Hello friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend full of lots of laughter. I know this daily gratitude list I'm doing for August might come off as a bit corny (or a lot), but I really believe that it is good for the soul to see the beautiful moments (big and small) that set your days apart. You are what you think, and if you look for the best parts of your day, you'll be tuned into what is going right in your life, putting yourself in a positive mindset. It really does work.
Monday, Aug. 4
Today is my hubby's birthday and B.C. Day. I was so thrilled that even though we were State-side this morning, we made it back home in time to celebrate BC Day dinner with the crew.
Today I am grateful for:
- Our daughter sleeping in until 8, which felt as luxurious as the King sized bed we were snuggled in. Why don't I own one of those again?!? I'm pretty sure my hubby is taller than most "Kings" of yore, so why don't we sleep in giant beds like those rich midgets did?
- My hubby. He is the funniest, most grounded and least selfish person I've ever met. It's a fantastic combination. I don't need his birthday to remind me of this. I just feel particularly grateful that this birthday boy is married to me.
- Seeing the children of our friends, sprouting up before my eyes - some even past me! Fifteen and 6'3"already? How is this happening? Magic beans? Wheaties? Great genetics?
Sunday, Aug. 3:
On Sunday, we went on a mini getaway. We spent the morning in Fairhaven and the afternoon/evening in Old Bellingham, two communities that I just adore in Washington. Fairhaven has an old charm about it with brick buildings, bookstores, great restaurants and little boutique shops. It's the perfect place to stroll and browse, if those are two of your favourite pastimes.
Bellingham has a young vibrant feel with craft breweries, coffee shops, bakeries, hip restaurants and funky stores. Both towns are extremely walkable. Even though it's a short drive from home, we booked a hotel with a pool and fully immersed ourselves in our mini holiday. I always feel so refreshed after our little getaways because I really savour our quality time together where we get to see new sights and carve out our own adventures. (Added bonus, I'm not looking at all of the housework that needs to be done.) Two places I highly recommend stopping in at are: Mallard Ice Cream, where the ice cream is handmade and comes in a wild variety of flavours. When we were there, flavours like sour cream, tumeric, olive oil, were a few of the offerings. I totally wussied out from the bizarre flavours and stuck to Lemon Cheesecake, but it was de-lish I tell you! Another favourite find was the Boundary Bay Brewery - probably the best family friendly restaurant I've experienced. While we were waiting for our patio table, they let us order a beer in the beer garden below, where there's a play area for the kids. We were literally sitting beside her in the play area, sipping a delicious cold beer. Civilized much? The place was packed with tables full of locals for their trivia night. It was such a great, vibrant setting. It's the first time we've been to a restaurant where our little gal didn't want to leave. She met so many local kids and was having so much fun playing, that we were forced to sit back and enjoy another delicious beer. Honestly, when you don't have it in your budget to do a giant trip, sometimes these little breaks from your routine are the next best thing to feel revived and recharged.
So, for my gratitude list, the three toppers from this day were:
- Encountering no border wait, in spite of the fact it was a long weekend. The day before people had sat in two hour line ups, so we were prepared for the worst.
- Swimming at our hotel, which, in spite of the fact it was advertised as 2.5 stars, was gorgeous, clean and new inside.
- Loving the community feel at the Boundary Bay Brewery. Sitting next to the playground, watching our daughter have the best time, while we got to relax and chat with some of the hippie locals. I loved everything about this place.
Saturday, Aug. 2
Saturdays' gratitude was easy:
- Having breakfast and a stroll through the woods with my two favourite gals in the world
- Making homemade turkey burgers for the first time in my life and LOVING how delicious they are. (Hint, you can serve them with Tzatziki on lettuce if you want to skip the bun)
- Having a wonderful catch up with two of our oldest & dearest friends: Tam & John.
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