Gratitude for the Daily Uses (Appliance Edition)

As I started out the year intentionally deciding to de-clutter my personal things and making a choice not to purchase new things unless absolutely necessary (focusing on simplicity rather than minimalism), we also started to re-evaluate our major appliances and decided that after some twenty plus years, we had to update our stove, our washer & create a new office space for The Huz. The process of choosing, finding good deals and acquiring these upgrades comes with some enjoyment, but we also hit some snags.  Without getting into specifics, some things didn't go as planned and we had to course correct & frankly, we're still hitting some bumps as we continue to complete one of the projects. We also have a list of growing home projects down the line to improve our living space that feel necessary and about time. It can and does become overwhelming, but I'm overall thankful and choosing to focus on the positive.

All these occurrences and especially the moments when it feels like things aren't going the way I want them to, is when I feel it most necessary to go over what makes me feel thankful. Of course, there are the big things I'm always thankful for such as The Huz and my two boys who bring me so much joy--they are permanently part of my gratitude rituals. I'm also thankful for the health & well-being of our extended loved ones. Honestly, these are truly, truly what I consider the big things--the most important blessings and everything else is truly just extra (cream cheese) icing on the cake.😊  

That being said, I also have to give some attention to the things around my house that make life easier and enjoyable & I'm thankful for these things.  

• Stove: The oven broke on my old one and two of the burners stopped working. So, I made due with two burners to prepare stove top meals for a while. It was no big deal and I just adjusted to it. But when I recently got the new one, I became hyper aware of the benefits of having additional burners and an oven that works. It's easy to take it for granted, but every time I take a casserole dish out of the oven or fresh baked biscuits, I find myself saying a "thank you" under my breath for the privilege of its use. 
• Slow Cooker:  I seriously have made so many meals with this handy dandy kitchen appliance. It's the best way to incorporate vegetables into our diet because you can pretty much just throw it in for soups and stews, seasoning it in whatever ways that one finds delicious. Just a little bit of prep work and the device does all the work. Again, making an effort to not take this favorite appliance for granted.
  
• Rice Cooker: We consume rice, if not necessarily daily, pretty close to it. And this appliance makes life super easy because all I have to do is wash it, put the right amount of water, set it & practically forget it.  It won't burn the rice since it turns off automatically and makes my life a heck of lot easier. 
• Refrigerator and top loading freezer: They sit side-by-side in my kitchen and although it is often taken for granted, I'm thankful they are there to store our food. I want to make sure I give them some gratitude attention because never is their value more glaring as when one doesn't have one or they break down somehow. They're amazing appliances and again, I'm thankful for them. 
• Microwave: Thanks for making heating meals faster & easier.
• Toaster: Thank you for making toasting bread a no-brainer.
• Air Fryer: Thankful for the newest member of my kitchen arsenal for making things delicious and crispy without adding any oil. This was a Christmas gift from a family member and again, I express gratitude. I'm still finding new things to cook in it so those discoveries are super fun. 
• Hand-held can opener: I had one recently break on me (one I had for a long time) so I went out and bought a new one and realized how much I appreciate this little guy.
  
• Washer: Without this appliance, I'd have to wash clothes by hand. Sigh.  That would be a real drag. So, I'm ultra thankful for this wonder of wonders. 
• Hand-held vacuum: Truthfully, my First-born is the main user of this one, but I'm thankful that he does and that it works great to help with the overall cleaning of our space. 
  

There are more things around the house that make life easier that are often taken for granted, but you get the idea.  Having these things are a privilege and are causes for gratitude. They really are.  And when I feel like there's a bump in our journey, I'm going to make an effort to remember what I'm thankful for. It helps put things in perspective. Super thankful for life! Sending light & love out to all of you! XOXO 😘 

  

My Inner Non-Traditional Evolution

Love this idea!

