What I'm thankful for: December 31

Today I'm thankful for...

This project, the future, and YOU!

What? Three things in one day? Craziness!

Can you believe that this is the last day of 2012?? When I first thought of this project, I honestly wasn't sure if I would follow through with it. I'm not the best at finishing what I start, so I hoped it wouldn't be another thing, like cleaning out my closet, Couch to 5K, and regularly painting my fingernails, that I would start out gung ho on and just abandon. Truthfully, there were a lot of days when I didn't feel like writing, didn't feel thankful, couldn't think of something to write, etc, but I stuck with it. Part of it was because of my adoring fans (ha!), but it was mostly because I wanted to complete this. I wanted to take on a year long project that would challenge me and let me see all of the blessings in my life. And now, on December 31, I can say that I did it, and I feel more blessed than I ever have before.

2012 has been a great year. I finally finished grad school, got to do a guest posting for a blog that I love, and got engaged! Phew! I love that I have a record of these events and can think back to how I felt when all of them happened. This blog has been a little bit like a diary on steroids!

I'm looking forward to 2013, and I hope all of you reading this are too. Thank you to everyone who read the blog and commented on it, either virtually or face to face. I appreciate everyone's support!

On a side note, here are the top five most visited posts of the year:
1. Stuff Christians Like- June 29
2. My pastors- October 14
3. Hot dogs- July 23
4. My dad- January 6 (I wonder how many of those visits were from him...ha ha)
5. Friends- January 3

I have another blog that I write in sporadically, but if you really miss reading my amazing writing, this might help you a little bit. And with that final shameless plug, I bid you adieu and a happy, healthy, and blessed 2013!

What I'm thankful for: December 30

Today I'm thankful for...

Bacon!

Today is bacon day. I know this completely contradicts my post from yesterday about my gym, but life's funny that way sometimes. Bacon and hamburgers are what stop me from becoming a vegetarian. And my own laziness and unwillingness to try to cook veggie based recipes...

What I'm thankful for: December 29

Today I'm thankful for...

re:MOVE Training!

AKA the gym that kicks my butt when I'm not too lazy to go! re:MOVE is more than a gym though. I worked at the Y for close to 6 years, and I never saw anything like I did in just a couple of visits here. The trainers/owners really care about you, and they'll do anything they can to make sure you're reaching your goals. It costs a little more than the Y, but it's worth every extra penny! You can also try a class for free, so if you're interested in trying one, contact me, and I'll go with you! Check out their website for more info!

What I'm thankful for: December 28

Today I'm thankful for...

New calendars!

Even though I'm an iProduct and Google Calendar kind of girl, I still have paper calendars on my wall at work and home. Sometimes it really is easier to look at something on paper rather than something electronic. I'm always excited about new calendars, planners, whatever, because they hold the promise of a clean slate. The year is stretched out ahead of you, just waiting to be filled with activities, birthdays, and appointments. Yes, I'm a nerd, but if you've been with me from the beginning, then you should know that already!

What I'm thankful for: December 27

Today I'm thankful for...

Remote starters!

My parents Santa brought me a remote starter for Christmas. I LOVE all of the gifts I received from everyone, but I have to say, when you're getting ready to go to work, and it's freezing outside, you're definitely thankful for a remote starter that lets you have that heat cranked up by the time you make it out to your car.

What I'm thankful for: December 26

Today I'm thankful for...

Sales on Christmas decorations!

Thank you half off sales for letting me bring home the Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers that I said hello to every time I went to Target and the yard decorations that will show Will's neighbors that despite the fact we left the Halloween window clings up until the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we do care about having seasonally appropriate holiday related decorations. Also, against my better judgment and promises to never use wrapping paper again, I bought some. Maybe I'll spend all year practicing my skills...

What I'm thankful for: December 25

Today I'm thankful for...

Christmas!

Happy birthday, Jesus! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

What I'm thankful for: December 24

Today I'm thankful for...

Santa!

You DO exist! ;-)

What I'm thankful for: December 23

Today I'm thankful for...

Festivus!

It's a Festivus...for the rest of us!

Now please excuse me while I get out my aluminum pole...

What I'm thankful for: December 22

Today I'm thankful for...

Inaccurate predictions!

Trey got this for Christmas last year; now it's a collector's item or something

People are crazy...

Matthew 24:36. Thank you and good day.

What I'm thankful for: December 21

Today I'm thankful for...

Winter!

Okay, I'm really not, but I've been thankful for all of the other seasons, so I had to be an equal opportunity practitioner of gratitude. I really don't care for cold weather, but I do understand that it has its place. Also, for some reason God put me in a place that has actual seasons instead of somewhere tropical, so I guess I'll embrace winter as much as I can...or convince Will that we need to move! ;-)

What I'm thankful for: December 20

Today I'm thankful for...

