Hey everyone! Today I want to share something special with you—our family’s Thanksgiving celebration this year. It was truly an emotional day, from the stressful moments installing lights to the warm joy gathered around the dinner table.
Brightening Up the House
First things first—I just have to show off the new lighting fixtures we ordered! They finally arrived. Darius and my husband helped install them, including a gorgeous chandelier—though the electrician won’t be able to come until next Saturday to finish putting that up.
I want to apologize if the house looked a bit messy. We’re still unpacking and getting everything out of boxes after moving. It all feels a little chaotic, but we’re doing our best to make it cozy. I kept telling myself it would all come together before the family arrived for Thanksgiving—and it did! I’m so glad the lights are up, and in December, the curtains will be here too. At this point, the house is about 80% decorated!
While we were working on the lights, I was coaching Darius: “Tilt it away from your hand... no, no, hold the wire and tilt like this... yes, now lift...” Finally, we got it done! And once we turned them on—wow, they looked amazing. Darius did such a great job.
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Thanksgiving Prep
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope y’all had a joyful day. We were still finishing up the cooking—even though not everyone had arrived yet. My girlfriend wasn’t there yet, Nate had just started prepping the turkey, Jerry was just sitting and chilling, Darius was busy running around, and the rest of the crew was still sleeping.
I was so tired that day, and honestly, I don’t even know why. I slept until 11AM and still felt drained.
Oh—and another thing—I’ve been looking for a good hair salon in Chicago! I meant to post a video asking for recommendations, but never got around to it. Now it’s probably too late since some of the good ones require booking six months in advance and having your credit card ready.
The Art of Cooking Turkey
One of the most fun (and intense) parts of the day was cooking the turkey. Nate was showing me how to do it. First, we needed oil—enough to cover the turkey. Not completely submerge it, but cover it. At first, we were worried the oil wasn’t hot enough, but it all worked out.
Nate taught me the smoking technique: “You place the charcoal to the side, and the foil bucket—I mean the water pan—adds moisture. When the water evaporates, it keeps everything humid so the th*ịt doesn’t dry out. The charcoal on the side gives indirect heat—it’s a slow cook method.”
Ideal temp: about 325–350°F, cooking about 3 minutes per pound. If it’s a raw bird, you need the breast at 165°F and the thigh at 175°F. But since ours was already partially cooked, we just needed it to reach 140–150°F.
At the final check, it hit 180°F—maybe a bit overdone, but still safe. The smell? Incredible!
Wine & Family Vibes
After the cooking madness, we popped open a bottle of wine. I used a decanter to pour—it helps the wine "breathe" and filters out any bits.
I only had one glass because more would’ve made me sleepy. It tasted like peach, apricot… and had about 16–20% alcohol. When you enjoy wine properly, you only fill 1/4 of the glass, swirl it, catch the waves along the sides, and really take in the scent. I could tell it was a 2015 California wine.
Wrapping Up the Feast
We ended the day with a huge feast—crab legs, shrimp, eggs... You know me, I’m a foodie girl through and through, and this was exactly my vibe! You know we had that lemon sauce and seasoning on point.
Looking back on that day—from installing lights in the morning, cooking all afternoon, to cozy family time at night—it really was a Thanksgiving to remember. Yes, it was tiring and even a little stressful at times, but it was all worth it in the end.
Thank you all so much for watching and sharing these moments with me. Let me know what you thought about our Thanksgiving day, or drop a comment on what makes your own holidays feel special. I’d love to hear your stories too ❤️
Be Love, Be Love, Be Love – say it three times, y’all!