 

 The Huz and I had a lovely wedding some 20+ years ago. It was pretty traditional--with the beautiful dresses and suits, a guest list of some of our closest family and friends (and some not so), decorations, a pricey reception etc...and because we genuinely focused on our marriage and future and not just the day itself, I regret nothing and have many fond memories. But the most stand-out memory we have of that day--the topic that always comes up when we discuss the actual day--is how excited we both were to get through the day so we could go to our honeymoon in Orlando, Florida. At the time, it was a highly non-traditional place to go for a honeymoon (and believe me, we heard about it 😏) but we were so hyped and thrilled to go. It was going to be our first time there but has now become our absolute favorite place to vacation for our family of four.

The other day The Youngest and I were watching a show with a gender reveal party scene and I told my son I'm so glad that this trend wasn't "a thing" when I was pregnant with him and his brother. I would hope that even if it were, I wouldn't buy into it especially since I was never focused on the gender of my kids but on genuinely having a  healthy pregnancy, birth and child. I had a baby shower with The First-Born and didn't even feel the need for a second baby shower with The Youngest because I felt we had enough. Honestly, when you're having a baby, all you need is an abundance of diapers--so a "diaper shower"? Maybe that should catch on. 😁

These days I feel like my inner peace and happiness is grounded in simplicity. I see non-traditional wedding invitations such as the one above and I'm so drawn to it. How unbothered it all seems.  And I'm here for it. If we didn't have the constraints of tradition and expectation, this would have been the most ideal way to celebrate our union together. The Huz and I are not fussy people.

I don't see anything wrong with fancy things and feel no judgement toward others' lifestyles. My thoughts and feelings are not rooted in judging or condemning other people's choices.  But for me, simplicity is the ultimate goal.  Seems backwards to some who want to pursue bigger more grandiose things.  But it's forward moving for me.  Yup.  I'm definitely changing and evolving. 

As usual, sending light and love out to you all! XOXO
 

Turning Pages is a Workout

I mostly use my Kindle and have so many books in the queue, but recently I've utilized my local library to finish up some books in a series I didn't have stored up. Fortunately, my local library had the selections in their inventory and I felt good supporting them. Every once in a while, tap into your local library & check to see what they have for you. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you. 😊 Plus, turning actual pages is more of a work-out than pressing the touch screen. 😉Stay peaceful everyone & I hope you check out these following selections if you're interested in Contemporary Romance stories. Just remember, these selections are meant for 18+.

Dare to Desire (Dare to Love Book 2) by Carly Phillips:  Alex is an athlete whose career is cut short due to an injury.  He gets an opportunity working for his half-brother that would allow him to make a difference in athletes' lives during & after their sports careers.  He becomes reacquainted with a former flame, Madison, that makes him realize what he wants his future to look like.  But he has a womanizing past and Madison isn’t one to easily forget that.  Alex has many swoon worthy moments in this story. I enjoyed reading Alex and Madison’s journey. 

 

 

Emma’s Dream (Morgan’s Run Romances Book 1) by M. Lee Prescott:  Ben and Maggie had a one-night stand a few years ago.  Ben moved on (without any real goodbyes) to start and build a successful business miles from their hometown.  When he has a stress attack, he’s ordered by his doctor to stay away from work and relax.  Ben returns to his hometown and is now once again sharing life space with Maggie.  And he still feels the sparks that led to their one-night stand all those years ago.  But Maggie has a secret surprise for Ben.  Many things are in store for this hot couple! 

 

 

One White Lie: Barrington Billionaire’s Series: Book 1 by Jeannette Winters:  Brice is very career focused and was/is willing to give up anything and everything to achieve his goals.  He has something to prove to his abusive father or maybe to himself.  He fell in love with Lena but decided to abruptly break-up with her when he felt that she may hinder his goals or that he couldn’t give her everything he felt she deserved.  Somehow she comes back into his life and old feelings resurface.  He doesn’t know what his motivations are anymore.  And Lena is hiding something from him.  For me, Brice was a hard character to warm up to.  He seemed unkind and I didn’t like how he treated Lena.  But I stuck with it.  And now I’m recommending it.  LOL!  I enjoyed this love story.