Happy Thanksgiving! Zinnia Style!

Happy Thanksgiving! Many of you know that I am an avid fan of the planner app Zinnia. I use it every single day, and it has become my go-to tool for organizing… well… everything. But it really shines when it comes to event planning. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner or coordinating a family potluck, this app is a lifesaver!

And just to be clear—I’m not an affiliate for Zinnia, nor do I get paid to promote it. Yet, lol! I just genuinely love it and think you will too.

Thanksgiving—big or small—can get stressful fast. But, being organized makes a difference. Making shopping lists, building a timeline, sharing the menu, printing new recipes… all of that helps lower the chaos. And when it’s cute? Even better! You can save everything in your scrapbook or easily share it with your family. It’s like creatively multitasking, lol!

For me, the menu is where it all begins. Once the menu is set, everything else falls into place. I created my first menu template in Microsoft Word many years ago, then converted to this template in Zinnia about 4yrs ago and have reused it many times. Each year, all I had to do was swap out the details.

But this year, I wanted a fresh look (remember, I use these in my scrapbook pages!), and I realized I wasn’t including the guest list. With my family, nothing ever stays the same—so capturing who came each year is a sweet little snapshot of how our family evolves.

My updated menu layout includes everything: guests, menu, desserts, drinks… the whole day at a glance. And I decided to add a little ‘journal note’ at the bottom, this is optional, but I did it for the scrapbook page this menu will go on. This can also be added after the event, but before you send it to get it printed.

I also love printing the menu before the event on regular cardstock and putting it on a small easel in the kitchen. It’s my guide when I’m pulling serving dishes and my checklist while I’m cooking. The family loves it too because they get a sneak peek at what’s coming!

So if you’re not making a menu for your family gatherings yet, I highly encourage you to start. It doesn’t have to be in Zinnia—like I said, I used Microsoft Word before discovering this app. But, Zinnia has an entire library of stickers, text boxes, fonts, washi tape, and templates if you need a creative jump start.

And GOOD NEWS… it’s now available for both Apple and Android users!

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions—or if you already use Zinnia.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all! 🧡🦃🍁