Drugstore Divas received this Thankful, Grateful, Blessed shirt for this post. All thoughts and opinions belong to Drugstore Divas.
Last year, my Facebook feed was filled with my friends taking the thankful challenge, posting daily musings about what they were grateful for. This year? Not a peep. Four days into the challenge and not one friend has posted one thing.
And that’s sad, really. Because 2016 is a great year, at least it’s been for me. I have plenty to be thankful for this year. But, just five …
Our Home
Pete and I moved into a brand new house this year. We signed the contract in 2015, and picked out every bit of how it would be built (from the carpet to the roof and everything in between). But we closed in March, officially signing our very first mortgage. For the first few days, it felt like we were housesitting. I’m still too anxious to put any holes in the walls. So we only have three wall hangings so far (two in a room I only enter to vacuum). But it’s amazing and beautiful and ours. Lifetimes of hard work gave us this opportunity, but 2016 gave us this house.
Rita’s Wooden Spoon
This year, after much work, Pete launched Rita’s Wooden Spoon, a marinara sauce business selling his mom’s gravy. It’s a way to honor his mom Rita while bringing awareness to the “Food Is Medicine” mantra. The ultimate goal is to use the profits to create a service to deliver medicinal meals to people going through chemo. It’s a beautiful endeavor and to see it form from an idea in his mind to an actual LLC and a product we sell weekly. To see it develop, to watch someone you love create something, you just ooze with pride. I’m thankful 2016 gave him this opportunity and that it gave me the chance to see him reach goals.
That We Live Two Doors Down From My Parents And Grandma
My parents built their house and then, the weekend they closed, we signed our contract to build two lots down from them. It’s amazing when we need an onion, a cup of sugar, or want to hang out in our garage-turned-home theater. When you’re a kid, all you want to do is grow up and move as far away from your parents as you can. But when you grow up, you simultaneously realize just how lucky you are to have those parents and how little time you have with them. So when you have the chance to live two doors down, which means you can pop over any time you want, And 2016 gave me that.
My Blog
So, 2016 didn’t give me a new blog — but it gave me a new direction. I was posting 30 coupons and deals a day, but it wasn’t making me happy. My life was working until 3am daily and constantly feeling behind and overwhelmed. I just couldn’t keep up. And then my parents went to New York for a week this summer and I had to grandma-sit. She needed me, and I couldn’t keep up. It was impossible. So I used that time to reevaluate my blog and come to a better decision — for myself, my family, and you dear readers. So far, it is working out better than I could have imagined, and I have 2016 to thank for that.
Pokemon Go
Okay, so this sounds like a weird one, but hear me out. I love Pokemon Go. I play it daily. It’s usually open all day long while I work. And every day, I take a walk. Usually it’s with my mom, sometimes it’s alone. I want to hunt for Pokemon and hatch my eggs, and by doing so, I’m getting exercise. My grandma is even into the game, which is just such a fun way to bond with her. I’m still missing a Lapras, and none of my Pokemon are over 2000 CP (though my 1961 Exeggutor is so close!), but it’s still so fun. And my leg muscles are fun too. And 2016 gave me Pokemon Go.
What are you thankful for?
If you have anything to be thankful for this year, you’ll love the Thankful, Grateful, Blessed T-Shirt from Cents Of Style. This weekend only (today until November 6), you can get it free with a $25 purchase. Just add your favorite items (leggings, jewelry, etc.), then add the Thankful, Grateful, Blessed T-Shirt and enter the code THANKFUL1 at checkout to get the shirt for free.
I was lucky to get a chance to check out this shirt, and it’s so cozy. It’s long (so you can wear it with leggings) and lightweight. It is a little see-through, so I wear a cami under it and it’s perfect.