As I was reading old MIS posts last week, it dawned on me that I miss sharing more of the every day life stuff.  But I don’t think I’ll go back to those types of posts any time soon for a number of reasons.  Mainly because our every day is so routine.  If there’s something exciting/interesting happening, I’ll definitely share.  Otherwise, you can find some of the ‘normal’ stuff on IG and IG stories.

With that being said, I think there’s a hybrid solution to this ‘challenge.’  Instead of posting weekend recaps (even though those are my favorite to reread now!), I’m going to share a ‘Weekly Dose of Gratitude’ post every Friday.  This post will highlight all of the simple things I was thankful for the previous week.  I’m hoping that looking back on these posts will bring me the same amount of joy (or more!).

Let’s do this!

FRIDAY

• We didn’t have our Thanksgiving meal on Thursday.  Instead, we celebrated on Friday with a full spread – jalapeño pineapple mac n’ cheese, cornbread, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted broccoli, cranberry sauce, and a rotisserie chicken.  I loved pulling this meal together with my sister!

• I took a two hour nap earlier in the day.  My parents watched K while I snoozed.  So very thankful for that!

SATURDAY

• The whole gang walked to the Loop to the Christkindlmarket.  And while it was super cold out, I think we all had a great time.

• Later in the evening, Vishnu and I went out with my sister and BIL to the Santa Baby Bar.  I was pretty hesitant to leave the house but am so glad I did.  The decor and my boozy hot chocolate were reason enough to go.  Oh and getting to spend time with Vishnu, Aek, and Adarsh too!

SUNDAY

• After my parents left, Vishnu and I cleaned up and headed to a playdate with a family from Kaiden’s class.  We’d been trying to get together for a while now, and I’m so glad we made it happen because everyone had fun!  It’s so nice to connect and spend time with other parents, especially when your kiddos are around the same age.

MONDAY

• I completed a 30 minute Barre3 Online workout during my lunch hour.  It was hard, I was shaking, and there were certainly a few times when I wanted to quit.  But I didn’t!  So thankful for the opportunity to recharge in the middle of the day.

TUESDAY

• My sister and BIL came over for ‘This is Us’ Tuesday, a tradition we started at the start of this season.  I made dinner (nachos!), we ate, and then we watched our favorite show.

WEDNESDAY

• I worked from home, and Vishnu ended up being home most of the day too.  It was nice to have a little company and goofiness throughout the day!

THURSDAY

• I had lunch with my good friend and former work wife Erin today.  I hadn’t seen her in forever, so it was so nice to catch up over some delicious food!

• I got to see my other old coworker Thea as well.  She moved over to a different team a month or so ago, and while I’m still super bummed about that, I’m thankful I still get to see her and catch up when we’re both in the office.
• Kaiden was in a GREAT mood when I picked him up from daycare today.  Like instead of crying and running towards me, he laughed and ran away from me.  Ha!  Love my goofy guy!
• Vishnu finally made sambhar rice in the Instant Pot.  He’s been talking about it ever since he came back from DC.  Our friend Kartik, who Vishnu stayed with, makes this regularly.  Vishnu saw how easy it was to make and decided to give it a go.  Glad he did because – 1. I didn’t have to cook dinner and 2. it was delicious!
• And last but certainly not least, my Kaiden turned 17 months old!!!

And that’s my week of gratitude in a nutshell!  I hope you found lots of things to be thankful for and continue to do so in the coming week as well.

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