Doctors!

I'm completely not cut out to do anything medical related. I even get a little queasy just hearing about other people's medical ailments, so I have a lot of respect for doctors (and nurses!). Thank you for being real life WebMD's...

What I'm thankful for: December 19

Today I'm thankful for...

Snow!

Because what's more appropriate than being thankful for something I probably won't see this year? ;-) I guess I should amend this and say that I'm thankful for snow when I have the opportunity to have a snow day at work. I'm 1,000% Southern and do not drive well in snow or ice, so if it snows, and I can stay home, then everything is alright in my world!

What I'm thankful for: December 18

Today I'm thankful for...

Sweaters!

Sweaters are one of the easiest articles of clothing to wear, and they're one of the only things that makes winter bearable (the others are Christmas, snow days, and remote starters...). If your sweater is long enough, you can wear it with leggings and boots and you're good to go. If your sweater isn't long enough, then put on some pants. For the love, put on some pants.

What I'm thankful for: December 17

Today I'm thankful for...

Fireplaces!

Fireplaces make just about any room look a little bit classier. Even if you can't necessarily use the fireplace because the guy from the gas company told you it would be like burning money, it looks nice to have one. You can put candles inside of it and make it look kind of like it's burning. Plus you have a mantle and a chimney, and then you can hang the stockings on it with care...or something like that...

What I'm thankful for: December 16

Today I'm thankful for...

Barbie!

Today is Barney and Barbie backlash day (seriously, I wish I kept track of where I found these things. That would make an entertaining blog on its own...). I know that there is a lot of criticism against Barbie for promoting unrealistic body standards to little girls and so on and so forth. I had a TON of Barbies growing up, and I never felt any pressure or unrealistic standards. I never even thought about it. I think sometimes people read too much into the most innocent things and twist them until you can't even play with Barbies without it being attributed to causing psychological damage. If I have a daughter, she'll get all of my old Barbies to play with. She may not like them or want to play with them, and that's okay, but I'm sure not going to scare her into thinking that she's supposed to look like a doll. God created everyone to look different, and we should be accepting of our bodies (but we should also treat them with respect and have healthy habits). I don't mean to turn this into any type of rant over something kind of silly, particularly with the events that happened on Friday, but I think children don't read into things like adults do, so let them be children and let them play as long as they can.

What I'm thankful for: December 15

Today I'm thankful for...

Hand sanitizer!

'Tis the season...for germs! It seems like just about everywhere you go right now, you hear people coughing up a lung or you hear about some kind of stomach virus that has shut down a school system. If you're in contact with people at all, there's a risk of sickness. There's no need to be paranoid, but it does help to take proper precautions like keeping your hands clean. Hand sanitizer works wonders when you're not necessarily able to go to a sink and wash your hands with hot water and soap. So stay healthy this holiday season and keep some hand sanitizer with you!

What I'm thankful for: December 14

Today I'm thankful for...

Candles!

I love candles (also, I just realized a lot of my posts start out like this. I love repetition, I suppose...). They're hypnotic to watch and they make your house smell just a little bit better. You can get candles in just about any scent that you can think of. I heard someone on the radio this morning talking about a candle that smells like burnt rubber! I don't think I'd be too fond of that one (then again, considering how much I like the smell of the kettlebells at the gym, I might like it), but everyone has their own preferences, I suppose!

What I'm thankful for: December 13

Today I'm thankful for...

Coats!

It's been cold this week. Without a cost, I don't think I could've made it from my car to whatever building I was going into. Shoot, with the way our HVAC unit is at work, I may not have even made it in my office without some kind of coat...

What I'm thankful for: December 12

Today I'm thankful for...

Symmetrical dates!

It's 12/12/12! I love symmetry. I like houses that have an equal number of windows on both sides of the front door. I like bumper stickers either centered or one on each side of the car. I just have a weird symmetrical thing, which I guess goes with all of my weird quirks that I've talked about lately. So, a symmetrical date appeals to my extreme nerdiness! Happy 12/12/12!

What I'm thankful for: December 11

Today I'm thankful for...

Purses!

It's been a really long day, and I need to go to bed, so I'll just say that purses are cool and they hold lots of good stuff, like 6 tubes of lip gloss and a Tide To Go pen without a lid. Aren't all of you guys jealous of my mad carrying skills?

What I'm thankful for: December 10

Today I'm thankful for...

The Dewey Decimal System!

