31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 31

Oct 31st: Friends

I started this project off with family, and am ending it with my friends. It seems fitting, as family and friends are easily the things I have been blessed with the most in my life.

My friends, each and every one of them, has a special place in my heart and I appreciate the happiness they bring to my life. Descriptive words such as supportive, thoughtful, trustworthy and reliable come to mind when I think of them. Without these people, my life would be empty. I have a friend who I've known my entire life, friends from high school and college, and friends here in Des Moines. Regardless of where I met them or how long I've known them, each person has played a significant part in my life - each has attributed to my growth as a person and each has helped me see this world differently. It is truly a blessing to have people in my life that I can count on to help me get through the tough times and help me to celebrate the good. It is truly a blessing to have the security of knowing I can rely on so many people whenever I need them, with whatever the need may be. And it is truly a blessing that there are people in my life who accept me for who I am. I truly believe that each one of my friends is in my life for a reason and today I take the time to say thank you. Thank you for making my life colorful, adventurous, and fun. Thank you for your support, your kind words and gestures, and your love. Thank you for being you and for being that "you" in my life.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 30

Oct 30th: A Productive Morning

I appreciate those days when you feel such a sense of accomplishment for getting "x" amount of things checked off your "to do" list. This morning, I went to church, did my grocery shopping, put gas in my car, and washed my car all before 10 AM. I also got caught up on my laptopping items, including blogging. Now I have the rest of the day to do a few more chores and hopefully spend some time with my book.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 29

Oct 29th: A Lazy Saturday

I would much rather be busy than have nothing to do, however, every once in a while, it feels great to have a lazy day. My lazy day occurred on Saturday. After getting out of bed that morning, I came downstairs, only to lay on the couch and watch TV for a couple of hours. Then I heated up leftovers for lunch, went for a short run, then over to Jake's to watch the Iowa game. Dinner out and more football wrapped up my relaxing day.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 28

Oct 28th: Comedic Relief

There's nothing like Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake to keep you smiling...

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 27

Oct 27th: A Sweet Message

I listened to a message from Regan the other day, telling me "thank you" for the Halloween treat I gave her. It melts my heart to hear her little voice.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 26

Oct 26th: A Compliment

It's such a great feeling to be complimented for something and can brighten one's day. Yesterday I was lucky enough to get several for the outfit I was wearing. (I think it was mainly the belt) I paired the red belt, which looks like a tie, with black pants and a white button up. What makes it even better is that this tie-like belt came with a denim mini I bought back in high school. I'm glad I decided to keep the belt and can bring it back after all these years. Vintage!

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 25

Oct 25th: A Bail Out of Sorts

I went to the post office over my lunch break today to mail a few things. Thankfully, Derrick went with. Why thankfully? Well, we got about halfway there when I realized I forgot my debit card. Huge "duh" on my part. Without even flinching, Derrick said, "Don't worry about it, I've got money." So thanks to him, we didn't have to turn around and walk all the way back to my building, get my money, and walk all the way to the post office. What a good friend! And just in case you're wondering, he will be paid in full tomorrow :)

10 American Companies That Give Back the Most

I ran across an interesting article today that referenced Forbes' list of the top 10 American companies who give the most to charities. Here's a quick rundown of the list, feel free to click the link to read more details.

1. Kroger Company
2. Macy's
3. Safeway
4. Dow Chemical Company
5. Bank of America
6. Morgan Stanley
7. General Mills
8. Xerox Corporation
9. Target Corporation
10. Whole Foods Market

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 24

Oct 24th: Surprises

I love surprises. I love surprising others and I love getting surprised myself. Today I walked into work and was welcomed by a wonderful gift on my desk. It was fabulous to start my day off on such a positive and thoughtful note from a co-worker.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 23

Oct 23rd: A Walk

I love taking walks, especially in the evening hours, after dinner. Yesterday, although I was not feeling well, I knew I had to get out at some point and enjoy the beautiful day. I was going stir crazy being cooped up in the house, so I went for a very short walk. Although it didn't last long, it still felt great to get a little fresh air, sun exposure, and very light exercise.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 22

Oct 22nd: A Good Book

It's hard to beat spending a few hours with a good book and no distractions - just you, in peace and quiet, with a book in hand.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 21

Oct 21st: Happy Hour

Happy hour is a great way to kickoff the weekend - unwind from the week with a cold beverage, while being surrounded by friends. Friday KC and I met up after work for a drink, had some good laughs, and walked around the mall for a bit.

