November Gratitude Challenge

Hi Friends!  I want to thank my friend Jen for sharing this Gratitude Challenge.  She inspired me to give it a shot so that's what I am doing....I need to catch up on the first 12 days of the month but that's ok...gratitude is a wonderful and healthy practice and it reminds us to be thankful for the little things...which often times, become the big things in life...and what better month than November to put this into practice right?  

 

Here we go...

 

 

 

 

Day 1. Something you Appreciate About Your Everyday Routine

 

 

 Flexibility with my job which allows me to work from home- helps me to hit the gym first thing...or take a walk on the rail trail at lunch time...make dinner for my family and basically just be able to be present for my girls- well Eva now and Remi of course 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2. Something You Love About This Season Of Your Life

 

 Watching my girls live their best lives and at the same time, supporting each other...nothing makes my Mama Heart happier and grateful!

 

 

 

 

Day 3. A Moment You Wish You Could Bottle Up

 

This summer was our 14th annual...oh my heart
 

 

 So many but I will pick one...a Mommy Daughter Boogie Board Day...with my girls...on the beach....getting silly...soaking up the sun...that is pure bliss to me

 

 

 

Day 4. Something You Love About Getting Older

 

 

 

The Wisdom...The Ability to "Let Them"...and all of The Experience

 

 

 

Day 5. A Sound That Instantly Makes You Happy

 

 

 

Besides my family's voices....and my Remi's barks/howling?  I would say many Taylor Swift Songs :) 

 

 

 

 

Day 6. Something You Have Now That You Once Dreamed About

 

 

 My Little Family...my hubby...my girls...my dog...it was my biggest dream growing up  :)

 

 

 

 

Day 7. Something Your Younger Self Would Love About Your Life

 

 

 

That I have been a Recruiter for over 25 years...I stayed..when so many quit...it is grueling work...especially in the down years...but those who stick it out and work through it are the true warriors...the survivors...and those of us who love it are the crazy ones! :) 

 

 

 

 

Day 8. Something That Makes Your Home Feel Cozy

 

 

Candles and Christmas Decor 

 

 

 

 

Day 9. A Little Inconvenience That Turned Into Something Good 

 

When our flight was cancelled on the way home from South Carolina during spring break Diana's Junior Year (2025)...we were put on a standby...had to run across the airport...barely made it on when another family didn't show up...more than a little inconvenience?  Well...I think it turned into something good because we taught Diana a lesson...if you come down here to go to school...you will need to navigate situations like this on your own...she looked up at me and I knew in that instant, she would not go to a school where she had to fly there...blessing in disguise?  Definitely something GOOD :)

 

 

10. A Tradition You Hope Never Changes

 

Going To Mass as a Family on Christmas Eve...one of my favorite nights of the year 

 

 

 

11. A Way You Have Surprised Yourself This Year

 

 With business being down for me for the third year, I didn't resort to anxiety and depression...I just did my best to fight through...do the right things...work a second job...and keep the faith

 

 

12. Something Beautiful You Noticed Today

 

Beautiful and and brought me Pure Joy :) 

 

 

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

 

 

 Hi Friends!  I am here for Joyce's weekly and dynamite linkup!  As always, she has provided us with some thought provoking questions so let's get answering!

 

 

1. Marilyn texted me something that inspired this question, so thank you Marilyn! Of the following sayings, typically associated with the (American) southern way of speaking, which do you most relate to right now? Explain. 

Bless your heart~too big for yer britches~ madder than a wet hen~you're preachin' to the choir~

knee high to a grasshopper~oh my stars

 

also one of the best songs from one of our faves- Megan Moroney

 

Bless your heart...one of my besties Bethany is from the south...she always uses this phrase AND taught me the real meaning of it (which kills me)...so I try to use it when I am with her and we always end up laughing hysterically when we agree on the subject this phrase is directed towards ;)

 

 

2. The Hodgepodge lands on (US) Veterans Day this year. Are you a veteran? Have a family member who's a veteran? If you answered yes, tell us something about them. Will you do anything to mark the day in some special way? 

 

I am not a veteran.  I have the utmost respect for ALL veterans.  My Father In Law Bob is.  My girls always thank him for his service.  We don't do anything big on this day.  We just try to thank him and all veterans we come in contact with on a regular basis.  If you haven't been, I highly recommend visiting Arlington National Cemetery in D.C.  It will put lots into perspective and is an awesome reminder of how grateful we should be to all of our veterans.

 

 

 

3. Is breakfast for dinner a stroke of genius or a sign of total household collapse? Is breakfast for dinner a regular thing at your house? Are all family members on board? 

 

 

Ummm...household collapse?  Hysterical!  It is only a regular thing here because my family loves it.  I could take or leave it but if it means my girls will eat dinner then it is a win in my book! 

