As the days get shorter, the last of the leaves fall off the trees and the first snowfall grows near, you know that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Whether you have a full week off for Thanksgiving or just a few days, you’ll probably have some time to spare. Here are my top 10 best ways to spend your time away from school or work.

10. Bake
Whether you are an apple or pumpkin pie person, although apple is obviously superior, nothing says Thanksgiving quite like the smell of a fresh-baked pie wafting through the kitchen.Even if you aren’t great at baking, you will create memories with your family that you can cherish forever.

9. Black Friday Shopping
I know that I love to shop, especially when I feel like I’m saving a lot of money. From the comfort of your own home, you can easily shop all of the Black Friday deals. With many people vaccinated and COVID-19 numbers steadily decreasing in Illinois, you can go in person without having to worry about getting sick.

8. Watch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”
Watching this whimsical film is the perfect way to end your Thanksgiving. The plot follows Charlie Brown’s predicament of going to his grandmother’s house or hosting dinner for his friends. Brown feels like he has ruined the holiday for everyone, but his friend Linus reminds him of the purpose of the holiday. The message of gratitude and friendship can be enjoyed by all ages and reminds us of the reason for the season.

7. Start decorating for Christmas
If you celebrate Christmas, it’s time to venture into your attic to search for ornaments and dust off the snow globes, only after Thanksgiving, of course. With Christmas approximately a month away, you should get to decorating your house to maximize the holiday spirit.

6.Watch A Thanksgiving Day parade
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a classic Thanksgiving tradition, will be back in person this year with spectators. If you want to reminisce about the holidays as a child, floats from “Sesame Street” and “Blue’s Clues” will do the trick. If you are looking to watch a parade in person, Chicago also hosts a Thanksgiving Day parade.

5. Go for a walk
I know this probably sounds boring, but there are so many nature preserves and walking paths in and around Downers Grove. My favorite is the Morton Arboretum, which provides a calming and isolated environment only 10 minutes away from Downers Grove. As we all know, the holiday season can create a quite stressful environment and a short walk can help to alleviate this.

4. Go Ice Skating
Ice skating is a classic winter activity. Being only about 45 minutes outside of Chicago, going into the city to ice skate is the perfect day excursion. Outdoor ice rinks at Maggie Daley Park and Millenium Park allow you to enjoy views of the city as well as stay safe because you are outdoors.

3. Sleep
When was the last time you actually got eight hours of sleep? If you can’t remember, you need to plan out some time to get rest over Thanksgiving Break. This is especially important with a hectic holiday season and finals looming once we return to school.

2. Have a Friendsgiving
You’ve probably heard of friendsgiving before and if you haven’t, you get together with your friends and have potluck with your favorite Thanksgiving foods. Thanksgiving break is a perfect opportunity to spend time with friends, show them how grateful you are to have them in your life and enjoy lots of great food.

1. Turkey Trot Express(Bonfield Express)
A classic, but my favorite Thanksgiving Tradition. Even if you are like me and aren’t an avid runner, nothing compares to the experience of braving the chilly weather, running through your town and seeing just about every person you know. Bonus points if you run with friends and dress up.