Let’s face it: Unless your mezcla is part Pequot, Canarsee or Wampanoag, the tales of Puritan pilgrim settlers may not resonate. What we can relate to, however, is food and familia.

Still, if you think about it, some of the staple ingredients on a Thanksgiving menu -- corn, potatoes, calabazas -- are all inherently Latin. And the spices -- cinnamon, paprika, cilantro, vanilla and chiles -- all add distinctive sabor. Carolina Buia, co-author of the book Latin Chic, shares some quick tips on how to spice up your Thanksgiving feast, Latin-style.

Decorations
Fill you home with giant Mexican paper flowers, which you can pick up at most craft stores. They don’t just add a pop of festive color; they’re also reusable and will stay beautiful all year long. Use a plain white tablecloth with colorful runners. Check Etsy.com for beautifully handcrafted ideas.

Meal
For the turkey, first brine the pavochón, then add an adobo rub or salsa valentina, a Mexican hot sauce. For a stuffing with mofongo-style dressing, add some green plaintains, garlic, salchicha and nuts to your recipe. Instead of mashed potatoes, serve boiled yucca with garlic mojo sauce. Or, go the rice route with some arroz con gandules and sofrito.

Dessert
Whip up a tres leches cake, which is very festive and kid-approved. Or, substitute a creamy flan de calabazas for pumpkin pie.

Beverages

• Kid-friendly: Make a batch of tropical batidas of either guava, piña or passion fruit. Or, serve Jarritos instead of soda. These yummy Mexican sodas are made with real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
• Adult beverages: “Latin eggnog,” “coquito” and “ponche crema” are all different names for the same deliciously wicked rum drink. Buia recommends that you serve high-quality rum after dinner.

Kid Activities
Let them celebrate and get their ya-yas out by whacking a piñata that’s filled with Spanish dulces. LatinBag.com sells authentic sweets to cater to all your nostalgic Latin cravings. LatinBag’s Luchador piñata is particularly awesome.

China
Don’t worry about having everything matchy-matchy. If you’re having a large party but don’t have enough plates, places like HomeGoods have plain white everyday dishware for only $1.50 per plate. They’re nicer-looking than plastic or paper, and you can reuse them for the next fiesta!

Everyday hustle often makes it difficult to relax, even during downtime at home. Finding just a few minutes during the week to enjoy some solitude and explore your thoughts can reap countless benefits. Fortunately, it’s easier than you think to create zones of Zen within your personal space.

Create a Home Baño Spa
Take a cue from the ancient Romans, who built bathhouses across the empire when they discovered water’s therapeutic properties. Prepare a warm bath and add droplets of essential oils, such as stress-melting lavender, mind-clearing spearmint or cramp-relieving anise. After your rejuvenating bath, linger for several minutes wrapped in your towel. Finally, make sure to hydrate your skin with an enriched cream, such as cocoa butter.

Listen to the Sound of Music
Nothing soothes the soul like listening to your favorite tunes. Each night after work, fill your home’s airwaves with some of your much-loved songs. Instead of starting up the night’s chores right away, sit back for a few minutes to relish in the pleasant memories. Love nature? Play the sounds of gentle ocean waves, bird whistles or whales songs.

Set the Mood With Lighting
Humans respond to light; its presence can get you going in the morning, and its absence helps us fall asleep. Give your home a romantic or quiet mood by replacing artificial light with candles. Dinner over candlelight, for example, enhances the meal experience. Another option is to set tea light candles in one space in your home where you can linger and unwind after a long day.

Make a Hotel Bedroom One reason hotel rooms have a calming effect on guests is that there’s little in them demanding to be taken care of, rearranged or put away. Create this effect in your own room by de-cluttering it of items that haven’t been used in the past six months. Make your bed every morning and add tokens throughout the space of visual and sensory comfort, such as fresh flowers, cedar chips or a soft blanket.

Your closet is like a boutique, a place where you go shopping every day -- except it’s free. Every item should be easy to find, and it should inspire you -- after all, you added it to your wardrobe. Take some time this weekend to try these closet-transforming steps. You should be able to easily pull an ensemble together and love what you’re wearing.

1. Have a fashion show. Once a year, try on every piece of clothing that you own. Mend any missing buttons or hem folds that have come undone. Most important, let go of anything that has been stained, is worn out or no longer fits.