Bonus - I've been on the hunt for some new hoodies and found one at Scheels for a very decent price!

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 20

Oct 20th: Music

Music can be such a powerful thing. It can inspire and evoke emotion. It can enhance your feelings and completely change your mood.

I thought about this on Thursday evening while at the Mews to see some local bands, including Cashes Rivers. I've been to a handful of Cashes Rivers shows, but no matter how often I see them play, their music never fails to spark some emotions out of me.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 19

Oct 19th: A Reason to Celebrate

I'll make up any reason to go out for an evening with friends. It just so happens tonight, we had a special reason - to celebrate the engagement of Les and Greg! It's hard to beat being surrounded by some of my favorite people with a plateful of Mexican food in front of me, and a good margarita in my hand.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 18

Oct 18th: Heat

Monday Les and I finally broke down and turned the heat on and set the temp at a blistering 68 degrees...afterall, it isn't cheap to heat a home. But, I am lucky to have the option of turning the heat on, and up the temp when I see fit, for that matter. As the temps outside continue to fall and we slowly ease our way into the winter months, I know I should count my blessings that I not only have a home, but a warm home to come home to.

Debbie Downer

In the elevator this morning:

Guy: Man, it didn't take long for it to get cold

Me: Yeah, it's only going to get worse

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I immediately regretted it. "Yeah, it's only going to get worse?? Easy Negative Nancy" I think was my exact thought. As he got off on floor 3 and I continued my ride up to 5, I was thinking about what the better response would've been. If I could go back and redo that conversation it would go something like this:

Guy: Man, it didn't take long for it to get cold

Me: I know, but it is going to get back up into the 60's this weekend!

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 17

Oct 17th: Volleyball

The Horrific Killer Pandas are back in action and I'm happy to report we started off our fall indoor season with a win! I'll admit, this morning when I remembered we had a game, I wasn't super excited about playing, but it felt great to get back out on the court. I really enjoy playing and thankful to have a fun team to play with.

Everyday I'm Shuffling

I saw this video a couple weeks ago and have been meaning to post it - Ohio University's marching band doing LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem"

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 16

Oct 16th: Good News

Sometimes I feel like you shouldn't be able to watch the news unless you have a prescription for Prozac, because it is usually filled with disheartening stories of war, scandal, and crime. It is so refreshing and uplifting to hear good news, especially when it hits so close to home. Today is a day to give thanks for the good news in life!

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 15

Oct 15th: Tailgating!

Jake and I went to Iowa City to tailgate yesterday and had a lot of fun. We were lucky enough to join Stacy and Jared and their family at their tailgate spot. It had been a couple of years since I'd been to Iowa City on a home football game day, so it was fun to be in the heart of it all. On our hunt for some tickets, I randomly ran into a few friends and was able to meet up with my aunt, which made the day even more fun. Good weather, good food, cold beverages, and being amongst good friends - it doesn't get any better than that.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 14

Oct 14th: Weekends

I LOVE weekends. 2 days of freedom from the office, usually filled with fun activities, a chance to catch up on some odds and ends around the house, and some relaxation. When 3:30 rolls around on Friday afternoon, I breathe a sigh of relief - ahh, the weekend is here.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 13

Oct 13th: My Faith

I've grown up looking to my faith as a source of guidance, comfort, and hope. Good times and bad - my faith serves as my stronghold. I'm always reminded of what my religion teacher told me once - God does not give you anything you cannot handle. It's something I truly believe and always keep that in mind, especially during the harder times in life.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 12

Oct 12th: Leftovers

I love when "cooking" consists of pressing a few buttons on the microwave to heat up leftovers. Forget 30 minute meals, 2 minute meals are where it's at!

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 11

Oct 11th: Taking a Risk

I am not a big risk taker, so even the smallest ones I celebrate. Tonight I had S&J over for dinner and tried out a new recipe, Rachael Ray's Mexican Lasagna. I was a little nervous since I had never had it, nor made it but it turned out to be a success. Jared didn't ask for the mustard and even went back for seconds! I'm not a master photographer, especially with food, but here was the final product:

Running Away To Home

I came across this article in the Des Moines Register today, telling the story of how a family uprooted their life in Des Moines and traveled to Croatia to live for a year, in search of the mother's family history.