Today is Melvil Dewey's birthday. If you don't know who he is, check out this page about him (yes, I know I used that website. It's easy and convenient, so there...). Dewey was a librarian rock star, but his most famous contribution to librarianship was the Dewey Decimal System AKA the way books are shelved in many libraries. For an organizing nerd like me, a system like this is wonderful. Everything has a place and can be categorized fairly neatly. I also put my radio stations in chronological order and color code my closet, so perhaps it's no surprise that I love the Dewey Decimal System so much!

What I'm thankful for: December 9

Today I'm thankful for...

Soup!

Okay, so when I planned this entry, I anticipated that it would be kind of cold today (since it is close to wintertime). However, it's been pretty mild lately, so this is kind of out of place. I think it's supposed to be colder this week, so just wait on reading this one. ;-)

Soup is the best. It's an entire meal in a bowl! Plus, it's a good way to use up leftover vegetables and meat that may not have a home otherwise. When it's cold outside, a warm bowl of soup is delicious! You can make soup in a crock pot too, so even cooking amateurs like me can manage to put together a bowl of soup!

What I'm thankful for: December 8

Today I'm thankful for...

Email!

Short one tonight since I've had to battle a migraine today. Email is great for staying in touch with people without having to talk on the phone or text. Plus you can pick out a creative email address that expresses your personality...and makes people laugh at you whenever you have to give it out. That's always a fun one...

What I'm thankful for: December 7

Today I'm thankful for...

Libraries!

I might be just a little biased since I've worked in libraries for nearly 7 years, but I'm extremely grateful for them. I love free stuff because I'm cheap frugal, and libraries are the ultimate place to get free stuff (as long as you return items on time and don't run up a ton of late fees. Not that I've ever returned stuff late or anything...). Libraries don't just have books; most have movies (and good ones too! Not just documentaries...unless you like those...they have them too!), and many larger libraries have music- both physical CDs and MP3 downloading services. Plus, some libraries have quiet spaces to study and get work done, which is great if you're a student, a writer, or just like to sit in relative silence sometimes without paying for a coffee at a coffee shop. And libraries have computers (and often free WiFi) that you can use, so if your home computer is being terrible, you have an alternative.

If you've never visited your local library, then quite frankly, I'm not sure how we're friends still. ;-P

Also, today (as always), I'm thankful for our military as we remember Pearl Harbor. Hug a soldier today, and then direct him/her to the nearest library. Ha.

What I'm thankful for: December 6

Today I'm thankful for...

Politeness!

Working with the public can be...challenging, to put it nicely. People can be temperamental, and sometimes they take things out on you just because you're an easy target. Thankfully, in my current profession, this is the exception rather than the rule, but it is still nice to have interactions with polite people. Politeness goes a long way; it can make the difference between receiving adequate service and having someone go the extra mile for you. During the Christmas season, it's especially important to be polite to those who work in retail and the service industry. Goodness knows they need all of the politeness they can get!

What I'm thankful for: December 5

Today I'm thankful for...

Ninjas!

Today is International Ninja Day, and I'm definitely thankful for them because if I'm not, they'll know about it. In fact, there's probably a ninja standing behind you, reading this over your shoulder at this very moment.  Don't turn around. Just give a small nod and a thumbs up to show your appreciation for all that they do...

What I'm thankful for: December 4

Today I'm thankful for...

Ebates!

If you're into online shopping like I am, then you need to check out Ebates (this is my referral link so help a girl out and sign up through this if you choose to create an account. Thanks much and whatnot!). Ebates is a website where you can get cash back on your online purchases. It's not a huge amount; I have something like $1.39 pending right now, but it will eventually add up, and honestly, who doesn't like cash back?

What I'm thankful for: December 3

Today I'm thankful for...

A day off after a concert!

My brother is a huge fan of The Who, so he got tickets for the show for his birthday (my parents bought him tickets, then my mom managed to win a pair also. Go figure). The concert was last night, and even though I didn't know many of the songs, they put on a great show! They rocked out hard considering they're close to 70 years old! But, the downside of a Sunday night concert is being out late on a work night. Thankfully, I planned ahead and was off today. It was good timing too considering the gorgeous weather!

What I'm thankful for: December 2

Today I'm thankful for...

Hot water!

If you've ever taken a shower when the hot water is running out, you'll completely understand this one...

What I'm thankful for: December 1

Today I'm thankful for...

Presents for other people!

I LOVE buying and giving presents to other people. I like the idea of picking something out that they probably would never get themselves and then surprising them with it. Presents also don't have to be physical items; sometimes the gift of time can mean more than anything else to someone. I planned this post in advance, but we talked about this during our women's event at church this morning also! This Christmas season, take pleasure in giving gifts to others!