Favorite Things, Life, Smiles

smiles over holiday break

Kari

there have been so many things to smile about over the last two weeks, so i thought i’d condense them into one post to round out the holiday break- because let’s be honest, it can feel like a never-ending jumble of days, and that’s another reason to smile.

-i haven’t had to set an alarm in four days. it would’ve been longer but i had a doctor’s appointment. and that’s okay because..

-my migraine clinic has a headache support dog now!

meet tiger

it’s my p.a.’s dog, and sometimes she brings him in.

her dad made business cards for tiger.

my dad would’ve done something like this. here’s to dad’s who do.

-finding a song from 2007 that sounds like it’s from 1987:

look at me, reading books! my inner child is smiling 💜

-christmas was lovely this year. last year, grief consumed us, and everything felt heavy. this year, it felt like old times- just missing one person- but it also felt like he was with us in spirit. now i totally understand that analogy.

-but i did get little signs from him along the way. this one got to me the most:

@marisala808

Welcome home, USS NIMITZ! 12/16/2025 #usnavy #ussnimitizcvn68 #bremerton

♬ I’ll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams) – Remastered 1999 – Frank Sinatra

-watching the carrier glide into port, sailors standing at attention, the radar turning slowly above, i felt so emotional. my dad was in the navy, stationed on an aircraft carrier, and my parents were married in 1968. this song had special meaning for both of us, and seeing that scene felt like a sign—like he was right there with me, even now. it still makes me cry when i watch it.

and finally, i love pinterest. i always have. i know it’s not as popular as it once was, but i still enjoy wandering around, pinning things, and gathering inspiration. i do this at the end of the day while listening to music. it’s become a ritual that’s helped me heal more than i realized over the last few years.

last night, i really noticed my home page for the first time. it’s filled with pictures of the content i’ve created – the blog posts i share there, the cover photos from the past year- and it felt like a small, unexpected slide show of my own work. it made me smile, so i thought i would share it here with you.

here’s to the little things that make us smile.

i’d love to hear about a little thing that brightened your day.

Discover more from A Grace Full Life

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

55 thoughts on “smiles over holiday break”

  1. I love your Pinterest page! I have an account too, but I haven’t logged on in years. I’m pretty sure my profile pic is at least a decade old, ha. I only ever really used it to find recipes, and nowadays, I default to the Paprika app.

    I was hoping Sloan was a reference to “Ferris Bueller,” but she spelled her name with an E on the end. Regardless, all places should have a support dog!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you! Ooh, now I want to go find you… I’m really hoping Pinterest makes a resurgence in 2026. It’s so much better than a lot of other social media apps out there. I’ve never heard of Paprika—tell me more!

      Haha, I agree! Another patient was checking in while I was snuggling with Tiger, and she mentioned that her eye doctor has a support dog too.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Paprika is a mobile app where you can save recipes directly from the internet. Best of all, it deletes all the wordy nonsense, just keeping the ingredients and directions. You can edit the recipes yourself, adjusting ingredients and adding notes. It’s very easy to use!

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Happy new year, Kari! This post brightened my day and made me smile. I’m so glad Christmas was better for you this year, and that your dad was with you in a way that felt good. Your Pinterest images are so you. Totally get the end of day scroll with music. And total yay for your reading last year! I’m proud of you, too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. Happy new year, Kari! This post brightened my day and made me smile. I’m so glad Christmas was better for you this year, and that your dad was with you in a way that felt good. Your Pinterest images are so you. Totally get the end of day scroll with music. And total yay for your reading last year! I’m proud of you, too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Happy New Year, Rita! I’m so glad it brightened your day!

      It was so much better this year. He got sick at Christmastime, which was a big part of our grieving last year—remembering his time in and out of the hospital and all that came with it. Not that the grief goes away, but it’s not as deeply painful as it was last year.

      Thank you, friend. I’m proud of you. 😘

      Like

      Reply

    1. I loved it too! It was the first time I got to meet him. My husband had gone in to pick up medications before and met him first, and I was so jealous. I was really happy to finally meet him myself.

      That ship coming in made me so emotional—in the best way. 💜

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  8. I’ve been without an alarm for a few days and it is indeed, dreamy. (Literally.)

    My most recent smile was just an hour ago when I met my friend for lunch downtown to enjoy a Friday fish special. We split two things on the menu and caught up on life. We both remarked walking back to our cars that it might’ve been the best fried fish we’ve ever had. (And she grew up near a coast so that’s saying something for Ohio!)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. Your Pinterest homepage is LOVELY! It makes me wonder what mine looks like as I’ve never noticed it before. I still enjoy Pinterest a lot too and scroll it frequently at night for just 20-30 minutes after dinner pinning travel ideas, card/scrapbook inspiration, and lots of yummy recipes. I’m so glad to hear this Christmas was a good one for you and your family!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I bet yours would be absolutely beautiful too! With all your travels, food, and nature—omg, I would love to see it.

