Thanksgiving is the perfect time to show appreciation and gratitude. Here are some ideas for little things you can do that will make a big difference:

• Bring flowers for your hostess, especially if she’s your mom! Flowers are an easy way to recognize the effort your host and hostess put into the meal, and shows how grateful you are to be among family and friends on Thanksgiving.
• Invite someone to dinner who would otherwise be alone. Do you have a friend who is new to the area or far from home? Ask them to spend Thanksgiving with you. They will appreciate it more than you know.
• Take a break from watching football to volunteer. Find a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter, or see if a program like Meals on Wheels has a chapter in your community. You can also ask everyone to bring a non-perishable food item to Thanksgiving dinner and donate the collection to a food pantry the next day.
• Literally say thanks. It sounds corny, but go around the table and have everyone say what they’re thankful for this year. Actually having to vocalize what we’re grateful for forces us to really think about it, and helps us to appreciate the people and things we have in our lives.

Another thing you can do is take a few minutes to stop by Life’s Chocolates on Thanksgiving Day. I’ve got something special in the works! If you haven’t already, please @ me on Twitter and let me know why you’re thankful for social media. Thanks!