and then you just write something great about them." she added.
You can keep the blessing jar going through the entire holiday season. Then in the new year, when someone needs a pick-me-up, they take a piece of their paper out of the jar and read what someone wrote about them.
Croxford has more ideas for your holiday weekend from The Richmond Mom Collective.