      Thank you, friend. I hope yours was as well! 😘🎄

      Like

      Reply

  10. Happy New Year Kari!

    As always, I love the glimpses into your life.

    I agree, it was a jumble of days. There was one day when I thought “Oh great Kari will have posted something” but then realized it wasn’t a Monday.😂 Happy to see your post today and hear you had a nice Xmas.

    I wish you a wonderful 2026!🎈💫❣️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Happy New Year, Donna!

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the peek into my life—it really means a lot. I love that you were checking for my posts, even on the “wrong” day!

      I hope 2026 brings you joy, wonderful travels, and lots of little moments that make you smile—both in life and in your adventures in Italy. 😘💜

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  12. Happy New Year, Kari! I’m starting to catch up with blog posts today because I’ve been working my butt off for the entire month of December. I only had TWO days off for the whole month, so I am enjoying this break time!

    LOVELY post!

    OMG, Tiger is ADORABLE! And I’m definitely smiling looking at that photo of him!

    “-finding a song from 2007 that sounds like it’s from 1987” – yes, it DOES sound like something from the 80s!!!

    I’m so impressed by your 75 books read last year. WOW, I haven’t read a book in over 10 years. LOL!

    I freaking LOVE your photo collages!

    For me, last year (and this year so far), several things made me smile. But what always does it for me is seeing a small child (baby) in a carriage, all bundled up in comfy, cozy clothing and a snuggly blanket during these winter months. And I saw a great deal of that where I work throughout the season.

    For me, I enjoy Christmas through the eyes of a child.

    Wishing you and your family a faaaaaaaaaaaabulous 2026!

    X to you, my friend!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. OMG. Ron! You must be exhausted! I’m glad you’re finally able to get some rest.

      I’m so glad you liked the post! Tiger says thank you for the love—he’s clearly stealing hearts left and right.

      And yes, that 2007 song is such a throwback—I can’t believe how 80s it sounds!

      Thank you for the kind words about the 75 books, it was a surprise even for me.

      There’s something magical about seeing kids cozy and warm, isn’t there? And Christmas through their eyes—yes, that’s exactly it.

      I’m wishing you a wonderful 2026, my dear friend. Lots of love to you!

      Like

      Reply

  14. Does Tiger accept insurance? Asking for a friend.

    I love this WHOLE post!

    Kari, that song actually sounds like 1985. You were so close, though. 🤪

    75 books! Woot woot. I thought I was doing good with 22 or so….this year will be better: more books please!

    The Navy carrier gave me all the feels. God bless our soldiers!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’ll ask next time I’m there. 💜

      I thought it might’ve been 1985…rats.

      This year will be lower, I’m sure. I hate books for some reason now- I haven’t found a good one in over two weeks.

      Me too! Seeing them stand at attention on the side of the ship? Chills.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. Isn’t it wonderful to not have to set an alarm? I rarely have to set one these days. One of the benefits of being retired and not having any young kids in the house! When I do have to set an alarm – it’s hard. I’m a night owl and it’s hard to get to bed at a decent time. And sometimes I don’t sleep well, for various reasons…so then I sleep in. Also, now that it’s winter, I am in hibernation mode. I’ve been sleeping even later and then I lounge in bed for awhile with my phone, books and journal.I love that your migraine clinic has a support doggo!So happy for you and your family that Christmas was lovely this year. Each year does get “better”…not necessarily easier, but more comforting instead of incredibly painful.Your Pinterest homepage is lovely. I rarely go on Pinterest anymore. Mainly just to look for a recipe I’ve pinned.Two things that made me smile today: when I was in Aldi and there was a “traffic jam” with people and carts. I pulled my cart over and motioned to an elderly gentleman to go ahead and he said that’s ok, I’m trying to get over there – and pointed to the freezer section beside him. As I passed by him, he looked right at me and smiled a genuine smile and said, “thank you so much, dear.” He was so sweet! This evening, I was driving and Tim was my passenger. As we were going down our street, he pointed out the car window and told me to look at the moon. It was gorgeous. (Is it full tonight?) It made me smile that 1) he noticed and 2) he told me to look.xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yesss. This morning it was back to a 6 am alarm. Grr. I’m already looking forward to those days, my friend. Over break, we stayed up later, and it was so nice. Hibernation—YES. I love your routines—they sound so cozy and safe.

      This year was so much better. Much more comforting, less painful. He got sick at Christmastime in 2023, which adds another layer of grief. Last year was full of reminders on top of the grief.

