Buy Holiday Tins and Platters at the Thrift

Presentation is half the battle when you’re making cookies or other #holiday treats to #give. Instead of buying new tins, bags and boxes for your edible #gifts every year, visit the local #thrift and #secondhand stores supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org. There, you can find lightly used decorative tins, platters and plates ready to reuse with your homemade #gifts. The resale of all goods #donated contributes to programs that support the nation’s #veterans, and your festive recipes will make you the star gift-giver of the season! #HomemadeHolidayFavorites

Give an Edible Gift for the Holidays

#Homemade presents really make an impression when gift-giving, and the #holidays practically demand an edible gift. Cookies, fudge and peanut brittle are longtime seasonal favorites, or try your hand at making peppermint bark, chocolate truffles or fudge, Midwest Living suggests. When finished, give them to friends and relatives in decorative tins or tied with fanciful bows. Not only will they be thrilled, you won’t have to spend a lot of money to make a memorable #gift. Get the kids involved in the cooking and packaging process or do a cookie exchange, and you’ll create memories that last for years. #HomemadeHolidayFavorites

Thanksgiving in 30 Minutes or Less

#Thanksgiving recipes don’t need to take all day to be delicious, says Taste of Home. In fact, there are plenty of sides and desserts that can be made in less time than it takes for a Domino’s pizza to arrive — and they will taste a whole lot better! Quick takes on the classics include skillet stuffing, green beans and bacon, mashed potatoes with horseradish breadcrumbs, and more. You can make multiple sides and appetizers in the time it takes to roast a turkey, or just use the time you save to do something else — take a fall hike, watch a movie or #declutter the basement, for example. Keep your #holiday simple! #EasiestThanksgiving

Set Your Thanksgiving Table at the Thrift

Hosting a #holiday feast but don’t have the proper table settings? Never fear — #thrift and #secondhand stores are overflowing with previously owned serving dishes, dinnerware and glassware that can lend your #Thanksgiving table a hint of seasonal elegance without a lot of money. Dishes and platters “don’t have to match exactly but should go together,” says Jane’s Distractions. “Here is where you can start to design the table with colors, textures or shapes.” For a great selection, visit a thrift store that’s supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org; the proceeds from #resale will go toward programs that help #veterans during the #holidays! #EasiestThanksgiving

How to Have a No-Cook, No-Clean Thanksgiving

Everyone has had at least one year in which cooking for #Thanksgiving was just too much hassle to contemplate. If you have more money than time this year and are just too #stressed to host a meal or contribute to a potluck, you have options. You can outsource the cooking to a local grocery store and buy ready-made sides, or order an entire turkey with all of the trimmings for the family. Another option? Go out! Chain and local restaurants offer Thanksgiving meals, and dining out eliminates #cleanup, too. “Heading to a restaurant to indulge in ham, turkey and the sides is a perfectly reasonable way to spend the holiday,” says Good Housekeeping.