Day 303: October 29, 2011

Today I am thankful for fun greeting cards.

With all the great local printing companies, I don't think I have bought a Hallmark in years.

My favorite spot to look is the bookstore down the street...just another reason to not buy an e-reader-I can't bear to think of it closing!

Day 302: October 28, 2011

Today I am thankful for Aspen Trees.

Tahoe's deciduous tree and the only evidence that Fall does exist in the mountains.

There is no duplicate of the sound the leaves make rustling in the wind.  

Day 301: October 27, 2011

Today I'm thankful for rose-colored mountains. 

This evening driving into Truckee, I was pretty convinced that the phrase "purple mountain majesties" was invented here. Then I looked up "America the Beautiful", and it totally wasn't. Whatever.

Day 300: October 26, 2011

OK, I promise this will be the last pumpkin-related post...but I think we've all learned something in the last week. Emily likes pumpkins and other orange squash-like fruit. Yes, pumpkins are a fruit. I apparently am thankful for just about everything about them.

Today I'm thankful for pumpkin seeds. 

They just might be my favorite part of jack-o-lanterns. And I know they are Nick's favorite part.
We slow-roasted and lightly salted our bounty this evening. Yum!
The smell, the crunch, the nutty taste. I could eat a whole pumpkin's worth in one sitting, straight from the roasting pan. Delish. 

Day 299: October 25, 2011

Today I'm thankful for TV radio stations.

Tonight we put the Halloween station on...nothing short of hilarious. And slightly terrifying! It was a lot of deep-voiced males talk-singing creepy things and screeching and weird bird noises.

Day 298: October 24, 2011

Today I am thankful for Squash. 

We've started getting different varieties in our weekly produce delivery and I'm loving them!
Puts me right in the Fall mood!

Day 297: October 23, 2011

Today I'm thankful for....

Day 296: October 22, 2011

I spent the day soaking up the sun and enjoying my favorite ICN baby.
This little girl stole my heart the moment I laid my hands on her little two-pound body...and the rest is history.
We spent many twelve-hour days together, her staring at me with her huge brown eyes all the while running me ragged and giving her parents quite a few scares.
Now she is sweet as pie!

This smile is going to get her out of trouble every time! 

It has been almost a year since she went home and since I've seen her in person, so I could not get enough of her and her amazing parents. 

Seriously? That face!

Today I am thankful for reunions. And for the feistiest preemie around, little Miss Sophie. 

Reunited and it feels so good.

Day 295: October 21, 2011

Today I am thankful for fresh herbs.

I've been a busy bee planting in my back yard, making the most of the San Francisco Fall sunshine. One of my favorite additions has been the herbs. Fresh herbs make every meal taste better, especially fresh from the garden.

Mmm...I love the smell of basil

Day 294: October 20, 2011

Today I am thankful for Target.

I could spend a lot of hours and a lot of money in that place.
Oh wait...I just did. Oops.

Day 293: October 19, 2011

Today I'm thankful for jugs of water with fruit in them.

I'm good with plain old tap water, but throw a slice of lemon and cucumber in the mix and it's like a cocktail! (Or "mock"tail)
I always head straight to the pretty glass containers of water at the spa both because they're beautiful and because the water just tastes so yummy with an essence of whatever has been placed inside.
I also love mint leaves and lime in a glass of water---but maybe that's because I'm a little mojito-crazed.

Day 292: October 18, 2011

Today I'm thankful for slippers. 

While the rest of the world was basking in sunshine today (I assume), The City of Fog was covered in...fog.

And I had a chill I couldn't shake. They say you lose most of your heat through the head, but a cozy pair of slippers are much nicer to roam the house in than a beanie. 

Day 291: October 17, 2011

The hubby and I were very domestic this weekend.
We (OK, I) baked pie, we made some delicious broccoli soup, and we beautified our backyard.
I learned an important life lesson that I would like to share with you all: sod is amazing.

We started the day with some dirt. A few hours later we had grass. Ah-mazing. And that's with a capital 'A'.

Today I am thankful for the awesomeness that is sod. 

Thirty dollars well spent. Yes, it is also super cheap!

Day 290: October 16, 2011

Today I am thankful for apple pie.

There is nothing more therapeutic and relaxing for me than making pie crust. And apple pie is one of my go-to Fall pie faves.

Apples, butter, flour...yum.

Latticed Success

Day 289: October 15, 2011

Today I am thankful for the lady with the needles.

I know I've been thankful for acupuncture before and I've mentioned Chinese medicine in several posts, but today I am really thankful for the acupuncturist. 

I always leave feeling refreshed and relaxed, much like I've had a massage. She knows a thing or two about those needles! 

But mostly, she's a fantastic, caring person. 

A little caring goes a long way when she puts a wick on my toe and lights it on fire...

Day 288: October 14, 2011

Today I'm thankful for night golf. 

I don't play regular golf, but something about the light-up balls and disco-style lit course was pretty awesome!

Day 287: October 13, 2011

Today I am thankful for book clubs. 

They make me read books I wouldn't otherwise choose myself; a little variety never hurt anyone.
They also make me read a little "smarter" and really pay attention to the details because I know I'll have to talk about them later:)

Day 286: October 12, 2011

Today I am thankful for the snooze button.

