Stuff & Things 2/16

Before I begin, I realized that I never shared here Baby's gender!

Today, I am 26 weeks into my pregnancy, and now that I'm over halfway into this journey, there are some things that I've discovered about being pregnant.

1. Being asked, "How are you feeling?" is really annoying.
First, I know people are asking out of genuine kindness.
Second, I have asked many a pregnant friend or colleague this same question multiple times throughout her pregnancy.
BUT what I didn't fully grasp is that I'm not the only person who was asking that question.  Now, I'm understanding how draining that question can be.  Walking into school, I may be asked by two or three people (especially if they're colleagues I don't see on a daily basis) how I'm feeling.

The truth is that I AM feeling pretty good!  Things are going well, and other than being worn out by the end of the day, I'm mostly ok.

2. It's amazing how many times a person can need to go to the bathroom.
One second all is well, the next second, Baby Boy is dancing on my bladder.  I am grateful that I teach 6th graders because it's much easier to leave them for two minutes to run to the restroom.

3. People are quick to remind you that parenting isn't all sunshine and rainbows.
Last week, Kristin wrote a post about her least favorite comment. In my comment on the post, I mentioned that my current least favorite comment is "Just you wait."  This comment follows a story or vent by a parent about some crazy or annoying or awful thing her child(ren) has done.

I know that parenting isn't all sunshine and rainbows.  I'm a teacher for goodness sake.  Some of those things I know just simply from encountering people's children on a daily basis.

But this IS an exciting time in my life, and I'd like to hear, "Just you wait." after some heartwarming story that is told about your kids.

4.  Feeling your baby move is absolutely amazing!
I love it when Baby Boys is moving around in there.  There's starting to be more in the way of kicking now, which is fun.  I love that Scott can now feel that movement.  He's finally starting to believe that there really is a baby in there!  haha

5. Leggings (I obviously didn't just discover these, but I have a new appreciation for them).
I am beyond thankful that it's legging season.  I've invested in quite a few maternity tops, but I only bought 3 pairs of maternity jeans (which are practically like leggings themselves since they don't involve zippers or buttons).

6. Sometimes, you get out of doing things.
People don't ask you to carry stuff.  They let you sit down more.  People are ok with your house being a disaster because you have "an excuse" for being too tired to get it done.

These are things I can totally live with.

Stuff & Things: Currently

Linking up again this week with Kristin and Joey for Stuff & Things.

And let's be honest, if I didn't do this these days, I probably wouldn't blog about anything besides books....

Currently...

Watching: Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E.  If you haven't seen this, I highly recommend it.  I had listened to the audio version of Leah's book Troublemaker in February last year, and apparently, I somehow forgot to share it in my monthly book review:

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I LOVED this book. I've always liked Leah Remini, and I really enjoyed hearing her story. I listened to this on Audible, and it was to great to literally hear her read her book.

I did not know that Leah Remini was a Scientologist, nor did I know a whole lot about Scientology. It was fascinating and horrifying to hear all of the things that Leah went through, as well as to hear about her successes in show business.

The show includes interviews with people who have left Scientology, including many people who were high up and in some type of leadership within the organization.  It's just fascinating.  And infuriating.

Feeling: The baby move!  I've been feeling him or her hopping around for a couple of weeks, and it's seriously the weirdest (but coolest) thing.  Words can't even accurately describe what it's like, but I will just say that I have officially learned the difference between Baby moving and gas bubbles....

Listening to: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton thanks to Kristin's recommendation!

Looking forward to: Monday.  Normally, I hate Mondays, but THIS Monday, Scott and I will be going to my next doctor's appointment, and if Baby cooperates, we'll find out if we've got a boy or a girl growing in there!

Recovering from: The plague a cold and the stomach bug I was fortunate enough to have over the weekend.  It was a quick hit, and it didn't last long, but I am SO bad at being sick.  My stomach is back to normal, but the cold thinks it's cool to hang out.

Wishing: That we hadn't had a snow day today.  We had some icy conditions, but I actually feel pretty confident that our original 2 hour delay would've been sufficient.  Now, we've lost a day from our break in February.

Reading: The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers  I borrowed this on eBook from my local library, and I suppose I should probably get back to it because it's due back on the 17th, and I haven't gotten very far!

What stuff and things are currently happening with you?

1st Stuff & Things of 2017

So the "thing" to do in the blogging world is to have a "word of the year."  I've always admired bloggers who are committed to finding their word and working on it throughout the year.  As a sort of blogger, I find myself wanting to take part in this, procrastinating, not being able to think of something, and then moving on.