      I love your Aldi encounter! 💜

      And I especially love your moon encounter with Tim. Thank you for sharing both of these—they made my morning. 😘💜

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  17. Hi Kari, happy new year!!A lovely collection you have going on here. I am in process of creating our annual family photo book from Shutterfly and it’s been lovely- I have 1047 photos which, of course, is too many and I have to cut. But all of them are just such lovely memories, even if it’s a tired selfie of my face that I took past March after a long day at work.

    Some smiles are: mornings with my 5 year old son, joking with husband, movies, Friday and Saturday nights, naps (for me lol), a good dentist experience, kiwi fruit. Fox sightings in our back yard.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Happy New Year, Daria! I love that you make those photo books- I used to do that too!

      I love all of your smiles, especially mornings moments with your son, Friday and Saturday nights, naps, and the fox sighting! 💜

      Like

      Reply

  18. I love your Pinterest! How lovely to meet a headache support dog! Aren’t dogs the best? (Well, most dogs!) Once when I went to physical therapy, the therapist brought in her dog, a big golden retriever. He was so sweet until she brought out the exercise ball, and then he went nuts!! He tackled it, rolled it down the hall, and tried to grab it with his mouth – and it popped! It was so hilarious! That memory always makes me smile. (I’m guessing the memory does not make the therapist smile…)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. I love the idea of a Headache Support Dog. Animals really do help so much when we’re ill or edgy.

    One of the first things I did when I retired was to remove the clock from my bedroom. I didn’t want to know What Time It Was, ever: not when I first woke up, not when I rolled over in the night, not when I found it difficult to fall asleep. It’s an incredibly luxurious feeling.

    There are no clocks in any of the lakehouse bedrooms, either.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yes, exactly. Animals know how to meet us where we are without asking anything of us.

      I really love the idea of no clocks in a bedroom when you don’t actually need to know the time. It sounds so peaceful and kind to your nervous system. I’m definitely tucking this idea away for the future. Thank you for sharing it. 💜

      Like

      Reply

  20. You’re adorable! Your pictures are darling! ..and you made it through your first Christmas without your dad. Sigh. There’s a lot of shit going on in this world, but optimistic that 2026 will be just fine. It has to be. We’ll make it be fine!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. 75 books is a lot! I’d have to check my library history, but I’m guessing I was at around 50 as usual. I had a run of bad books at the end of the year, so I am starting off 2026 with something really light . . . ‘Once Upon a Holidate’ :)

    As I’m sure you can guess, TikTok has taken over my social media attention, so I don’t go on Pinterest anymore, except when I’m using a recipe I have saved in my account. You can’t beat it for that, until links go dead, then you’re screwed if it was a recipe you loved! All your pictures are beautiful.

    My son’s favorite band is LCD Soundsystem and has seen them numerous times around the country. I could never get into them, except for the New York song. Love it!

    Happy New Year, my friend! XO

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I was surprised I read 75 books this year. I usually set my goal as my age, but I’m having trouble getting into books lately. Your book sounds fun! I like light books too. My mom gave me one yesterday, The Reindeer Keeper.

      Tiktok is my favorite social media platform. It brings me mostly joy, so that feels like a good thing.

      OMG! I just discovered them! I’ve been listening to them for the last few weeks.

      Happy New Year, friend! 😘💜

      Like

      Reply

  22. Happy New Year Kari! I’m so glad to read you had a good December. I thought your posts seemed different.  Maybe that was the change. I’m really happy for you.

    I usually love December but this year was not the same.

    Hiding my grief, my reality from others & pretending, maintaining a facade so they…. I dunno…. so they didn’t feel uncomfortable I guess? was exhausting.

    I’m glad you had a good December. Gives me hope. And Thank You for another year of lovely, thoughtful, beautiful posts 💚

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for this. It means so much to hear from you, and I’ve honestly been wondering how you’ve been. I feel this deeply—carrying grief quietly, keeping up appearances, it’s exhausting, and it makes sense that this December felt so heavy. I see you.

      I’m so glad you’re still here, and your words mean so much to me. Thank you for being kind enough to share this, and for reading my posts. It may sound cheesy, but having readers like you makes writing worth doing. I hope 2026 brings you more ease and gentleness with yourself. Sending you so much love. 💜

      Like

      Reply

  23. I’m not sure what I love more – the headache support dog, or the business cards the PA’s Dad produced for him 💓

    I just tried to sign in to PInterest so I could find you and, of course, it’s glitching right now. I’ve stuck a post-it note to my PC screen to remind to look again later.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I found you! :)

        I’ve been meaning to use it more as I currently just keep pretty stuff I like on it, although I have got a few bits & pieces of prompts which I use for writing. But I’ve been meaning (for absolutely ages if I’m honest) to add my blog posts to it as well. You’re inspiring me to get on with doing that!

        Liked by 1 person

I'd love to hear from you