This year has had it's ups and downs, but there is still SO much that I'm thankful for going into this week of giving thanks.
I'm thankful for....
Even though Lil' Miss had a scary fall earlier this year and reconstructive surgery on her right ear in September - she was a super brave girl and is doing really well. She's even back in the pool after a few months off from swim team and back in the gymnastics gym.
After 2 major health scares when both of my parents were hospitalized with cardiac issues while I was traveling for work which led to my dad's open heart surgery - they are both doing well. My mom's heart no longer shows any signs that she had a heart attack, and my dad is recovering well from his major surgery.
I was laid off from the job that I loved for 6 and 1/2 years, but am fortunate to still have some freelance work and am slowly building my client list. I would be devastated if I was left without any work for the past several months. Not just financially devastating, but it would be hard for my brain not to be challenged and for my sense of self worth too. Looking forward to more positive opportunities to end out this year and to welcome in 2025.
I'm thankful to live in the sunshine state and enjoy year round outdoor living. Growing up in Connecticut was rough this time of year with how bone chilling cold it would get and all the leaves fallen off the trees. I've lived in Florida for 14 years and it truly never gets old to see lush palm trees and spend the weekends outside in the middle of winter.
I'm thankful for these amazing friendships. Moving to a new state as an adult was not for the faint of heart when it came to re-building a social life. We are incredibly fortunate to have fallen into this group of friends that we consider framily. There's never any fighting, gossip, etc... just lots of laughs and strong bonds of always being there for each other as we navigate life.
Happy Birthday to one of our bestest!
I'm thankful for the opportunities this little blog has presented me with. Most recently, I was invited to attend the preview event for the new Ashley Snell Collection store in the Florida Mall. I sipped and shopped my way through the store, and was swooning over the color coded layout of the store. I was really drawn to the two-toned sets, and in the end chose the Barbie pink (of course).
Always always thankful for my little family, and little things like spending the day with my mini. She LOVES to go shopping (no surprise), and tagged along on a recent trip to Ulta where I got my out of control eyebrows cleaned up at the Benefit Brow Bar and picked up some items I was influenced to buy on TikTok. Has anyone else been wanting to try the Tarte Concealer Paw Brush and Colored Clay CC Undereye Corrector after all the amazing videos on TikTok? Just me? Well, I went in looking for those 2 items, and ended up walking out with the Paw Brush (which is AMAZING) and Benefit's Boi-ing Bright On Brightening Undereye Concealer. One of the associates steered me away from the Colored Clay CC Undereye Corrector and toward the Benefit Boi-ing since she said it provides better coverage with less caking. I am happy to report she was right!
Lil' Miss pointed out almost everything in the store to put on her list for Santa, and was one happy little girl. She was also proud to see her new Caboodle that she got for her birthday and has already filled up with all her hair accessories and chapsticks.
We are almost halfway into November, and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. I never came back for an update on how everything went with Hurricane Milton. Thankfully, we had minimal damage on our screen enclosure around the pool and lost power for 2 days. We were extremely lucky to say the least.
Before the storm we finally indulged in the fall coffee flights at a local coffee shop, and checked out a new-to-us local brewery that has a DELISH food truck on-site. I don't typically order burgers, but when I do it needs to be worth every bite and the Irregular Smash Burgers totally hit the spot. YUM!
After we weathered the storm, and got back into routine it was time to celebrate Lil' Miss' 8th birthday with tickets to see the Olympic gymnasts including the GOAT herself, Simone Biles at the Gold Over America Tour.
We also celebrated the birthdays of our friends' twin daughters. Can't believe they are 7 and our sweet girl is now 8. Time needs to slooooooow down please and thank you.
Lil' Miss chose tickets to the Gold Over America Tour this year instead of a party, so we celebrated at home with a made from scratch pumpkin spice cake, and she was VERY excited about her new Stanley cup to take to school. It was also flannel day on her birthday, so she didn't even have to wear her uniform.
That weekend we enjoyed some more local food trucks and a trunk-or-treat before the main event of trick-or-treating at her bestie's neighborhood. It was her first time trick-or-treating outside of our neighborhood and going with a friend. Precious!
We squeezed in a quick date night at a new-to-us Mexican restaurant to try their margaritas and I of course got a rice bowl which was of course delish.
I had an overdue hair appointment to clean up my ends and cover up the grays (that feeling when your stylist is painting the hair dye on over the grays is the BEST feeling!), and I arrived to her festive studio. The tree was up and she even had 'Tis the Season burning while I got a fresh do.