But THIS YEAR...

I think I've got it.

And I've actually totally stolen it from someone else.  But whatever.

I don't know if any of you have ever seen the TLC show Little People Big World.  I started watching it years ago when I would just put TLC on in the background while I did whatever, and it caught my attention.  For a very brief rundown of the show, it is the story of Matt and Amy Roloff who are little people with four children (who are all grown up now).  Three of their children are average height, and one of them is also a little person.  Jeremy and Zach are twins, but Zach is an LP.  They also have a daughter, Molly, and a son, Jacob.  Currently, Molly and Jacob are not really active on the show (although Molly does pop in from time to time), but Jeremy and Zach are both married.  (They are the two girls at the top of the picture.  Tori is on the left and Audrey is on the right.)

So why am I telling you all of this, and what does it have to do with my word for the year?

I'm so glad you asked.

Through the show, I started following Audrey's blog.  A slogan she has lived by since she was a teenager is "always more."  As I was watching last night's new episode, it hit me.

And that's when I stole it.

This year, my word of the year (even though it's actually two words) will be "Always More."  This isn't about greed or gaining more wealth or worldly possessions.  I went back to Audrey's blog, and she actually adopted this from Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine..."

When I went through having an ectopic pregnancy this summer, it was hard.  The timing was great for both the school year and my cousin's wedding in May.  It was perfect.  Except that it wasn't.  There was MORE.  God had a different plan.  He had something else in store.  And here I am, 20 weeks pregnant today.

I want to get more out of my relationships with my husband, family, and friends.

I want to get more out of this amazing experience of being pregnant.

I want to get more from becoming a mother for the first time and building a relationship with this new little life we have created.

I want to be more present.

I want to pray more.

I want to put more of myself into the things that I love and am passionate about.

That is what Always More will mean for me this year.

(and maybe I'll get a piece of Always More merchandise from Audrey's shop....who knows?)

Stuff & Things 12/22

So if you follow me on Instagram or if we are Facebook friends, you have already seen this, but I'm sure you'll bear with me because you love me.

This is big news that I can finally share with everyone!

Coming in May 2017...a baby!

I'm so excited for all that 2017 is going to bring, and I'm thankful for a wonderful 2016!

Stuff & Things...to Buy Your Child's Teacher

Ok.  I'm copping out here, but today, I was totally thinking about this post I wrote last December.  And I thought, "I should share that for Stuff & Things this week."

And then I forgot that it was actually Thursday.

I was mid-sentence with my students today, talking about what they would be doing tomorrow, and I stopped to say, "Wait, tomorrow is Friday, right?"  Fortunately, tomorrow is Friday.

I digress.

Christmas is coming up, and I have to say that I have had more than one friend who has contacted me over the years and asked what kind of gift they should buy for their child's teacher.  I'm always happy to share my thoughts based on gifts that I have received in the past.

Remember, it is never necessary or required to buy your child's teacher a gift.  But it is a very nice gesture that makes us feel genuinely grateful and appreciated.

Here's my original post.

Stuff and Things I'm Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving!

via

I hope you are all able to enjoy this holiday with those you hold near and dear.

Since the election, there has been a lot of whining, complaining, name calling, and general uproar across the country.  It can't be escaped.  It's on TV, Instagram, Facebook, etc.  Today, especially, I hope that we all take the time to reflect on the things for which we are thankful and to appreciate our many blessings.

I am thankful for...

...my husband.  
He works so hard, and he knows how to make me laugh.

...my family.
We are not perfect, but we love each other despite our differences.

...my friends.
I have the most amazing friends who are always there when I need them.  They're around in good times and in bad, and I'm lucky to have them in my life.

...freedom.
People are dissatisfied in this country right now.  But we are incredibly blessed to live in this amazing nation.

...those who serve.
I am beyond grateful to the men and women who serve our country every day to protect our freedom and our rights.

...my job.
Some days I really would rather be anywhere else but at work, but teaching can be so rewarding.  And, of course, it helps to pay the bills allows me to be able to meet my basic needs.

What are you most thankful for this year?

Stuff and Things 10/6

Fall is truly in full swing.

I can't decide if it's because it was such a hot summer or if it really is this chilly.

I feel like we went from hot, humid, and miserable to gee, it's cold.

