All in Food & Beverages
I am an ambassador for the company NationalDayCalendar.com and what I love about the company is that they keep us updated with every national day. The main reason why the information is important to me is because national days are opportunities to show thoughtfulness. Since National Candy Day is on November 4th, I checked out their website to see if I could relate to the theme of “candy” day. Jackpot! Nationaldaycalendar.com is loaded with great information about candy.
If you want to give someone a thoughtful gift that means more than anything money can buy, give them your recommendation. Whether you recommend a restaurant, clothing store, book, dog groomer etc. the research you have put into the recommendation matters and so does your opinion. Also, considering the time that you spent to try a restaurant or shop at a store is precious so when you share your findings, it’s like you are giving away gold.
When I first got married I was taught early on that I would need help around the house because of the hours my hub would be putting into his career. Since I had never had to hire anyone before that, I began practicing my hospitality skills on anyone who would come into my home and help me. Whether it was a plumber, a gardener, a designer, a housekeeper, a painter, handyman, a/c repair person, etc. I practiced looking them in the eyes and remembering their names.
What do you think of when you hear the words “trail mix”? I’ll share what I think of: sunshine, 75 degree weather, mountains and a John Denver song playing in the background. Pretty much the backdrop of Colorado most days of the year. Trail mix is the perfect food for any activity that involves outdoors, hiking and/or camping.
This is so surreal. Today I am writing a blog post about a national day that was actually founded by me! Last year was the very first year that we celebrated National Thoughtful Day and this Saturday, August 28th, we will be celebrating Thoughtful Day again. Pinch me. Am I dreaming or is this really going to happen every year?
Over the weekend, I took the kids to Minneapolis primarily to watch the Broncos play the Vikings in a pre-season game at U.S. Bank Stadium. While we were there, it made sense to see our friends. From the moment we arrived, my family was immediately pampered and cared for in so many ways. I counted the moments we were were blessed by being hosted:
Besides getting late night munchies at Taco Bell or Carl’s Jr. as a teenager and young adult, I never fully appreciated the convenience of a drive-thru until I moved to Minnesota. We had arrived to our new home in August which gave me plenty of time to get the lay of the land while running errands with a baby before the first snow came down in November. It didn’t matter, I still struggled for years whenever I schlepped the baby(s) around for errands.
Saying “Goodbye” to friends and family is not fun. In fact, I would advise everyone to avoid it at all costs. Unfortunately, skipping town without hugging friends and telling them how much we care about them is not the best thing to do. So when my friends decided to throw me a, “Not Goodbye” party (a.k.a. See Ya Later Party), I was thrilled. It was such a thoughtful idea. It turns out my kids’ friends had the same idea too. Many of our friends gathered on particular dates in order for my daughter, my son and I to see our friends one last time before we moved. Each event was an amazing experience.
Thank you coconuts for being so versatile that it seems like there is really nothing a coconut can’t be used for. I’m actually surprised that we can’t use coconut oil instead of motor oil in our cars. And even though coconut is officially listed as a tree nut (but it’s drupaceous fruit), it is rare for people to be allergic to any derivative of a coconut. Which supports my theory that we can use the coconut for so many things, it’s like the “thneed” in the Dr. Seuss book.
Alright, don’t judge me on the organization of my spice cabinet. Sure, I have to lift up each spice jar in order to see what it contains. Jars are always falling over when I am looking for the garlic salt. Obviously, that is an efficient way to spend all the free time that I have - especially when I am cooking. And of course I have spice jars from when I moved from CA to Chicago in 1997.
The invitation for the “See Ya Later” party that my friends threw for me said, “No gifts. “ We all know how that goes. And admittedly, I am the biggest rule breaker whenever I see that phrase on an invite. Fortunately some friends read my blog post that mentioned gifts for someone moving. I didn’t open any gifts immediately after the party because I needed a few days to let that party sink in. Since there was a lot of thoughtfulness that went into each rule-breaking gift, sharing the thoughtful pinches may be helpful. The next time there is a need to say “See Ya Later” to a friend who is moving, you’ll be ready!
I love that the three ladies in the picture above gathered their friends from the club and hosted a tea party. It was a lovely time. Some of us hadn’t seen each other in two years due to the pandemic. Typically, not seeing each other at the club is only at most, a season or two in between. Therefore, we appreciated the opportunity to attend the tea party because it was a reunion for many of us
