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It’s hard to believe that I have just two more thankful posts to go in November. Well, after this one, of course. This month has really flown by quickly. I really want to say thanks to those that have been reading along with this thankful challenge this month. It has been great!

Today, I am thankful for our home. 

When we were house-hunting just over six years ago, Mickey and I had a lot of ideas as to what our ideal home would be. It should have a big front porch, a full basement, a main level garage and be on a level lot. Guess what? Our home doesn’t have a front porch, it has a partial basement, it’s a drive-under with the garage under the house and the yard is hardly level. But, guess what else? It’s ours and it’s just right for our family. We have learned that even though it’s not what we thought we wanted, it’s very obviously where we needed to be. Our house may not be the biggest, the fanciest or the most up to date, but it’s our home and that’s more than enough.

Some of my favorite things about our home:

• As I mentioned above, it does have a partial basement. This has been an excellent place for the girls’ play room. If it gets junky (or, I should say WHEN it gets junky), it’s hidden away from the rest of the house. A mess I can’t see doesn’t drive me nuts as quickly. 😉 We have plans to one day turn that space into a den or something, but for now it’s a fun play room for the girls.
• We have a great fireplace. Sure, I wouldn’t mind if it were wood-burning instead of gas, but at least we have a fireplace and I’m happy for that. There is something very comforting about a nice fire in the fireplace. Ahhhh.
• The kitchen is a nice size. We’d like to update and renovate, but the cool thing is that if/when we get around to that, we have the space.
• Mickey has a home office. What was probably originally a “formal living room” is his office. That’s a great feature for our home and for Mickey’s business. He doesn’t have a commute at all.
• We are in a great neighborhood and have great schools. Those two things are pretty fantastic!

We tend to say that this isn’t our “forever home”, but, who knows, it just might be. Time will tell. We still dream of a home with a sprawling front porch, a big finished basement and a backyard that rivals a putting green. But, even if those things never come, we have a great home and we are thankful for it. Most of all, we are thankful for the family that makes our house a home. 🙂

Have a great day, y’all…
Kelly

Our girls attend an amazing elementary school. It is a school that promotes inclusion, celebrates diversity and encourages all students to reach their highest potential. The staff and families that make up the school create a wonderful community. For these and many more reasons, I am thankful for the girls’ school.  And, while I am on the topic of school, that leads me right into today’s thankful post. I am thankful for teachers and school staff.

As I’ve said before, my dream job has always been to be a mom. However, my other aspiration was always to be a teacher. This is because I had some amazing teachers in my lifetime who influenced me for the good. I had teachers that poured into me and believed in me. Not all of them were that way, but most were, fortunately. I always looked up to teachers and I still do today.

As I said above, the girls’ school is simply amazing. My sweet girls have been blessed to have some really awesome teachers. What I can also value and appreciate is that I trust that any teacher they have at their school is going to be wonderful. That’s just the kind of school staff we have. We are also very fortunate at the school to not only have the best teachers, but also the best staff ever! From Administration through the front office, media center staff, nurse, custodial staff,  support staff, and food services, every student is cared for each and every day. There is also a strong volunteer base at the school that helps to keep things running. Like I said, it’s a really wonderful community  we have there.

So, I’d like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to teachers and school staff. Please know that you are valued and appreciated beyond words!

Gratefully,
Kelly 

The last two Mondays have been what I call “randomosity” posts where I list random things that I am really thankful for, but probably couldn’t write a whole blog post on individually. On this last Monday of the 30 Days of Thanks, I’m continuing the random trend once more.

I am thankful for…

• Scarves. Love ’em! Scarves are such a fun accessory. How else can you dress up a plain tee with jeans and pull together a cute outfit that doesn’t look thrown together? Seriously. If there is one thing I can get on board with when it comes to cooler weather, it’s fun accessories like warm boots and scarves.
• UGA Football’s outstanding season, so far. Okay, UGA Dawg fans, no one smack me for saying “so far”, it’s just that I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself here. But, WOW…the Dawgs have really done well this year. Excepting that one, quite painful, loss to South Carolina, the Dawgs have been getting it done. Now, it’s on to the Dome to roll the Tide. GO DAWGS!
• The Harry Potter book series. I did not read these books when they first came out several years ago. Just this year, Macey took an interest in them, so I decided I would read them too. I can definitely see why there is such a hype over these books. Very well written and captivating.
• Keurig and Starbucks. My Keurig gets me my necessary morning caffeine fast which is always a plus. And, Starbucks is a really nice treat on days when I just need that extra something. Yay, coffee! 😉
• Lip balm. I am far from being a lip balm “addict”, but this really the time of year where I rely on it to keep my lips, as well as the girls’, from getting crazy dried out and chapped. I am so glad that I can find organic balms that work well for a reasonable price too.
• Cyber Monday. I am all about doing as much shopping online as I can this time of  year. (And, yes, it’s possible to support small business that way — check out Etsy for some great items.) No crowds, good prices and items delivered right to the door? I’m in!
• The girls’ piano lessons. The girls have been taking piano lessons from a teacher who recently retired from their elementary school. Ms. Horton is such a sweetheart and is a wonderful piano teacher. Macey has been playing since this summer and Mariana just started recently. They love it and Ms. Horton keeps the learning fun for them!
• Chocolate. Need I elaborate on why I am thankful for chocolate? I think this one is self explanatory. YUM!

