10+ THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR...

Are you as excited as I am about today??!!! I'm about to head to the kitchen to help my mom and finish off my macaroni and cheese (I'm using this recipe this year- minus the tomatoes... ). But before I head to the kitchen, I thought I would take a minute to make a list of things here that I'm thankful for. This year has been a big year of change with some ups and downs in between. Yet - I still have so much to be thankful for...

1. Costco: I finally got a membership this year (so late to the game I know) and it has completely changed my life - and maybe decreased my bank account a bit. But it's been so worth it!

2. My brother: We fought like cats and dogs every single day when we were kids and now he's literally my rock. He's so smart and is the best listener I know. I just adore him.

3. Prayer. I pray in the car. In the shower. At work at my desk. While I wait in a line. While I'm in traffic. Before bed. When I wake up. He listens and answers me.

4. Christmas. My tree has been up for 2 weeks already, so you know I'm thankful for that! :)

5. Wine. Red wine specifically. I recently discovered that a glass of most red wines won't trigger my migraines (Praise the LORD!). Any long stressful day is now made better. :)

6. Maxwell St. James. I think Max will always make these lists. The older he gets, the more he requires long cuddle sessions and lap naps. I couldn't love him more...

7. Dishwashers- especially during this time of the year.

8. Google. Even though it's made me think I was dying of the plague, it get's me where I need to go in a jiffy, has helped me become a better writer, and has saved me HOURS of time.

9. My health. Gosh it has been less than stellar this year for whatever reason, but I'm here. I'm alive and I know thousands of people have been and are going through much worse.

10. My FABULOUS friends, my family, slow cookers, my job, wine (oh did I already say that??), Adele, cozy pj's, almond milk, chocolate, cookbooks, slow Sunday afternoons, and YOU!.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

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TEN THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR...

Earlier this week, I had every intention of posting links today. But as I was trying to finish the post yesterday, my heart was just not in it. I know I started the week off with all of the wonderful things that I did last week - so many fun things. But behind every pretty picture and fun circumstance, there is always something going on that I'm dealing with, worried about, anxious about, deciding upon, and losing a little sleep over. There was a lot of that going on this week. I know that I'm no different from you or anyone else. I myself try to keep that in mind when I look at pretty things on blogs and social media these days. Everything isn't always pretty for everybody. When I have moments like these, I whip out my notebook and write down the things I'm thankful for. It always helps ease my anxiety. Always. So I thought I would share what I wrote down with you today. It's what was on my heart and mind...

1. The sun. It decided to come out of hiding a few days this week after almost two weeks of rain. Loved it. 

2. My new job that I'm still loving. A job that I pretty much prayed about for three years. A job that pretty much came to me out of nowhere. Prayer works. 

3. A boss who tells me "thank you" all the time - and means it. I always return the compliment - and mean it. 

4. A former staff of mine who randomly called me this week to tell about her new job and how she credits me for preparing her for it. It's been about 5 years since we worked together and about 3 years since we've last spoken to each other. You just never know who's thinking of you... 

5. The sweet lady at my cable provider (you know a call to a cable provider almost requires a tall glass of wine these days), who sweetly and calmly handled my issue then surprisingly granted me a generous credit on my bill for the next 6 months just for being a "valued customer." If only she knew how much I valued her for doing that for me - this week especially. 

6. This tea. It's been helpful in calming me down before bed a few nights this week. 

7.  My mom, dad, and brother. We are currently planning our summer vacation. It will be our first family vacation in over 20 years. Just the four of us. Can't wait. 

8. The sales associate at J.Crew who asked me for my college ID this week as I was checking out. Bless his heart. My college days are almost 15 years behind me, so my mood was instantly lifted - way more than it would have been if I would have received their student discount (which is 15% by the way). 

9. Those of you who have sent me e-mails about how much you've enjoyed this blog. You guys have been on a roll lately- a time when I'm starting to think about how much longer I'll blog. 

10. The weekend... Of course. :)

Happy weekend friends...

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TEN THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR...

I was working late one night last week. That night seemed like the millionth night in a row I had been working late and I felt nothing but mentally and physically exhausted, tired, cranky, upset, drained, and concerned about how everything that needed be done was going to get done on time. So I just stopped, took a breath, and got my personal notebook out of my purse. I then started this post. When I am feeling that mix of emotions, it's so easy for me to be more forgetful of just how thankful I should be in spite of the circumstances. So I took a break and decided to write down some things that I'm thankful for. They are just little things, but it's always the little things that can turn my feelings around in a big way in a short period of time. This list did just that for me. So here are some of the things I wrote down that night + a few I've added since then. I've sprinkled my list with a few never-before-seen photos taken by my inspiring photographer - whom I am also thankful for.

ONE: A friend who recently invited me to an upcoming Cirque du Soleil show. Seeing Cirque shows makes me feel like a kid again.

TWO: And another friend who has graciously decided to plan my upcoming birthday celebration. Without her, I'm almost positive I would be having another "low-key" birthday for about the 4th year in a row.

THREE: Fall. Crisp morning air, sleeping with socks on, sleeping with an extra blanket, turning leaves, fresh apples, planning Thanksgiving dinner (Yep- I'm already on that!) - I could go on and on and on. I love so many things about it...

FOUR: This vacuum cleaner. I have a pet, which means I vacuum a lot, which means I've owned my fair share of vacuum cleaners. I've had this new one for about a month and it is BY FAR the best one I've ever owned. Period.

FIVE: Speaking of pets, I'm thankful for Max. He can quickly get me out of my 12 hour workday funk and wakes me up every morning by licking my right earlobe. Not the left earlobe, but the RIGHT earlobe. I haven't quite figured out his thing for my earlobe, but he loves it.

SIX: Service providers who show up on time, call if they are going to be late, and properly provide the service or product they are paid to provide. People like that seem to be far and few between these days...

SEVEN: The Golden Girls. I love the news, but lately I have just refused to start every day off with the latest on Ebola, he said-she said campaign commercials, ISIS, etc., So stressful. I recently found a station that airs The Golden Girls in the mornings. I've been watching it in lieu of the morning news a few times a week. That way, I'm guaranteed a really good laugh before my day starts- and I like that.

EIGHT: Pinterest. It's the highest source of traffic for my little blog and I often wonder if the blog would have survived this long without it...

NINE: Fear. Fear is not fun, but at the moment it is propelling me in a new direction - a good direction. I'd be crazy not to be thankful for that...

TEN: Tomorrow. It might be better to be thankful for today - the now - and I am. But tomorrow I have a day off. Tomorrow I will sleep in, get a good workout, treat my body to a healthy meal, sleep again, wake up, and begin to catch up with friends and family with a fresh state of mind, instead of giving them my leftovers. I'm incredibly thankful for that. :)

Now your turn!!! What are you thankful for??

Photos by Paula Coldiron