2. Add shelf dividers. Shirts, sweaters and jeans that are folded in stacks are likely to topple over or become an eyesore. Wooden dividers keep closet items in neat and easy-to-access piles.

3. Try a chalk dehumidifier. For closets that are damp or have poor ventilation, a dozen chalk sticks will do wonders. Tie the chalk in a bundle and hang it in the space. The natural desiccant properties absorb the moisture in the air and keep clothing dry.

4. Coordinated flat hangers. Find a flat hanger, which saves closet space, and buy as many as you need in the same color. When all of your clothing is hanging at the same eye-level, it is easier to store and sort through. Liberate hangers and space by putting away any out-of-season items.

5. Eliminate odors. Instead of throwing out the fabric softener sheets after drying the laundry, insert them between folded piles of t-shirts, underwear, and shoes. Since shoes tend to be the culprit of evil smells, let them air out before storing them inside your closet. Make sachets of rosemary, lavender or cedar -- which protects wools from moths -- to add a natural aromatic scent to the area.

What’s the first thing we notice when we walk through the front door? The way our home smells. In fact, a room’s aroma can trigger a wind of happy memories, such as waking up to Mami’s morning brew. That’s why infusing the home with pleasing scents can help add a jolt of happiness to the day. In addition to air fresheners and odor eliminators, try these Abuelita-approved tips for a clean-smelling home and enhanced health.

Baking Soda
This multipurpose natural odor absorber works wonders. Whether it’s in the refrigerator or in the corner of a musty closet, a fresh box can neutralize any funky smell. Instead of carpet cleaners, use baking soda on your rugs, carpet, upholstery or any household item that retains dank odors.

Vinegar
Believe it or not, this natural deodorizer can remove the smell of skunk on a dog. Imagine what it will do to a pet’s home accidents. Leaving a bowl of vinegar overnight in any room in the house will kill offensive smells. And using it on windows, furniture, appliances will contribute to a general clean aroma.

Lemons
Few natural ingredients boost the olfactory system as a lemon can. In the fridge, all it takes is half a lemon to zap the stench in the fridge. And by cutting two lemons in half, you can cleanse the smell of any room, including those with cat litter boxes.

Cloves
When it comes to aromatizing a space, these dried and unopened flower buds are yesteryear’s best-kept secret. Using an old pan you hardly cook in, throw in whole cloves to a few cups of water. Bring the contents to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. You can also add lemon, orange and apple peels for a spicy tang.

Essential Oils
Extracted from aromatic plants, these oils are known to diffuse therapeutic properties into the air. To calm nerves, try a lavender-scented air freshener or add a few drops of lavender oil to just-boiled water.

Want to spice up your home for spring? Here are our top five tips to help you get started.

1. Bless Your Home

Give new meaning to the phrase “spring-cleaning” by sweeping out the mala energía and making way for light and happiness. “Using sage, cedar or frankincense, light up your offering and walk from room to room,” says Robyn Moreno, author of Practically Posh: The Smart Girls’ Guide to a Glam Life. “Wave your stick against the walls from the corner of every room and sweep out the bad energy toward the door.”

2. Painting 101

Change the mood in your crib by splashing some color on your walls. “Make a claustrophobic room seem larger by painting it in a soft landscape hue, like Caribbean blue,” says Moreno. “A natural panoramic color like blue, green or violet will seem to make the room stretch.”

3. Change the Bedding

The bed is the focal point in your boudoir, so dress it up in fun, bright colors. Take inspiration from Frida Kahlo’s vibrant rebozos and try Honeysuckle Pink, Pantone’s color of the year. “I have bright-orange sheets that always speak summer to me,” says Moreno.

4. To the Kitchen’s Aid

Use your collection of stored family treasures to add personality to your kitchen. “Showcase your abuelita’s teacups or hang a retro plate collection on the wall,” says Moreno. Glam up your cabinets by changing the knobs. Trawl vintage stores and flea markets or visit Anthropologie.com for their vintage-inspired collections.

5. Wall Art

Add unexpected glam to a frequently used room. “Hang beauty ads featuring screen sirens -- like Rita Moreno -- from vintage magazines to create a pink boudoir-inspired bathroom.” Or turn your photos into wall art. Websites like CanvasOnDemand.com create cool canvas prints in color, black-and-white or even moodier sepia tones in poster size or smaller.