That’s it for today. Randomosity strikes again. 🙂

Hope you all have a wonderful day,
Kelly 

Today is officially the last day of Thanksgiving break and the girls head back to school tomorrow. It was a very nice and much needed break for all of us.

Today I’m taking an opportunity to be thankful for the Thanksgiving break. Highlights of the break include:

• Sleeping in some. As I’ve said before, “sleeping in” generally means 8am at the latest, but we’ll take it.
• A wonderful Thanksgiving day. Papa and Mimi came over for lunch and we not only had great company, but also lots of delicious food.
• A short but sweet visit to see our family in Southwest Georgia the day after Thanksgiving. It was a whirlwind adventure, but it was a great one!
• Eating yummy Thanksgiving leftovers. What’s not to love about pumpkin pie, pound cake and turkey sandwiches? MMMM!
• Photos with Santa. The girls had their 2012 Santa portrait session at Clear Creek Imagestoday and it was fantastic. “Miss” Linda is just as sweet as can be and incredibly talented as a photographer. We can’t wait to see the images she captured. Thanks, Linda!
• Decorating the house for Christmas. We aren’t quite done with this, but it’s been FUN to get started. Our “Sweet Bea tree” has been up for over a week and it is now joined by most of the rest of our Christmas decorations. It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas around our home. And, soon we’ll get the yard lights and decorations done too. So exciting!
• Spending time with family and friends. This is always great and we had some special times with our family and friends over this break.

So, as the girls get ready to head back to school tomorrow, we will start the countdown to Christmas and also the two and a half week winter holiday break.

Happy Sunday, y’all…
Kelly 

As a small business co-owner’s wife, I am very thankful for small businesses. Mickey and his business partner, Ali,co-own and operate Green Mellen Media. (You can like the Green Mellen FB page here and sign up to receive informational updates here.) Green Mellen is a local business that offers web development, graphic design and a host of other related services. While it may be true that I am slightly biased here, I also know without any doubt that Mickey and Ali are both completely amazing at what they do. I am proud of the company and reputation for excellence that they are building and I love to give recommendations every chance I get.

Did you know that today is Small Business Saturday? Use this day, and every other day, actually, to shop locally. Shop small, as they say. Small businesses depend on local community support and strive to give back their very best to their communities. When you support small businesses, you know you aren’t paying a ton extra in overhead expenses and you can feel confident knowing you are helping your fellow community members.

Besides, Green Mellen, I’d like to recommend some other great small businesses. Please forgive me if you read over this list and I have inadvertently left off a listing. Contact me and I’ll be happy to add because I am always thrilled to do anything I can to promote local and small business. We are all in this together!

• Bellanonna Boutique – My friend Samantha McCall is the owner/operator of Bellanonna. Bellanonna products  are Earth friendly, all natural beauty products.  All  products are all natural and do not contain any harsh chemicals or toxins.
• C’est Moi – C’est Moi is located in Marietta, GA and offers a wonderful array of gifts and accessories for the home inspired by French design principles and Paris style. It is such a fun store with an amazing selection of merchandise. Bonus, you can grab some delicious cuisine right next door at The Cafe Paris. What’s not to love?
• Clear Creek Images – Linda Scott is a seriously talented photographer. I have seen the amazing work she has done for friends and our girls have a Santa portrait session with her today. If you can take one look at her newborn sessions without swooning, then I’ll be amazed. Her family sessions are beautiful too. Check out the site and book a session with Clear Creek.
• Falco Photography –  Mickey and I first met Jen and Rick Falco back in the summer of 2001 when we were planning our wedding. As soon as we met with them, we instantly knew we wanted them to shoot our engagement and wedding photos. We loved our wedding photos and we have loved the family sessions they have done for us since then. Rick and Jen are not only incredibly nice, but extremely talented as well. I give them high recommendations for your photography needs.
• Glory Haus – My friend Claudia introduced me to Glory Haus a few years ago and I am HOOKED!! Glory Haus is a faith based, home decor company out of Marietta, Georgia. Their selections include frames, tiles, decorative boards, and Christmas decorations that are inspirational, whimsical, and very reasonably priced. Every year I add to my Glory Haus collection. Love it!
• Marshmallow Dream – I discovered this great embroidery shop via Facebook. They do amazing embroidery work on market totes, baby items and more. All done locally in Smyrna, Georgia!
• Three Little Pixies – My friend Liz makes and sells gorgeous hand-stamped jewelry. Check out her Etsy site and I guarantee you will find something you love and some awesome gift items as well. This weekend you can use the code “HOLIDAY25” for 25% off your order!

Again, if I inadvertently missed anyone, my apologies. These are some wonderful small businesses that I know of and I know there are lots more out there. Support your local business, y’all.

Have a great day,
Kelly