Counting My (Material) Blessings

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I found myself reflecting on all of the things I am thankful for. Of course I am most thankful for my Lord and Savior, who sent me a wonderful husband who loves me. Of course I am so grateful for family (old and new) and for my friends that bless me every day.

But with this post, I am going to tell you about the things in my life that I am grateful for (besides all the mushy stuff). The things on this list make me happy, make my life easier, help me get work done, are just super-cool, or are a combination of all of these things. Sure, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for family and friends, but it’s good to be thankful for some of our stuff too, right?

1.       My Electrolux vacuum. If you know me, you know I am a neat freak. You also know that I have these two that put off a lot of hair and track in a lot of dirt. It makes me crazy to have to use an actual broom to sweep, but my current vacuum is just too cumbersome to drag up and down the stairs frequently. Enter the Electrolux, or “Lizzie,” as Ryan and I call her. We received Lizzie as a wedding gift and let me just say- she's one of the best gifts we received! She’s lightweight and has lots of sucking power; she just sits in the corner minding her own business, waiting for me whenever I need her. She has a head that pivots, which is always important for those hard-to-reach corners. Best of all- she’s cute.

2.       My IT Guy. He’s smart. He’s patient. He is a great multi-tasker. Whenever I am having technical issues (which is more often than I care to admit), he always patiently walks me through the problem, encourages me to “use my words,” and often times fixes the issue before I can stop complaining about it. He is so easy to work with. Love him!

3.       Our Rainwater system. Ok, so in total honestly, I am not very thankful for this monstrosity that now sits in my backyard, but I am thankful for my husband who cares enough about the world our children will live in (and about saving money) to set up this system. Truth be told, it’s a great way to recycle rainwater to the 30% of our backyard that it will reach. More than the system, I am thankful that I have a husband that will see something on DIY Network and will actually do it himself. He’s crafty like that.

 4.       Check out this bad baby. Another fabulous wedding present. Our Nikon D5000 is so freaking cool. You don’t even have to know what you’re doing and the camera takes phenomenal photos. Ryan and I both enjoy photography (Side Note: Did you know that Ryan actually taught a photography class in high school?)  I love documenting our lives through photos and can’t wait to use it this Christmas! Here are a few photos from Michael’s football game that I took with our “nice” camera.

5.       Social Networking. Facebook and Twitter, to be specific. I love that I can keep in touch with the daily happenings old and new friends and family, monitor everyone’s baby bumps and keep tabs on the latest news and updates from my favorite organizations, restaurants, retailers, and news media. Besides the ability keep me informed, these channels entertain me; whether waiting before an appointment or just killing time, these mediums give me instant information about the things I care about. In addition to the personal benefits, social media is a great marketing tool for businesses, but I will let you read all about that here.

6.       Chick-Fil-A is my super-food. I know that technically Chick-Fil-A is fast food, but I don’t count it as such. The #1 with cheese and a Dr. Pepper is MUCH more healthy than anything I could get at McDonalds. In my mind anyway. I probably eat Chick-Fil-A at least once a week and don’t apologize for eating that yummy goodness.

7.       G-Chat/Text Messaging. Sometimes, I don’t want or need to talk to you. I need to get a piece of information from you and move on. G-Chat and Texting allows me to do just that, without all of the small talk and needless conversation that distracts me from what I am trying to accomplish. Charming, aren't I?

8.       So in my family last year we implemented a mandatory Amazon.com wish list. At first I was skeptical and felt bad for making this list. NOT ANYMORE. I have reaped the benefits of giving the perfect gift without the agony (and hassle) that goes along with mall shopping. I have also been the recipient of perfect gifts, so that’s good too. Ordering is super easy and shipping costs are low. The gifts already come boxed, so literally all you have to do is wrap it. Oh, and returns are really easy too. Not that you need to because you already know it’s something they want. See? Everyone wins.

9.       My Snuggie. I actually have two Snuggies (blue and pink) so I have gifted the blue one to Ryan (which he loves too). It’s cold outside and I can’t stand to be cold. So why not wrap up in a blanket that still allows you to move around? Sure, I look like a monk, but who cares- I AM WARM. (Side Note: Does this woman remind you of anyone?)

10.   Good Insurance. I’ve always had insurance, but as a business owner, I have had to pay for individual insurance, which is very expensive. It cost me almost $400 a month for general insurance and did not cover any of my neurological visits or prescriptions because my migraines were considered pre-existing. So basically, if I had a migraine, I had to suffer through it because I couldn’t afford the $500/month prescriptions. But now that I am married to Ryan, who has exceptional insurance, I can afford the prescriptions needed to prevent and abort my headaches. If you’ve never had a migraine, you might not understand the debilitating effects they have on your life. So to have the ability to take a pill and move on with your day headache-free is something to be thankful for.