It's something I often fantasize about - being brave enough to leave everything behind, travel to a foreign place, and live for at least a year, maybe more. Where I would go often changes, but most places I dream of are in Europe. I actually just had a similar conversation with Jake about a week ago and I think my answer that day was to go to Ireland, where I'd start a B&B. I've also thought about Spain, Italy, and moving out of Europe, I've dreamt of South Africa or somewhere in South America. I love to travel and experience new things, so to travel abroad and be fully immersed in one's culture is a very appealing thought to me.

But, back to reality, and the article. I really enjoyed reading it and rather than try to summarize any further, I highly recommend clicking on the link and reading it. I loved the last paragraph of the article - "Ultimately we found what we already knew: That we only need each other, and a little bit to live on. Everything beyond that is extra, and you can probably live without it. We’ve tried to keep our lives pared down, not only because it’s sensible and less stressful, but because it’s better for the rest of the world, too, when we don’t just take, take, take.”

The mother, Jennifer Wilson, also wrote a book about it, "Running Away to Home: Our Family's Journey to Croatia in Search of Who We Are, Where We Came From, and What Really Matters." Long title, but I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm currently 3rd in line for it at the library, so it may be a couple months, but I'll post a book review once I finish reading it.

It's Back

After a 9 year hiatus, Pop Up Video is back on air and I'm pretty excited about it! I caught an episode last night and was reminded of how entertaining it can be.

I was going to embed a couple of the videos I saw but I couldn't get it to work right. So, here's the link instead, where you can view the new videos as well as some classics.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 10

Oct 10th: A Place To Call Home

I'm reminded nearly everyday as I walk into work that there are people out there who are homeless and spend their days on the streets and if they're lucky, spend their nights in a shelter.

I am very fortunate that I have a place I call home to retire to every night. A place where I will always find food, a place where I will always stay safe, and a place where there will always be a warm cozy bed at night for me to sleep in. It's an easy thing to take for granted, but today I am taking a time out to be grateful for my home.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 9

Oct 9th: Debt Free

Friday I submitted my last payment for my computer. Although I was not being charged interest, it still feels pretty great to have it paid in full.

New Jam

I've been in a bit of a musical rut and going through one of those times where I seem to skip over the majority of songs on my iPod. I came across this new Willow Smith song featuring one of my favorites, Nicki Minaj, while perusing the music blogosphere today. And I'm not embarrassed to say I'm a pretty big fan.

No video out for it yet, but you can listen to it here.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 8

Oct 8th: Changing of Seasons

I know I've already mentioned my thankfulness for the nice weather we've been having, but I have to mention how much I appreciate the changing of seasons. Living in Iowa grants me the gift to experience these changes. Jake and I went to Ledges State Park this past weekend and hiked a couple different trails. We were surrounded by hundreds of big trees, with their leaves in vibrant red and yellow hues, complimented by the warm sunshine. It was a beautiful sight.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 7

Oct 7th: A Good Deal

Thanks to a tip from J-Rod, I scored this great eye shadow palette from Urban Decay for $13 (normally $34)

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 6

Oct 6th: My Health

My health is yet another thing I know I take for granted. I wake up most mornings feeling good and am thankful that my health doesn't hold me back or place limits on what I can do.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 5

Oct 5th: Nice Weather

80 degrees in October! I'll take that any day. Windows down in the car, windows open at home, leaves changing color, sun shining, a nice evening walk with my roomie - it's hard to find things to complain about on a day like today.

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 4

Oct 4th: The Ability to Run

Running is where I get most of my exercise from. It's a way to stay in shape and escape my sometimes stressful world. At times, it's hard to get motivated to run, but I'm always happy once I'm done and feel good about getting the run in. And although I've felt some aches and pains in the past year and half, I am still able to run. I definitely take that ability for granted. For some people, running is simply not physically possible.

And - I can't have a "thankful" post about running and not mention my running partner. He not only makes running more fun, but pushes me past what I think my limits are and keeps me going when I'm ready to give up on a hard day. Thanks Jake!

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 3

October 3rd: Morning breaks

I love being able to step away from my desk for a few minutes and take a little walk, usually with Derrick. We spend this time getting a little exercise and talk about anything and everything. It's just a nice way to recharge and helps me get through the rest of my morning.

