Today I’m grateful for my family, for my friends and for all the opportunities life presents. I’m thankful that I wake up in a warm bed in the morning, next to my best friend, while my little urchin stirs below and never fails to greet me with a morning smile.

I’m thankful that I have a job to go to everyday that challenges my creativity with colleagues that push me and bring out my best work.

I’m thankful that we’re blessed with such a loving family. A family that loves Bean to pieces, and despite driving us crazy at times, would go to the moon and back if we needed them to.

I’m thankful that Bean is healthy and that I have the opportunity to be his mommy. I’m thankful that God gave him to me and the Mister to love, cherish and help him find his way through the world. And most of all, I’m thankful that through it all, he’s helping us find our way, too ;)

I couldn’t of ever imagined a richer life for myself and today, I am so incredibly thankful for my ordinary, but oh-so-extraordinary life.

What are you thankful for today?

Before we continue with our regularly scheduled programming, check this baby out:

The Mister sent it to me this morning — Featured on the Today Show web site.

The Flying Monkey, located in Philadelphia is the master mind behind this ultimate fall dessert: pumpkin and apple pies baked in chocolate and vanilla cake, fused together and surrounded by buttercream icing.

Don’t worry, it weighs in at a whopping 15 pounds and measures more than a foot tall. Did I mention it’s 1,800 calories a slice?

But for that mound of heaven I’d happily run a few miles.

 This dessert takes two full days to make from scratch. Staring with the pies, they are par-bakes. The half-cooked pumpkin pie is dipped into chocolate cake batter and baked. The apple pie and vanilla cake get the same treatment and are baked on top of the chocolate cake. Homemade buttercream then smothers the entire creation.

My beloved.

If you have trouble contacting me, don’t worry, I’m on my way to Philly (what? the flying monkey’s site is down. how else do you expect me to get my fill?)

Moving on…

This week is a special week – MY BIRTHDAY WEEK!

While my birthday isn’t until Sunday, I figured I’d make this Thankful Thursday post extra special and reflect back on my 25th year.

This year, I was thankful for…

The opportunity to fully relax with my Mister on our tropical vacation in Vieques

Celebrating two of my best friend’s new marriages!

STARTING A FAMILY

All the amazing concerts the Mister and I enjoyed together

New opportunities

Our new house! (tour to come super soon – I just have to upload the video )

And more specifically, this WEEK, I am thankful for:

Anthropologie Home Decor – the stuff actually does go on sale

House Beautiful Magazine

My Mom

Efficient heating and cooling (you have no idea)

My strapping, handsome handyman for taking on all the yardwork last weekend

My upcoming celebrations!!!!! (It’s my mom’s birthday on Saturday)

What are YOU thankful for this week?

Busy day planned today! Working all day, but taking a little longer lunch break to take my grandma out for a Mexican lunch at Zocalo – should be fun!

After work, the Mister and I will be heading to a photoshoot for American Greetings, I’ll try and take some on-set, behind the scenes photos! I love it when I get to work with the Mister

But before I get whirled away with the day, let’s all take a few minutes and reflect back on our weeks.

This week, I’m thankful for:

My incredible family

That I’ve managed to keep my house fairly clean since our last thorough cleaning

Grilled cheese sandwiches

The return of MAD MEN

Turkey Bacon

Weekend plans in Amish Country with my mother-in-law and Mama

That Fall is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER – I can smell it!

My Mister, who puts up with me and still manages to love me at the end of every day

That Eat, Pray, Love comes out this weekend!

What are YOU thankful for today?

But instead of getting ahead of myself and trying to orchestrate what would probably be a fairly large undertaking, I figured it might be easier to have a few moments of reflection as we head into the holiday season.

This Christmas, I am thankful…

that picking out the perfect gift for friends and family truly gives me joy and satisfaction. I think I’ve mentioned this before – but I am a rockstar gift giver — seriously.

for old family holiday traditions like meatless Christmas Eve dinners.

for the new holiday traditions that The Mister and I are creating together – like Christmas cookie decorating and holiday adventures.

that listening to Ann Murray and Luther Vandross brings me back to dancing in the living room with Mom and will serve as the soundtrack for my kids’ Christmas season one day, as well.

that watching the Nutcracker still makes me feel like a Sugar Plum Fairy.

that I have the privilege in leading everyone in song – as I cantor Christmas Eve mass every year.

for Santa – because you are never too old to stop believing.

for Christmas movies like Elf, Love Actually, The Grinch (old school version), Frosty, The Santa Clause and ChristmasVacation – because it doesn’t get any better curling up in your pjs with hot cocoa and watching Christmas flicks.

for radio stations that play Christmas music all.day.long. God bless the Mister for letting them rule our radio airwaves

that I still cry every time I hear the song “The Christmas Shoes.”

for my Mister, who does everything he can to ensure all my Christmas ideas and activities come to fruition.

for my parents, who instilled in me the true meaning of Christmas and always did everything they could to make the season special for my brother and I. (even when we woke them up at 5am to open presents)

(and without getting to religious on you…) for Jesus – because without him, there wouldn’t be a Christmas to celebrate.

