Warm Web 2.0 Thanksgiving Greetings by Constance Korol

Two Sundays before Thanksgiving, outside the local market, a woman was already frantic on her mobile phone. “I can’t talk right now, I have to buy the turkey!”

As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, those who are entertaining like me are scrambling about for the latest and greatest recipes to wow the guests. We want to impress and make the holiday special. Although I have to admit my husband does most of the cooking, I do my part as the hunter and gatherer. For example, for the past couple of days I threw out the question on Facebook (FB) and Twitter “what are your favorite side dishes” I received a healthy comment string on FB and replies including recipe links on Twitter.

From @recipe4romance:
@constancek Yam , Sweet Potato and Onion Mash ..Yummy
@constancek chop Yams – Potato boil or steam till med soft add some 1/4 C of Mayo & 1/4 C Applesauce pecans a cup on cut onion and mash
@constancek Other Sweet Potato Recipes : https://bit.ly/1iz7qL

The twitter chatter for #thanksgiving includes favorite recipes, wine pairings and even green thanksgiving road trips (https://www.travelinggreener.com/tips/drive-smarter-thanksgiving/) You can also visit my twitter page (@constancek) for my foodie friend list that tweets out amazing recipes and culinary experiences.

There is even the @abtthanksgiving twitter account that will tweet out interesting and fun Thanksgiving facts, plus famous quotes like this one:

I love Thanksgiving turkey. It’s the only time in LA that you see natural breasts. Arnold Schwarzenegger #thanksgiving #quote

Since our online community is a global one, I was hoping to shed some light on how Americans celebrate the holiday to our international friends. Certainly it is about a big feast, but this should also be a time of reflection.

So here we go with a couple of thoughts of thankfulness and cheer to those who deserve a shout out:

Charities and the people that donate. I just read this tweet today from @msnbc_us: U.S. charities may not have a happy holiday https://bit.ly/3LaKGL

Also this morning I read on my mobile WSJ how food bank recipients are on the rise. So here I just wanted to thank a few known organizations and the people that support them for a greater good.

-Thanks and Giving, Marlo Thomas @stjude

-Island Harvest’s Virtual Food Drive
https://www.islandharvest.org/page.aspx?id=27&name=virtualfooddrive

-Stop and Shop who is very active in donating bread and organizing food drives with Rotary and other organizations. https://www.heraldnews.com/homepage/x2087392559/STUFFING-THEIR-PLATES-Stop-and-Shop-donating-10-000-turkeys-to-needy-families

Helping Pets find Homes:
Twitter a Critter:
https://www.adoptapet.com/twitteracritter/
Yes folks if you are not ready to adopt a pet at this time, you can easily spread the word to your network about available pets by tweeting. Twitter a Critter is a pet saving service funded by Purina and the North Shore Animal League America who have over 130,000 homeless dogs, cats and other pets listed on adopt-a-pet.com. With the celebrity backing from Kevin Nealon, Alyssa Milano and Denise Richards, I am hopeful that we all can make a difference and increase placement for these pets into loving homes.

I am also thankful for my new Jack Russell, Jakey. With that I am incredibly thankful to the place who kept him safe and well until we picked him up this past summer, Russell Refuge, who takes in Jacks when there is no where else for them to go. Their FB fan page is here: https://www.facebook.com/RussellRefuge

Career:

@TWTRCON , Thank you for helping me attend at a reduced fee this year as travel budget was tight. Your event of excellent case studies and educational content has brought me to another level in my career.

Fellow marketers and social media mavens such as @davidbthomas , who tweeted and blogged at conferences that I could not attend. You kept me abreast of current best practices and key learnings. I hope I have helped you in return from the various events I attended this year and to continue to do so in 2010.

Work: To our loyal members and customers, my friends I have met over the years, new Facebook Fans, and Twitter followers, without you, IBF (and my job) would not exist!

So this Thanksgiving, after running in my local Turkey Trot I hope to enjoy some peaceful time with my family and friends before the big feast. In the next several days, I hope to read your thoughts and reflections of this year, past Thanksgiving memories, and what your plans are to make this holiday season a glorious one.

Lastly if you need a bit of a break from the family and need a LMAO moment, follow @whyiamintherapy , comments and conversations with mom. Hilary Hattenbach doesn’t disappoint!

All the best and a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Constance Korol is Senior Marketing Manager for a globally well known Supply Chain and Demand Planning Organization, the Institute of Business Forecasting and Planning.