Happy Friday // Let Me Just Ramble for a Minute

Well, I had planned on posting a nice little "Monday Motivation" this week, but I got a little busy. This entire week has been nonstop at work, and I'm just happy that I had two days of my boss being out of the office to get all caught up. Then my after-work routine was all jacked, and it's been one thing after another. I did get a chance to run a single time this week, so that's progress. We've had rain the past two days so I didn't get to fit another one in. But by yesterday evening I was so exhausted. My body was ready to be in bed at like 7 PM, but my brain was like, "No sleep for you." So, I took a melatonin at 8:45 PM and was OUT by 9:30 PM.  Your girl needed it. This morning, I woke up feeling decent and rested. 

Anyway, it has been a long week. I still have so much I have to catch up on over the weekend. We have to gather all of our tax paperwork because we need to get our income taxes done next week. Sadly, we are going to owe this year - thanks to 1099 occupations. There go our vacation plans. So, we weren't in a huge rush to file them. However, my husband will be working out of town in April so I figured, we might as well bite the bullet and get it done. I'm also just about ready to burn my closet and shoe rack down, so getting rid of more stuff is on my to-do list this weekend. And finally, I have to finish my annulment paperwork. I know, I know. Originally, we wanted to have a "second" wedding where we could get married through the church and have a reception for family/friends. Unfortunately, we won't be able to swing that financially. So, I wasn't in a huge rush to get this all done. But some things have come up and now we have to get the annulment paperwork sent out. 

So, that's the plan. I will also be catching up on laundry and cleaning after I run a few miles tomorrow morning. And I just took a minute to re-read everything I just typed up and I kind of want to say, "Meh. I don't wanna." I'd much rather lounge in my PJs, eat some snacks, and watch some TV. But if you know me, you know that I'll be chipping away at my to-do list like a good adult. Meh. I hope I get back into my normal routine soon - including posting. But if not, well, my bad. Until next time, adios!

Wordless Wednesday

Gratitude Journal // Three - One - Twenty Four

Gratitude Series: Sometimes, the bad days get the better of me. Other times, I get so caught up in my little world that I forget to give thanks for all of the blessings in my life. And sometimes you just need to write down the things you're grateful for to see all of your blessings. Though I admit that sometimes I find myself taking things for granted, I'm doing my best to be thankful for all of the good in my life. So, today, I’m choosing to give thanks for all of the things.

  

Lunch w/Friends: I’ve been making it a point to have lunch with work friends at least once a month. It’s a way to get out of the office, and just talk about how things are going on campus. It also gets me, a highly introverted person, out of my comfort zone. This year, I've wanted to put more time/effort into my friendships too. Scheduling a lunch once a month is a great way for us to come together and nurture those friendships. 

Running: I spent a good amount of January and February sick. Which meant I missed about 4 weeks of running. And nothing makes you more grateful to be able to run than NOT being able to run for a while. Today, I’m super grateful for my body’s ability to keep moving. To keep running. Not only does it help me physically, but also mentally.

Ice Cream: We disregarded our dietary restrictions a few times last month. Granted, we were upfront about when/why we would be disregarding it - birthdays and events with friends. One of my treats was a DQ Choco Brownie Blizzard, and it was amazing! My stomach hurt for several days afterward, but it was WORTH every bit of that pain.

My Planner: While I’m doing my best to approach life with the idea of simple/slow living, I love my planner. It’s not as jam-packed as it used to be, thankfully, but it holds the essentials and allows me to jot things down that need my attention. It also helps me refocus on prayer, and journal a bit at the beginning of every month. I only use it at work and make a note to not schedule things outside of working hours UNLESS absolutely necessary. Anyway, I have this planner, and it’s my third year with it. I love it.

My Home: I look at my house, and I see so many things wrong with it. The siding is terrible. The windows are old and single-pane, which means our electricity bill is never under $250/month (and that’s during the winter). There are so many nooks and cracks that let bugs in too. It’s small and we don’t have a lot of room. The interior needs a lot of work & could use some paint. We constantly have ONE issue after another (plumbing, water, things breaking, electrical issues, septic problems, etc). BUT it’s our home. It’s a roof over our heads. It’s the place where we can live with affordable rent - which is not an easy thing to find these days. It has running water, electricity, beds, and a place for our things. And I am so GRATEFUL to have it. While one day I hope to have something a bit more, our home is more than enough right now. And for that, I’m blessed.

And that wraps up my gratitude post for this month. What are you grateful for today? This week? This month? What do you do to help bring some positivity back into your day if it's been a bad one? How do you make sure to stay grounded? Will you be taking some time off during spring break? Any vacation or staycation plans? Let me know below. Until the next post, I hope everyone has a great weekend! Adios!

“Will you loosen your grip on all that was “supposed” to be and look at Me?” // Shalini Blubaugh

❤