I met my friend, Kari at a church in 2008. We had a little baby (just a
few months old) and she and her husband (Mike) had a little baby,
Ella. Feeling quite intimidated by the “older population,” we sat in
the back of the church. Kari and Mike and baby Ella came up and introduced
themselves. They were so nice and friendly! I was hoping the babies
could have a “play date” aka hanging out with Kari, and soon after we
met we got together. We had a lot in common–we both stayed at home
with our babies, our families were far away, and we were both funny
(if I do say so myself!). As they say, the rest is history!
Okay, here are some things I think are great:
1) Candles–cinnamon and vanilla. I love to burn candles in the
evening. It makes the house feel cozy and smell good. I usually just
buy the cheaper candles at Walmart or Target. It makes our house feel
all “Christmas-like” as well!
2) Glittery and sparkly things. I love glitter ornaments and glitter
stars. It makes me happy to see all these shiny things on the tree. I
don’t know why it just does. I even spray painted some pine cones
Bella and I found with glitter spray paint.
3) Crafts. I love to do craft projects. Whether it is sewing new
pillows, making a new wreath or doing some art with Bella, crafts
make my heart happy.
4) Our MAC Computer. I have to admit, I was not happy at first. I
missed the good old PC. But, I have grown to love and appreciate all
the features of this computer. I love that all my photos are labeled
by date. I can look up pregnancy pictures or pictures from our wedding
with one simple click. That is probably my favorite feature, but I do
love the simplicity of the computer. It is very user-friendly.
5) My heated mattress pad. This is the best thing ever. I am telling
you, everyone must have one. I believe we bought ours a few years ago
at Walmart, for around $100. Every night since I covered our mattress
with this piece of heaven, it has been on, warming my back and neck.
It is such a stress reliever. I even had it on low when I was pregnant
and it was so great. It has dual controls, so Steve’s side of the bed
is always on low and mine is always on high. He jokes with me and says
he doesn’t want to touch my side because he will burn his leg. It’s
really not that hot. It is just right. The way I like it. 🙂
6) My room darkening blind. Oh, my. This is such a wonderful addition
to our drafty windows. It costs around $100 at Lowe’s. We measured our
window, went to Lowe’s, picked out what we wanted and the guy cut our
blind right there. Steve brought it home and installed it, and we were
in love. Our room is so dark and cozy, you can’t even see your hand in
front of your face! It is also cordless, so we don’t have to worry
about Bells or Lucy (our dog) getting tangled in the cords. Bella
loves it, too. She loves to snuggle and watch “cartoonies” in the
mornings with mommy. I opened the blind the other day (because we
could barely see) and she said, “No Mommy.” So I closed it and we were
in heaven until 8:30 am!
7) Picture frames. I love all kinds of picture frames, especially ones
I find at garage sales and Goodwill. I love to display all sorts of
pictures and my newest obsession (thanks, Kari), subway art. I also
enjoy spray painting these beauties to match my decor.
8) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I. Love. This. Movie. It is
the best. When my sisters and I were younger, we would sit around the
table and say different quotes from the movie. My sister, Janey would
always say, “The blesssssssing.” And now the tradition continues. With
my husband and me. We watch that movie every year and each time, we
laugh and laugh like it’s the first time seeing Uncle Eddie in his RV
riding in on fumes from Gurnee!
9) My mommy/baby necklace. This was my “push gift” from Steve. It is a
tiny mommy holding a baby. I love this necklace for many reasons. It
makes me think about holding my new baby for the first time. When I
feel anxious or stressed at school, I like to hold the charm to remind
me why I am working–to help pay off debt so we can start saving for
Bella’s college.
10) Warm weather/summer vacation. I feel like winter goes on forever
out here in Chicagoland, and when the warm weather comes, everyone is
in such a good mood. I love to be outside with my family, at the park
or swimming at the pool. I love that you don’t have to wear extra
clothes. Just throw on a pair of shorts and go! Oh, how I miss you,
summer. See you in 6 months, my love!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!
Love,
Melissa
Thanks, Melissa for such a great list!