I will take this moment to remind you to join Kristin and I for The 5th Annual Great Pumpkin Swap!  Sign ups end TOMORROW (at 11:59 P,M. EST)!  If you haven't signed up yet, come join us!  It's so much fun!  (Click the swap link to fill out the sign up form.)

In other news, I've decided that I want a new handbag.  When my Shoedazzle.com showroom updated for October, I thought I'd actually check out their handbags for a change.

I didn't like the ones in my showroom, so I decided to browse the shop.  I went ahead and filtered by color and selected brown and black.

Can I admit, though, that I'm not really a brown and blag hand bag person?  I know that it's certainly more practical to have a handbag in one of these colors, but I'm just drawn to bags in other colors....

I used to do direct sales with Celebrating Home (a company that has since closed its doors), and they had a line of handbags and accessories called Penelope Ann.  There was one bag I particularly like and ended up with it in three colors: black, red, and turquoise.  My black one ripped inside after lots of use.  And now I'm left with just the two colors.

But I digress...I came across this bag from Shoedazzle:

Amir handbag- ShoeDazzle

I actually do like this color, but then I saw this....

Amir Handbag- Shoedazzle

I mean, purple is my color.

And, of course, it's sold out in this color.

I also feel like this is a great handbag color for fall.

Alas, I skipped the month for my VIP account.  I'll keep an eye out for this bag to come back.  Because I really think I need it.

Anyone else have an aversion to neutral colored handbags?

Stuff and Things 9/22

Have I mentioned that I love that this link up is back?  It gives me a purpose to at least blog once a week.

*Starting the school year has been rough.  I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things soon.  Right now, I'm just plain exhausted.

*I can't decide if I should be angry that Big Brother is doing a fall season, but it's exclusively on CBS All Access.  I'm a fan, but I'm NOT paying extra money just to get stressed out about finding time to watch another show.

*Tomorrow, two of my fellow September birthday friends and I are heading out for a birthday dinner and to a local high school football game.  My Alma Mater and the school in which I teach are playing each other!  There may or may not be a bet involved.  But luckily, it's pretty low stakes...loser has to display the score as their FB cover photo for the week and buy the winner a drink the next time we go out.

*It's cooled off here lately, and it was a welcome change.  While I don't like being cold, I find that it's WAY easier to add clothing to warm up than it is to take off clothing when you're too hot.  As an educator, there's a limit to how little clothing I'm allowed to be wearing.  HAHA

*If you haven't joined The Balanced Life Sisterhood with Robin yet, you totally should.  The September work out is tough but amazing!  I feel so great when I'm done with it.  And I love that most days, I only need to find 10 minutes (or less) to work out!

*Tune in on MONDAY to sign up for The 5th Annual Great Pumpkin Swap with Kristin and me!  I can't wait to see who joins us!

Stuff and Things: Currently

Currently....

...waiting for my regular shows to start their new seasons.  Seriously, what is everyone waiting for??  I'm going to be picking up a new show this year, too.  Michael Weatherly left NCIS at the end of last season, and he's going to be starring in a new CBS show this fall, Bull.  I'm basically in love with him, so I need to watch this show.

...listening to The Lake House by Kate Morton.  It's one of three audio books I downloaded from Audible at the end of August.

...wishing for cooler weather.  I want to wear boots.  And sweaters.  I'm pretty sure I talked about this last week.  Don't get me wrong.  I DON'T want winter, and I DON'T want it to be cold.  I'm just over this heat.

...glad that my parents got me an Old Navy gift card for my birthday.  I got another great haul of stuff for an amazing deal.  Between my Super Cash and the gift card, I was super excited to shop.

...loving my CrockPot.  I've decided to make at least one meal in the CrockPot each week.  It really makes my life so much easier.  My parents got us a nice one for Christmas last year that has a timer so we don't have to over cook our food on our long, long days.  I also got smart last week.  I have a tendency to want to throw everything in the pot itself the night before, but it doesn't fit well in our fridge.  So last week, I chopped up the potatoes and veggies I needed for my roast and threw them in a gallon Ziplock baggie.  Then I just dumped them in and added the roast in the morning, and it only took a couple minutes.  Why didn't I think of this before??

...excited about The 5th Annual Great Pumpkin Swap!  I can't wait to see who's going to join up with Kristin and I to swap fall packages this year!  Stay tuned for details!

What stuff and things are currently happening with you this week?

Stuff and Things is Back!!

I was so happy when Kristin and Joey announced that they were bringing back the Stuff and Things link up!  I'm pretty much an awful blogger lately, but this link up gives me an excuse to write and my post doesn't have to be super elaborate.  It can be a list of totally random things!  Yay! :)

So this week, I have some confessions.

