November means a lot of things to people. Some look forward to the weather finally turning crisp or the beautiful colors across the scenery. Traditions and giving are also big themes for this time of year. If you read Creating Your Future November Goals then you know that one of my main goals for this month is increasing my thankfulness. Even if you have a grateful heart, sometimes we lose sight of how much we have to be thankful for every day. That is why it is important to be mindful about increasing your thankfulness. The main strategy for doing this is to write down 3 things each day that you are thankful for. You can extend this practice with your family by making this gorgeous DIY autumn thankful wreath. It is an easy way to decorate for Thanksgiving while exercising continued thankfulness together.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

[bctt tweet=”Practice thankfulness with this gorgeous DIY autumn thankful wreath! #diy #thankful” username=”diyadulation”]

Materials

Name: Low Calorie Whipped Pumpkin Pie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: Crust Ingredients; 1 Sleeve of Graham Crackers (9 whole crackers); 1 Stick of Margarine (1/2 cup); Pie Filling Ingredients; 1 8oz Container of Lite Whipped Topping; ½ Cup Canned Pumpkin; 1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Step 1

Remove all packaging from your wreath.

Step 2

Cut a length of ribbon that is 24 inches long.

Step 3

Fold the ribbon in half and knot the loose ends about 8 inches from the bottom.

Step 4

Wrap around the top of the wreath and pull the folded end through the knotted end. Pull tight to secure.

Step 5

Tie the dangling ends into a bow. Trim the bottoms and fold the ends behind. See picture for reference.

Tip:

You can secure your bow to your wreath using 2 dressmaker’s pins.

Step 6

Attach your faux autumn leaves with your pins to cover your wreath.

Note:

I love the natural look of the straw so I chose not to cover it completely. This is totally optional.

Step 7

Cut out 5-10 leaves in each color from your paper pack. Use the leaf button on the “Stretch Your Imagination” cartridge (not ‘leaf-s’).

Tips:

Change up the sizes to add visual interest to your wreath. I used 3 inches and 4 inches.

Save time and use the ‘auto-fill’ feature to cut out as many leaves as will fit on one page.

Step 8

Have your family fill out the leaves with what they are thankful for using the metallic Sharpies.

Tip:

Let your little non-writers get involved by having them dictate what they are thankful for to you.

Step 9

Attach your thankful leaves to your wreath with your dressmaker’s pins.

This is an easy way to decorate for Thanksgiving. Create an environment of thankfulness with gorgeous décor. Take the opportunity to make a family night out of making this wreath. It’s good for your kids to hear what you are thankful for. Even better, you might be surprised to hear what your little ones are thankful for. (Case-in-point: my 4 year old is thankful for her Twilight Sparkle Pony from Build-a-Bear. She cracks me up!)

Want to take this décor a step further? Use some of the paper leaves as place cards for Thanksgiving dinner. As the meal winds down, ask guests to write down what they are thankful for. Have the guests add their thankful leaves to your wreath before they go. This will become a fun Thanksgiving tradition guests look forward to each year!

See where I’m linking up!

Pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving dinner staple. The calories that come along with it are less enticing. What if you could enjoy all of that spicy, pumpkin flavor without all of the unwanted calories? Don’t limit your options to blowing your health goals or skipping the pie. Instead, make this low calorie whipped pumpkin pie. A traditional pumpkin pie has about 2,414 calories. This lightened version only has 1,215 and you can make it ahead of your festivities and freeze it! It’s the epitome of light and easy.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here

Before we get to the recipe I have a confession to make. I don’t actually like traditional pumpkin pie. Don’t get me wrong, the flavors are amazing! It’s the texture that I can’t stand. The texture is not as stiff as flan but it’s not smooth like pudding. It is some weird hybrid that doesn’t feel right to my palate. Most years I choose to scrape the pumpkin part off of the pie and just eat the flavor-soaked pie crust alone. This year, I’m changing that by making my own delicious version of pumpkin pie with all of the flavor and none of the drawbacks.

Low-Calorie Whipped Pumpkin Pie

Crust Ingredients

1 Sleeve of Graham Crackers (9 whole crackers)
1 Stick of Margarine (1/2 cup)

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Step 2

Melt your stick of butter in a small mixing bowl in 30 second increments in the microwave.

Step 3

While your butter is melting, put your graham crackers into a re-sealable bag and crush them into crumbs using your hand (or a meat tenderizer if you’re feeling frustrated).

Step 4

Add your graham cracker crumbs to the mixing bowl of melted butter. Stir until well-combined.

Step 5

Spray a glass pie plate with non-stick cooking spray and press your graham cracker mixture into it forming a pie crust.

Step 6

Bake for 10 minutes.

[bctt tweet=”Skip the guilt this Thanksgiving and make this low calorie whipped pumpkin pie! #recipe” username=”diyadulation”]

Pie Filling Ingredients

1 8oz Container of Lite Whipped Topping
½ Cup Canned Pumpkin
1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Step 1

Combine all of the ingredients above in a mixing bowl until well-incorporated.

Step 2

Cover the bowl and set it in the fridge until your crust has cooled to room temperature.

Step 3

Add the filling to your room temperature graham cracker crust and smooth into place with a rubber spatula.

To Freeze: Cover your glass pie plate with a lid (or foil if yours doesn’t have a lid) and place in the freezer. Pull out and defrost at least an hour prior to serving.

