As 2018 truly steamrolls through the last few weeks (honestly where did this year go?) I want to try to go out on a grateful note. There are so many wonderful things to be thankful for each and every day and I believe Kween Oprah herself said if you keep a gratitude journal and write down a few things you’re grateful for each day, within a few weeks you will see a true change in yourself. Admittedly, I can’t keep that up for long and I’m also really terrible at journaling. I don’t know what to write, I hear it’s supposed to clear your head and help you get through your roadblocks, clear your thoughts and more. But, hey, I guess that’s what a couple hundred dollars and your own domain/website are also for!
I have taken you on the journey that was my year, so far, and I have had the most fun being able to connect with more likeminded women on Instagram, other blogs, blogging groups and more. I even joined the Women’s Inclusion Network here at Disney and to say I’m STOKED that we finally have a group like this is a true understatement. I’m basically hanging outside of every packed event trying to claw my way in and hopefully, one day, even have the opportunity to speak at these events.
But as I sit at my parent’s house and listen to the lovely sounds of the lake in the backyard I am reminded of how truly grateful I am to live in Florida. Growing up, we moved quite a lot and if you don’t mind a little TL;DR I was born outside of New York City and by the time I was 8 we were in Pittsburgh with a few stops along the way in Ohio and Missouri. However, through that time all of our family remained in New York making holidays a little less crowded as the four of us shared many cozy holidays together.
Now, over 14 years in the sunshininest of states I’m so fortunate to have so many family members who have made the great migration south. Now, our holidays are bustling, loud, fun and definitely a little boozy. I even have one more aunt that I’m trying to work my magic on because she needs to get her butt here to Florida ASAP! So, with a happy, family-filled heart here are a few other things I’m thankful for today:
Black Friday Shopping: This is truly the best time of the year and I love pre-planning the sales and now that we can do it all online it’s so much more fun. I would rather cozy back up in bed with a coffee and my laptop than fight the crowds. Is there nothing more satisfying than telling your friends that you got their gift at 40% with free shipping? A TF (True Friend) will respect the hell out of that discount! Also, if you ARE shopping online this holiday why aren’t you using Ebates? This site will give you cash back at over thousands of stores! Honestly, my mom is raking in the dough on this site and I just got a few dollars back myself. Go forth, spend and make some coin!
Shine Text Messages: Shine is really cool service my girlfriends and I found a few years ago. Every morning you get the sweetest motivation text that will help you get your feet on the ground and start your day. I have mine set for 8 a.m. and I love reading the advice, motivation, positive affirmations and more. They have the cutest swag and I love talking with my friends later in the day about our Shine text and what it means to us. It’s just another fun thing to share with my friends who live in different parts of the country to keep us in lock and step. However, the distance is still making Happy Hours REALLY hard….ugh!
New Music: Ok, so I may have mentioned once, twice? Seventeen times? Mumford and Sons is one of my favorite bands basically ever in the world. They released a new album this past week, Delta, and while they are NOT coming to Florida on their tour (I’m still so sad/bitter), this album is a nice departure from their last album, Wilder Mind and is giving me some retro Mumford vibes with a mix of strings. I think strings are the new guitars. Let that be known, I’m not saying orange is the new pink…that would make me seriously disturbed. ? BUT, Hanson did just come out with a new album, String Theory, and redid their favorite songs with an orchestra. There is something here you guys, I think we’re going to see this as a new music trend and I for one am HERE for it!
Family Traditions: We don’t have many traditions here in at Jarvisville, and we thankfully are not that 5k Turkey Trot fam but lately my mom and I have been doing a fun few things that help add some flair to the holiday! I don’t like pie. There, I said it. It’s a controversial statement but I have to go with my true self here. Something about it really makes me gag so my mom tasks me with coming up with a fun dessert for Thanksgiving that is not pie related but still in the pumpkin family! This year…French Macarons. Yeah, I’m an insane person. These are supposedly one of the hardest cookies to make and your girl DID IT! My mom and I slaved for roughly 4 hours to make less than 30 cookies but it was totally worth it, we had so much fun and we are just so darn proud of ourselves. Without this tradition, I don’t know if we knew we were capable of such culinary masterpieces!
So, these are just a few things that I’m thankful for today as I climb back into bed with my second cup of coffee, honestly, the coffee at Jarvisville is to die for. It’s not even 10 a.m. and I am full of thanks, gratitude and maybe one or two macarons! Have a wonderful Turkey Day wherever you are and do me a favor and tell me what you’re thankful for this holiday in the comments, I can’t wait to hear!!
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