Going back to work is hard.
I know, I know.  I had an entire summer off.  But that just makes it that much harder to go back to work and get back into the swing of things.  Now instead of having all day to do what I want and need to do, I have this thing called WORK that gets in the way.  That limits me to just hours to get accomplished what MUST be done, and way less time for what I want.

I'm ready for fall.
I love summer.  I really do, but now that school is back in session, I'm ready for crisp days and nights, boots, sweaters, and warm beverages.

I have a serious sweater problem.
I went to the mall with a friend last weekend, and I didn't buy a single thing.  Not one!  I realized that part of my problem was that I am just in the mood to start buying sweaters and either no one really had any or I didn't like the ones I saw.  #firstworldproblems

I am not drinking enough water.  
Since going back to school I am lucky if I drink 6 cups (48 oz.) of water a day.  I really need to be drinking at least 8.  But let me be real, the first weeks of school, I am doing a lot more of standing in front of the class talking and running around like a chicken with my head off.  I literally do not have time to drink my water.  It's a problem.  I have a slight headache every day, and I know it's because I'm not staying hydrated.  I'm not sure what to do about this....

I'm a sucker for helping people with their direct sales companies.
I used to work for a direct sales company.  Some people are wildly successful with these, and I had moments of success, but nothing that was worth my continuing.  In the end, I'm pretty sure I usually ended up losing money.

THEREFORE, I feel compelled to help out my friends and family when they do direct sales.  My cousin is a sales consultant with Tastefully Simple.  They have lots of yummy food products from seasonings to dip mixes, to soups, meal kits, etc.  I'm hosting a party with her this month.  Orders are due on Monday!  If you need to stock up on your favorite or are interested in giving Tastefully Simple a try, just CLICK HERE to "go to" my party!

I'm very excited for The 5th Annual Great Pumpkin Swap! 

Kristin and I are teaming up again this year to host The 5th Annual Great Pumpkin Swap.  This swap is my most favorite of the ones I've done.  I've met some great people by becoming their swap partner, and I'm still in contact with many of them today!  You should really join us (and you don't have to have a blog to participate)!  Stay tuned for details coming later this month!!

Anything you'd like to confess this week?  I'd love to read about it! :)

Stuff & Things: Daily Routine

Yesterday, Joey  published a post about mornings, and it included her routine.  I was inspired to write a post about what my regular daily routine looks like.

(Although, this is NOT my routine today, as I am on Easter break!)

6:00 A.M.  The alarm goes off on my phone.  I turn it off, turn on the local news on TV, and proceed to spend a half an hour checking my social media, email, and taking my turn in Yahtzee and/or Words with Friends.  (This time also often involves making a post on Facebook or Twitter about how bad I am at or how much I hate mornings....)

6:30 A.M. Pry myself out of bed to the bathroom to wash my face and put in my contacts.  Then I usually put on one of the shows on the DVR to "watch" while I do my make-up and hair and get dressed.

7:10 A.M.  This is NOT the ideal time.  I'd prefer it to be 7, but as I can't get out of bed until 6:30.... I go downstairs to make my breakfast protein shake.  (Although, last week, I made yummy, healthy banana nut muffins from The Balanced Life Sisterhood February Recipe Bundle to have each day.)

7:25 A.M. Out the door to drop my niece off at school and head to work.

8:00 ish A.M.  I usually arrive at school around 8 or a little after.  Our teacher report time is 8:10.  I get into the building, check my mail, go to my classroom, turn on my classroom lamps (I hate fluorescent lighting), and maneuver the desks back to where they're supposed to be.

8:10 A.M. Depending on the day, I either get to chill/work in my classroom until my students arrive, chat with my friend Kim who works in the building, go to rehearsal with the teacher's singing group I'm in, or attend a meeting.

8:30 A.M.-3:35 P.M.  Students arrive at 8:30, and from then on I am herding cats, so to speak.  I teach three 80 minute English Language Arts (Reading & Writing) classes each day.  Mixed in there is a 40 minute morning planning time, lunch, and at the end of the day a 30 minute enrichment/remediation period or activity period.

3:35 P.M.  Buses are gone (if we're lucky), and I hop in the car to head back home!

4:15 ish P.M.  Arrive at home and go inside to change for my workout.