Starbucks to the Rescue

Starbucks jump starts hundreds of thousands of people each day with their beverages, but starting November 1st, they'll go on a mission to jump start the US economy as well.

Read their "Create Jobs for the USA" initiative here.

Pretty unique idea and loving the wristband!

31 Days To Be Thankful - Day 2

Oct 2nd: Means of Communication

It's hard to imagine life without a text message, phone call, instant message, or email. Although every once in a while, it's nice to be disconnected from technology, sometimes there is nothing better than receiving a text message that reads of an old inside joke with an even older friend that you can't help but smile at.

October - 31 Days To Be Thankful

In looking back over the past 9 months, my blogging activity has been pretty low, averaging about one post a week. Now, I don't want to ever force a post, but I would like to up the ante on my blogging a little. So, I decided that my goal for this month is to blog at least once a day. I knew the likelihood of completing this goal would be contingent on coming up with some sort of topic or theme, or else I'd be setting myself up for failure - tortured by a white screen and blinking cursor daily. So, I decided on the theme of thankfulness. Sometimes it's easier to focus on what's missing or to complain about all that is wrong in your life, rather than think about all that you have been blessed with. In an effort to focus more on the positives (and blogging daily), I'll be posting a "What I'm Thankful For" entry each day this month.

Oct 1st: Family. It seems obvious and cliche, but I have been so blessed in this area of my life. I went home this past weekend to get our family pictures taken, and although I grumbled a little and was not thrilled to be having that taken, I am so thankful I have a family to take a picture with.

Growing up, I thought family was just a given and everything that I experienced was something everyone experienced. Everyone has dinner as a family every night. Everyone gets asked how their school day was and what homework they have. I didn't even think it was possible to not have anyone to come home to or not wanting to go home because of what one would come home to. It wasn't until I was much older, branching out of my Catholic School bubbled world, and having my eyes opened by hearing stories of others' experiences that I began to realize just how lucky I am.

My parents have always put my sister and I in front of themselves. They have always been there and I know will continue to be there till the very end. My sister has always taken an interest in me. She embraced her role as the big sister and always watched out for me when we were younger. And now that we are grown adults, she has become my ultimate confidant and one of my closest friends. 8 years ago we welcomed my brother-in-law into our family. On the lighter side, he entertains me with his jokes, his inappropriate commentary while we watch TV, and his notorious laugh. And on a more serious note, he is a true family man and makes taking care of his family his number one priority. And then of course the two little ones. My nieces have brought more joy to my life than I ever could've imagined. They have the ability to turn my mood 180 degrees, with something as simple as a smile.

Family is truly a blessing and I'm so thankful of the support system my family has provided me.

What's That?

Last week, 'Lil and I went to the "Body Worlds Vital" exhibit at the Science Center. I'd been wanting to go for sometime and was thrilled when I saw a Groupon for it (2 tix for the price of 1) so I snagged one and took 'Lil as my date.

I wasn't sure how into it she'd be, but upon entering the first room of the exhibit, she was already asking, "what's that?" and "what does this do?" and "oh my gosh, look at this!"

I am not an expert in Science and never took an Anatomy class, so what little knowledge I do know of the human body, her questions kept me on my toes. Sometimes I was able to answer, sometimes I'd have to respond with a, "well, let's read what it says..." And then sometimes I wasn't able to answer at all. Of course, we had to go when a group of med students was there, so I was a little self-conscious when answering her questions and can only assume my juvenile-sounding responses were highly entertaining for them. But, no one laughed at me (to my face anyway) and 2 of them even chimed in with some answers when we were looking at the same display, relieving me from coming up with the answer.

When we got to the display of the reproductive organs, 'Lil shared some fun facts with me about what she's learning in her child development class this semester and I was able to put in a plug about the ill effects of drinking and smoking when we saw the "smoker's lungs" and liver displays. (side note - while looking at a liver with serious damage from alcohol abuse, I stepped on my box for a minute with an alcohol speech....and when I looked up, I saw a guy who worked for Miller on the other side of the case, sporting his Miller work polo on :) )

Although being put on the spot isn't always fun, I was more than okay with her inquisitive little self, because it showed me she was really interested in what we were seeing. I marked that outing down as an educational, fun-filled success.