This pie is seriously yummy! My family has already gone nuts on this one so I guess I’ll be making a second one for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s more like a fluffy pumpkin mousse than that heavy traditional pie which I love but the kiddos loved the flavor even though they also love traditional pumpkin pie. No matter what your preference, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser this Thanksgiving. Now I want to know: What are you pie preferences for the holidays? Do you skip the desserts table at Thanksgiving or do you anxiously await getting your hands on all of those decadent treats? Let me know in the comments!

Yield: 1 Pie

Low Calorie Whipped Pumpkin Pie

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients
1 Sleeve of Graham Crackers (9 whole crackers)
1 Stick of Margarine (1/2 cup)
Pie Filling Ingredients
1 8oz Container of Lite Whipped Topping
½ Cup Canned Pumpkin
1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Instructions

Crust: Preheat oven to 350º F.
Melt your stick of butter in a small mixing bowl in 30 second increments in the microwave.
While your butter is melting, put your graham crackers into a re-sealable bag and crush them into crumbs using your hand or a meat tenderizer.
Add your graham cracker crumbs to the mixing bowl of melted butter. Stir until well-combined.
Spray a glass pie plate with non-stick cooking spray and press your graham cracker mixture into it forming a pie crust.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Filling: Combine all of the ingredients above in a mixing bowl until well-incorporated.
Cover the bowl and set it in the fridge until your crust has cooled to room temperature.
Add the filling to your room temperature graham cracker crust and smooth into place with a rubber spatula.

Notes

To Freeze: Cover your glass pie plate with a lid (or foil if yours doesn’t have a lid) and place in the freezer. Pull out and defrost at least an hour prior to serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8 Slices

Serving Size:

1 Slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 152

See where I’m linking up!

In case you have somehow missed it, I am a huge nerd. I love Doctor Who, rock Hello Kitty everything, and “I want to Believe”. The epitome of my fangirl soul is Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BTVS). Unfortunately, DIY tutorials for awesome Buffy crafts are hard to come by. For that reason I’ve decided to create my own. If you are looking for a great DIY to flaunt your BTVS nerdiness then this DIY Buffy Hush Box is the perfect start!

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here

About the Episode

Even if you aren’t a BTVS fan, I totally recommend watching this episode (don’t worry, you can watch it for free on Netflix or Amazon Prime). Hush is the tenth episode of Season 4 and it is phenomenal from a cinematic standpoint. The entire town is rendered speechless due to the latest villain, The Gentlemen, and the actors nail silent-film style! The Gentlemen are easily one of the scariest monsters you’ll ever encounter and the mimes that play them did incredible. When they steal all of the townspeople’s voices, they contain them in a creepy little box. Find out how to make your own replica box below.

*DISCLAIMER* This one probably won’t steal and/or store people’s voices for you.

[bctt tweet=”Flaunt your BTVS nerdiness with this DIY Buffy Hush Box is the perfect start! #diy #btvs #buffy” username=”diyadulation”]

Materials

Wooden Box (4.25 inches X 4.25 inches X 2.9 inches) I got mine at Michael’s
Raw Umber Acrylic Paint
Paint Brush
Paper Towels
Gallery Glass Simulated Liquid Leading in Black
White Fabric Paint
Screwdriver

Step 1

Remove all stickers from your box.

Step 2

Next, use your screwdriver to remove the hinges from the box and lid.

Step 3

Apply a thick coat of paint to the top of your lid.

Step 4

Immediately wipe off excess paint with a paper towel. This is what stains your wood while still letting the grain show through.

Step 5

Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the rest of your box until the entire outside is stained.

Step 6

Paint the inside of your box and lid but this time do not wipe the paint off.

Step 7

Allow your paint to dry completely.

Step 8

Next, reattach your hinges.

Step 9

Close your box and draw lines on the lid 1.4 inches from the top and from the bottom.

Step 10

Next, make small notch marks on each edge and each line to mark every inch.

Step 11

Connect the marks to form triangles as pictured above. (Start at the corner and connect to the first notch mark on the line below. Continue in this pattern.)

Step 12

Now, draw your lines on the sides of your box. These lines should be measured .8 inches from the top (under the lid) and .8 in from the bottom of your box.

Step 13

Again, make small notch marks on each edge and line to mark each inch.

Step 14

Connect the notches to create triangles as you did in step 11 above.

Step 15

Cover the lines on the top of your lid with gallery glass and allow to dry completely.

Note:

If you don’t have gallery glass you can use black fabric paint. The end result will not be as aged-looking, though.

Step 16

Next, put a dot of white fabric paint in the bottom center of each triangle. See the picture above for reference.

Step 17

Repeat steps 15 and 16 with the rest of your box. Allow the entire box to dry completely before use.

Now that you have your awesome replica it’s time to put it to use. You can use it on your night stand to store your everyday jewelry in the evening. It can hold your loose change displayed on a shelf. Another option that keeps in the theme of the box is to store a mini notepad and pen set inside of it. Any time that you are feeling a particularly strong emotion that you can’t shake, write it down. Then fold the slip of paper up and toss it in the box. Let the box hold onto your frustrations for you so that you can get on productively with your day!

Looking for more nerdy crafts? You will love these DIY Sonic Screwdriver earrings!

See where I’m linking up!