4:30 P.M.-5:30 P.M.  Work Out (lately this has been walking on the treadmill and a #30DayPilatesBody routine

5:30 P.M. Make dinner

6:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. ??- The rest of my day depends on what needs to be done.  I've started trying to do at least one cleaning task each day.  Ideally, I would like to be in bed by 9, but more often, I am getting READY for bed at 9 including showering, Bible reading, etc.  Some days, I consider it lucky if I'm asleep by 10.

So  what's your daily routine look like??

Stuff & Things: Currently...

So I totally stole this from Kristin's post on Tuesday.  I haven't been writing much.  I actually have some ideas on a list, but I haven't really been inspired.  I thought it would be a good time to let you all know that I'm still alive and well and to hook up with Kristin and Joey for Stuff & Things!

Reading... All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr; I am also looking for a nonfiction novel to incorporate into my reading curriculum next year, so I am reading Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston.

Loving... pilates!  I signed up for the #30DayPilatesBody Challenge with Robin from The Balanced Life  I also joined the Balanced Life Sisterhood, and while the challenge doesn't start until March, I've gone through her beginner videos, and plan to do some others to get ready for the challenge.  If you'd like to join the challenge, click here!

Buying... Nothing at this exact moment, but DoTerra is having a BOGO sale this week.  I'm keeping an eye on the daily deals to possible stock up or try some new oils.   (I'm also LOVING these, by the way.)

Appreciating.... My students.  They are working in groups to finish activities for the book Hatchet.  I love listening to them work.  :)

Wondering... What to make for dinner tonight.  #storyofmylife

Eating... better.  I was really off track of healthier choices for a couple of weeks.  I just wasn't "feeling" it.  I wanted to eat what I wanted to eat.  So I did.  

Drinking... Water, as usual.  At school, I have a Brita bottle that filters my water, but at home, I have a glass water bottle and I've been adding DoTerra Lemon essential oil.  Yummy!  

I got this Ello glass water bottle on Amazon.  It's awesome!

Watching... Parenthood on Netflix.  So apparently, when I finished Season 5 on Netflix, I was under the impression that it was over.  BUT as it turns out, Season 6 was the final season and was recently released on Netflix.  I started season 1 while I was on the treadmill yesterday.  

Feeling... content.  For the moment.  I'm also excited.  While I was writing about what I'm watching, I also remember that Fuller House will be released on Netflix TOMORROW (Feb. 26th)!  It's freaking ridiculous how excited I am.  

Failing... at blogging.  As I've already said, I haven't been around much lately.

Succeeding... at starting to get and stay organized at home.  Scott and I had our house appraised last week.  Prior to the appraisal, I had a LOT of work to do to get the house cleaned and somewhat organized before allowing a stranger into our home.  Now that it's clean, I'm working to keep it that way.  I started following @cleanmama on Instagram.  She posts one cleaning task each day.  I'm off to a good start.

Keeping... up with work at work.  I'm ahead on my lesson plans and I'm done with a lot of other things.  Hence, the writing of this post.  I am about to have numerous tests and papers to grade over the rest of the week.  So I'm enjoying the breather while it lasts.

Planning... some time to get together with friends over the next month.

What's *currently* going on with you?

Stuff & Things 1/28

I was just reading everyone's Stuff & Things posts, and I decided I needed to throw together a little post and join in with Kristin & Joey for the fun!

First, thank goodness January is almost over.  I loathe the month of January.  Bring on February.  If things continue as they are, we have Thursday, February 11th-Monday, February 15th off for Presidents' Day weekend.  I.  Need.  A.  Break.

Second, I have a boot problem.  I set a goal of not spending money on unnecessary items in January.  I had been spending a lot recently, and then there was Christmas, so...I did pretty well.  Until this week.

I just bought two pairs of boots.

In my defense, ShoeDazzle put $20 in my account because they "haven't seen me in awhile," and I scored these two pairs for about $62.  Also, I bought the black ones to replace a pair on which the heels are worn out.  I wear my boots until the death.

Third, I also bought a new Thirty-One wristlet, BUT we were at our friends' house the other night, and their dog chewed my wrist strap apart.  I did score it on eBay for cheap, and it's brand-new.  So there's that.

What's going on with you this week?

Stuff & Things: Nail Polish Edition

Most of my blog posts around here lately have been about books or teaching.  I thought it would be nice to do something a bit more fun.

I also thought I'd take advantage of it being Thursday and link up this post with Kristin & Joey for Stuff & Things!

So let's talk nail polish!  I've been taking the time more often to give myself at home manicures.  This is probably mostly due to the fact that Scott is working all of the time, and I have nothing better to do with my time, but that is neither here nor there.

