I just wanted to pop on here real quick to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Even if it is a holiday you do not celebrate, take today to reflect on those things you are thankful for. We can never do that enough.

I wanted to challenge myself to write down as many things as humanly possible that I am thankful for, as to remind myself to not only dwell on the bad. Here goes nothing..  (In no particular order of importance)

I am thankful for my husband. Even though we don't always see eye to eye, we keep each other in check.

I am thankful for my mom and dad. They have been my rock this year when other outlets didn't seem to deliver.

I am thankful for the friends who have become family. The ones who will let you cry on their shoulder or scream until you feel better with no judgement.

I am thankful for Rick and Grace (my cats). They have offered so many laughs and snuggles in the short time we have had them in our home. They make this house a home.

I am thankful for my job. I work in a very rewarding position and even today, when many people are off with their families, there are amazing people tending to the animals. There is no holiday when you have live animals to care for.

I am thankful for this blog. As much as I have neglected it this year, it is still here when I need a place to release my thoughts. It has brought me some new friends and has taught me so much. I get to be my own boss here and have opportunities because of it.

I am thankful for my readers of this blog. Some of you have become friends. Some of you have become my cheerleaders. Some of you are strangers who comment just to put a smile on my face. I love that and I love all of you.

I am thankful for the medications that are making it possible for me to eat on a daily basis. My stomach has not been the happiest this month, and even though it's been rough, these pills have made it bearable.

I am thankful for all of our women and men in uniform helping to protect me on a daily basis. I am forever grateful for them and their sacrifices to their own families to protect us.

I am thankful for the home I live in and the shelter it provides me. I have more than many people in this world and I never want to forget how grateful I am for that.

I am thankful for the greater power, whomever that may be, who does show me from time to time that there is a bigger purpose to all of this. There is someone watching over us, even when we struggle.

I am thankful because I am alive. I woke up today, and I am breathing.

Happy Thanksgiving all. <3

Thanksgiving is in 3 days! Can you believe it? That means Christmas is only 34 days away. Are you ready?

If you're like me, you are already in overdrive getting everything into order. You see, this is my first holiday season married. We are hosting our families this year for both holidays. I made this request last holiday season, when we had to travel from house to house, day to day.

It was exhausting! I am cutting out my stress by staying home (Although I know for some, this makes people more stressed out, but for me, I love to entertain in my own home).

Today I want to share with you 3 stress relief options to get you through whether you are hosting or traveling to visit friends and family.

What do you do to keep the stress at bay? Share you thoughts in the comments!

It feels like ages since I've done a H54F post! I feel like I  have a few things to talk about, so let's get to it..

1. R and I hosted a successful Friendsgiving on Saturday. We had, including ourselves 12 adults, 2 small children, and 2 energetic cats. We were able to squeeze everyone into 3 tables pushed together. It was pure amazingness! (Yeah I know, not really a word.. lol). We made the soup from our wedding (Mushroom Merlot.. to die for by the way), a 11 pound turkey, 2 kinds of stuffing, sweet potatoes, and a sweet potato cheesecake. Friends brought other sides and beverages. All in all an amazing feast!

She was helping and got worn out fast.. I did clean this off before the guests arrived..

2. LulaRoe announced their Elegant Collection this week and the pieces are TO DIE FOR. I can only hope to get my hands on something. If you aren't familiar with LulaRoe, you are probably living under a rock, because it is so hot right now. Not only is it comfy, but it is stylish. I feel like I wear something from their line weekly.

(Source)

3. I am celebrating my 1 year anniversary working for the SPCA. It is such an amazing and rewarding job. I get to be apart of saving innocent animals lives when they had nowhere else to go. The time and effort these amazing people put into these animals is overwhelming. I couldn't imagine a more rewarding career.

4. Being that it is mid-November, I wanted to do a small happy dance that the temperature has been pretty amazing. We have gotten some 60 degree weather and that is pretty great. I hear that may change this weekend, and we might get some of that 4 letter word that no one likes to say, but I will admit, we have been blessed with the weather we have had.

5. I want to remind everyone that I am hosting a tea (and coffee) swap. Sign ups are open until November 28th and all buddies will be announced by November 30th. It is a fun way to meet someone new and you get to sample some new tea or coffee. Sign up for the Tea Swap today!



In case you missed it...

Dear America, Today is Veteran's Day
Weekly Wins: Vol. 4
Wellness Wednesday:  Live in the present

Have a great weekend!


Linking up today with:

Today is a very special "wins" post. I am not only going to tell you my weekly wins, but a special win today as well. Might as well get right into it..

Special Wins

Last week marked my 1 year anniversary taking a chance on a new opportunity. It was an opportunity that excited me more than I could ever have imagined, and scared me on different levels. I left a cushy "corporate" job with good pay to work in non-profit. I took a leap in faith to try something new in hopes to de-stress my life. To help get myself away from the 50 hour work week.

Today I can look back on my whirlwind of a year and feel completely comfortable with the leap I took. My job is not only rewarding, but has some of the most resilient I have ever met. I get to help make a difference in my community and work with some crazy talented people.

I am so grateful. 

I am hoping to put together a post about what I have learned this year in a non-profit setting, and what you should know as a potential donor. I really can't wait to share this all with you!

Health Wins

 

I have been diagnosed with acid reflux. It doesn't sound so scary, but in reality with the stress I have been under lately with some family stuff, it completely set my gallbladder off on a rampage and I have some stomach ulcers. How is this a win you may ask? Well I am finally finding some relief with the use of some medications. I am not a big medication person, but I was in such agony, I needed to ask for help. I am on the mend and making some lifestyle changes to get myself back on a better track. 

Personal Wins

 

Me and R had a successful Friendsgiving on Saturday. We hosted 12 people and it went super smoothly. We had some great food with some great friends. Bring on Thanksgiving!

Blog Wins

 

The win here, is just posting regularly. I am also engaging more on my social media sites. I had some new followers through the week, which made me happy. Also, my annual Holiday Tea Swap is back. I would love if you joined us! Coffee is a new option this year! If you want to join and aren't into tea, we will partner you with another coffee lover! Get yourself signed up!

How was your week?