I usually don't indulge myself with extra minutes, mostly because I leave myself just the right amount of time needed to get ready and be on time...no need to wake up earlier than I have to!
But with my new job, I leave myself time to blow dry, shower, eat breakfast. Basically lots of optional things, things that quickly get sacrificed in the name of more sleep.
Enter snooze button!
And a few extra zzzzzz's...

Day 285: October 11, 2011

Why is Top Ramen considered poor college student food?
Ohhhh...because it's ten cents per MSG loaded meal. I get it.

It may not be the most healthy option, but those noodles are good!
My favorite is a sprinkling of toasted, uncooked noodles on an asian salad.
Tonight we got creative and spruced up our ten-cent delight with some bok choy and scrambled eggs. Delish!

Today I'm thankful for Top Ramen

because it's the biggest bang for my buck that I can think of!

Day 284: October 10, 2011

Today I'm thankful for "sick" days. 

Everyone makes fun of me for my liberal use of sick time, but for a girl who doesn't really get sick all that often, I have to use the time I'm given somehow! I choose to take mental health days.
I'm also pretty good at convincing other people to make good use of their allotted sick time.
So if you feel like you need a day to catch up on some much-needed me time, give me a call...I am really good at justifying the need for a day off.

I think paid sick time is one of the best parts of having a grown-up job...so I'm taking it!
Guilt free.
Almost.

Day 283: October 9, 2011

Today I am thankful for feather beds. 

Why do I not already have one? 

Day 282: October 8, 2011

Sometimes expensive does not equal awesome. And sometimes it does.
Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe equals expensive. And awesome.

DEEP soaking tub, pretty fantastic spa, fireplace, fluffy bed, extremely early check-in, and rockin' turn-down service made my day and night.
 Watching my friends get married was the icing on the cupcake.
 Like really good icing.

Today I'm thankful for The Ritz. 

It had me wishing I was a rich person.

A little wedding mustache

Day 281: October 7, 2011

Today I am thankful for lunges.

Did I just say that? Yuck!
I may hate them, but I sure am thankful when my legs are burning the next day.
Tone me up, lunges!

Day 280: October 6, 2011

Today I am thankful for my chauffeur. 

My husband is the best, best, best! I don't necessarily mind driving, but I am much more content to sit in the heated passenger seat, put my feet up, recline a little if I am so inclined (no pun intended), and enjoy the scenery. Or take a nap...whatevs.

Day 279: October 5, 2011

Today I am thankful for sites that let you sign in with your facebook login.

I am loving this. I have far too many passwords already, so this is keeping my list to a minimum. 

Day 278: October 4, 2011

I was listening to one of my co-worker's dating stories today. Wow. Wow. Wow. 

I got a bitsy glimpse into the world of Internet dating. 

Today I'm thankful that I'm not dating.

I don't think I could bear sitting through a first date with a guy who talked about his sperm count.

I might just keel over when he compared my thighs to banana tree trunks.

There would probably be some Emily head banging against the table when he amended the "banana trunk" statement to say that my legs were like his Grandmother's: fertile thighs. 

Please don't leave me, Hubby. I couldn't do it.

Day 277: October 3, 2011

Today I'm thankful for the Indian shooting his arrow at the star on the Tootsie Roll Pop.

I heard that you no longer get a free pop, but I still always look for it and get a rush of excitement when I get the star!

Day 276: October 2, 2011

Today I'm thankful for old friends.
Really old friends. 

Mrs. Fujii celebrates her last birthday in her twenties today. That makes twenty-two years that I've been lucky enough to call her my friend. So not only is she old, but that makes me feel old!

Happy Birthday to my oldest friend!

Day 275: October 1, 2011

Today I swung through the trees. Kind of like a monkey, but not really. It was pretty amazing.

When my friends, who love zip lining, decided to have a birthday celebration in the form of a canopy tour, I was really excited. Then I remembered a ropes course experience in middle school when I was a total chicken. I remember standing on the platform, watching everyone else zip away and thinking, "I want to zip...but I can NOT step off this platform."
I finally did, and it was totally fine, but the moment of standing there, paralyzed, is pretty vivid in my mind.

Because of this memory, I felt like I should be nervous, but I wasn't. Alright, maybe I was a little nervous, but more excited. I actually coined the term "nervous-cited" to describe how I was feeling.

The canopy tour was an incredibly beautiful two hours zipping from redwood tree to redwood tree. And aside from the first initial zip, I wasn't nervous at all. I definitely never had the same feeling of physically not being able to step off the platform and let go.

So today I am thankful for outgrown fears. And zip lining, of course!

This is what "nervous-cited looks like

Weeeeee

Day 274: September 30, 2011

Halloween is one month away. Halloween candy is here. Today I am thankful for it.

I actually don't think the mini candy ever goes away, but for some reason when it's Halloween candy I am allowed to eat a piece every day. And when it's the actual day of Halloween? All bets are off and I can eat as many pieces as I can stomach. That's the rule, right? 

Day 273: September 29, 2011

Today I am thankful for budgeting breakthroughs.

The Roses have been seeing a financial planner, taking baby steps towards a new house. Repeat: baby steps.
The process has been helpful so far. Re-balancing 401Ks, changing contributions, advice on buying, selling, and so on. But today I had an "aha moment" when we were discussing budgeting.
I have never been very good at budgeting. I am good at spending within my means and saving money, so I never really saw the need.
I'm a budgeting believer now.
I'm pretty excited to start changing the way I think about spending and saving! Nerd alert!