Here are some of my manis from the last month:

1. Julep "Nancy"
2. Julep "Linda" with Pure Ice "Beware" on the accent nail
3. Essie "Smokin' Hot"
4. Julep "Sandi" with Julep "Sigourney" accent nail (That purple is actually darker than the flash made it appear.  There wasn't quite as much contrast between those nails and the accent nail.)
5. Julep gray polish (the sticker with the name came off!) and Julep "Yumi" on the accent nails

Julep is a monthly box subscription service for nail polish and beauty products.  While I certainly don't get a box each month, you can do whatever works best for you (and your wallet)!  You choose a style that fits best for you and can even customize your box.  Boxes start out at $20, but you just pay shipping on your first box!  If you'd like to sign up and join the fun, click here!

Stuff & Things I Want for Christmas

I thought it would be fun to link up with Kristin & Joey today for Stuff & Things!  I decided to share some things on my Christmas wish list this year!

1. Books- I asked for a ton of books this year.  In fact, I was killing time in Barnes & Nobel one day, and I just grabbed my phone and started making a list of books I wanted.

2. Alex and Ani bracelets- I'm obsessed with these!  I just started my collection.  So far, I have the "B" initial.  I have a September birthstone and the elephant one on their way.  I also have a similar bracelet from Jewelry in Candles.  Theirs are called Crysalis.  The one I chose has a Christmas tree on it.  I liked this picture because I thought it looked pretty, but I only want the bracelets in silver.

3. Miller Throwback Jersey- Make fun if you must, but I think the Throwback Jerseys (aka Bumblebee jerseys) are fun!

4. Victoria's Secret The Dreamer Henley Pajama- I have 2 pairs of these already.  My newest pair came with a sleep mask and fit better than the first pair (my first pair is too big).  They are super cute and comfy!  I like this color, as well.

5. iTunes gift card- I have a bunch of music I would like to download.  I didn't want to go overboard, so I asked my brother for either the albums or an iTunes gift card so I could download them myself.

6.  Remote Car Starter- Seriously.  There is nothing more irritating than running out to start my car before leaving for work.  It's not just about liking to have a warm car when it's cold out.  In winter time, it's usually a necessity to heat up the windshield to more easily rid it of snow and/or ice before driving.  I will typically throw on whatever shoes are handy and run out to start it, but when it gets REALLY cold, I need to bundle up, go out, start the car, take off the bundling, finish getting ready, bundle back up....Get my point?

What is on your wish list this Christmas?

Stuff & Things: Time for Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you are all enjoying time today with people you love, good food, and full hearts!

I decided to link up with Kristin and Joey today for Stuff & Things, and I thought it was a perfect day to share some things that I'm thankful for.  BUT rather than the regular, boring, "I'm thankful for my husband, family, etc..." (You all know that I am!), I thought it would be fun to share some other things I'm thankful for this year!

1. My cell phone
Seriously, I don't know how I ever survived in life before I had a cell phone.  It is my endless source of connection to the outside world, entertainment, and boredom buster.  I never leave home without it....and if I do, my whole day is off kilter.

2. My FitBit
I love that this validates my life by proving that my daily steps are actually meaningful and that the endless laps around my classroom really are helping me to burn calories.

3. My blankie
I still sleep with my baby blanket, and I'm so glad that I have it.  That blanket brings me comfort and helps me to sleep at night.

4. Books
In both audio and paper format, I love, love, love books.  I love that I can "read" more than one book at a time because one I can listen to as I go about other things in life (like driving to work) and the other I can curl up with on the couch or in bed.

5. Television
Whether I'm binge watching TV shows on Netflix, watching a movies or other TV shows, doing my PiYo workout, or just need some background noise, I would not be able to survive without my TV.

6. Christmas Music
I think it's pretty special that the Christmas holiday has it's own genre of music.  There is a special quality to Christmas music that other songs just don't have.  I don't care what people say about it being "too early" for Christmas music.  I started listening to my collection on the first of October, and I still haven't gotten through all of it yet!

7. Cheat Days
I am doing my best to keep my food intake within my daily calorie limits each day.  With exercise and watching my calories, I have actually lost about 16 pounds and was able to get back into clothes that had gotten too small.  As proud as I am of this, I also really love food, and I simply refuse to be picky about what or how much I eat on Thanksgiving.  :)

8. Boots
Enough said.

So what things are you thankful for this Thanksgiving??