 

 

 

4. How do you see the world? 

 

 Wow!  This is a thought-provoking question...right now?  A true gift...this world...this life...but I am worried...I was born worried so it is nothing new but I worry about war...poverty...AI...power outages...too much...but in general...a beautiful gift from God

 

 

 

5. And this week's gratitude question-what's something about your surroundings (home, neighborhood, city) you're grateful for? 

 

 

 The roots my girls have here

 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

I am writing this on Monday night...I need to heat up dinner for my fam and turn on the news...that's all I got..ha ha!!  Ok I am going to pose a random question for my thought...what kinds of gifts are you getting your people this year?  We are doing a Secret Santa with our fam and I would love to hear your fun ideas! 

 

 

 

Fashion Files!

 

Hi Friends!  I am joining my friend Amy for her Fashion Files Linkup.

 

Here are some recent looks and latest obsessions...

 

 Necklace Stacks

 

Bracelet Stacks

 

Festive Looks

 

Jeans with Romantic Tops and Thin Sweaters

 

 

Cute and Comfy Flats to bop around in!

 

 

and my very fave shirt to wear to yoga- Namaste!

 

 

Hello Monday (November 9, 2026)

 

Hi Friends and Happy Monday!  I am here with Sarah and we are chatting about our weekends...hope you will join us!

 

 We are coming off the coziest....most productive weekend...mostly at home...it was so good for the soul!

 

Here is what we were up to...

 

Friday Night

 

After Friday Night Pizza Night, we let Eva have a "function"...guess that's what all of the kids are calling them nowadays...Rob and I agreed this is the sweet spot for hosting...in 7th grade...before we have to worry about the threat of alcohol...good clean fun with games of manhunt (outside in the rain I may add)...music in the garage then an online trivia game...I have to say...I was very impressed with these middle schoolers!  

 

Rob and I supervised and also watched "Taken" the new Natalie Holloway documentary.  It was excellent.  I am glad I saw this after our trip to Aruba this past year though- I didn't know that they were staying at the same hotel we were at- ugh!  Such a sad sad story

 

As soon as the last kid was picked up at 11 pm, we cleaned up and crashed!

 Saturday

 

Rob was up before me because I slept in!  It felt SO GOOD...I made my way downstairs around 9!  Crazy...glad I did that though.  We got right to work after our coffee.  (and under eye patches- ha!)

Rob started bringing down the boxes of Christmas decorations from the attic and he and I got decorating.

 

 

I dubbed this year as our "90's Nostalgia Christmas Year" but truth be told, we will probably keep this theme going as long as we are in this house...hence the big colored Christmas lights instead of the white!

 

I also had to dress for the occasion ;)

 

 

Diana decided to Facetime me as she was getting ready for her "Big Reveal." 

 She also asked if she could come home this night- her roommate was away for the weekend and there was not much going on- she wanted a home-cooked meal and some fam time so of course I obliged and told her I would pick her up after Eva's hockey game.

 

It was the day her sorority members learned who their Big Sisters or Bigs were and she had guessed right- so cute.

Her theme was "Gossip Girl" with red, white and black.  She sent me the cutest pics of course... 

 

 Rob headed outside to blow leaves while I finished decorating inside.  Got most of it done.  We just have to put up our bedroom tree and then Rob will also put up the window wreaths and candles as he has time over the next week or so.

 

Later on, we headed to Eva's hockey game.  It was a tight game- very exciting but they lost.   

 

 

 After that, the fam headed home and I headed to the grocery store for a few things I needed for our dinner then bopped on over to Merrimack to pick up our precious cargo ;)  Yeah!  Diana was coming home!

 

I whipped up Chicken Piccata, Angel Hair, Salad and Bread for the special occasion and Papa even joined us!  We loved catching up and hearing all about college life :)

 

After dinner, Papa went down to watch some Hallmark and our little fam decorated our family tree together. 

 

Remi was so excited that Sissy was home...he was going crazy and even decided, when Rob left for Walmart to grab batteries, that he would pee everywhere!  This guy tho ;)

Then the girls entertained me by showing me the Dancing With The Stars dances they learned- so fun!

Later...it was time to crash...all was calm and bright!

 

Sunday

 

We were up bright and early.  Rob finished blowing leaves and Diana and I hit Starbucks for our first holiday drinks of the season and a session of tea-spilling ;)

 

So good for the soul!

 

 

Then I brought her back to school.  She had to get ready to cheer at the women's basketball game.

 

I then went grocery shopping and the rest of my fam headed to Eva's hockey game.

 

I came home, unloaded everything and got our Sunday dinner in the oven- Pork Roast with Apples, Carrots and Onions, Chicken Tortellini and Popovers- yum!

 

Last night, after dinner, there was homework and organizing and chilling with some Hallmark.  What were you all up to?