What will you be thankful for this Christmas (or Hanukkah!)?

HELLO!

I am back and well rested! I planned on posting yesterday, but due to a creepy incident that I won’t go into, I didn’t get any sleep on my flight. When I got back in Cleveland, I hadn’t slept for 30 hours, so I needed to get some much-needed sleep. Thank you for understanding!

Anyway, this week I am thankful to be HOME. But before I get into that, are you interested where I spent the last week?

At least I had a decent view:

The view

Yes, hotel beds can be comfy, but nothing beats your own.

Before

After

Home, Sweet Home

I couldn’t have been happier to be back in my own bed last night! I figured while we were on the subject, you might be interested in the other details of our mater bedroom. 

Right corner

Left corner

Photo close up

Right wall

Above the bed

Left wall

Mister

Misses

Artwork - can you find me and the Mister?

How precious is this?

Note: My comforter is from Anthropologie

So as I shared with you guys last week, the first leg of my trip was pretty rough and I’ve been looking forward to coming home the entire trip. (I did have some nice moments, though, which I look forward to charing with you later!) It got me thinking, though…what exactly is ‘home?’ You can’t touch it, you can’t bottle it, but you know it’s there. And we all know what an ache we feel in our hearts when we’re away from it.

Home is not where you live but where they understand you. ~Christian Morgenstern

Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration. ~Charles Dickens

Home is the one place in all this world where hearts are sure of each other. It is the place of confidence. It is the place where we tear off that mask of guarded and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear in self-defense, and where we pour out the unreserved communications of full and confiding hearts. It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out without any sensation of awkwardness and without any dread of ridicule. ~Frederick W. Robertson

What is home, though? Does it exist in place and time? Is it a feeling? A collection of memories? Can it be carried somewhere else or does it stay in the same place forever? I started thinking about all the things that define ‘home’ for me and I invite you to do the same in the comments.

To me, home is:

The Mister’s clutter

My favorite blanket

Cozy slippers

Burning candles

My special spot on the couch

Cooking breakfast

The Mister

My dog’s kisses

My mom’s laughter

My dad’s jokes

The clicking of the heater

The people I love…

Your turn– what is ‘home’ to you?

For those of you who are new to the blog (and a reminder for all my other readers) Thankful Thursday is the day we all look back on our weeks and think about the ‘good stuff.’ You know – the things that made us smile throughout the week. No matter how hectic, or terrible a day can get, there is always SOMETHING to be thankful for. Maybe it’s the fact that you have The Real Housewives of Atlanta waiting for you on your DVR, or maybe you are coming home to your pets, husband or children. Maybe you got a few extra minutes of sleep or read an article (or blog entry!) that made you smile. The point is, sometimes it’s the little things that get us through our day and they shouldn’t be forgotten.

This week I’m thankful for new experiences.

As you all know by now, the Mister and I celebrated his birthday in Toronto this weekend and it opened my eyes to a whole new world of adventures. That may sound cheesy, but this week I’m thankful for all the new places I got to explore and add to my ‘favorites list’ this past weekend.

Enjoy my photo recap!

The CN Tower - how awesome is this photo? (go Mister!)

View from the top

View of the baseball stadium through the glass foor

We're on top of the world!

CN Tower at night

The Big Top at Cirque du Soleil

Outside the Blue Jays game

Play ball!

The Harbourfront

Come sail away...

Where's the Mister?

The Killers concert

The Killers

The Killers

The end!

It was a fantastic trip and as always, way too short. While I wasn’t too excited to come back to work and reality, I am so thankful the Mister and I had the opportunity to get away and make memories

Your turn! What are you thankful for this week?

Thanks so much for taking the time to add to the conversation yesterday — I LOVE hot topics such as these!

Yesterday I was off work, which means I had the opportunity to tackle a lot of the things I’ve been putting off. One being an appointment with the graduate coordinator from my Master’s program (received masters in January 08). See, I’m starting to get pretty serious about this PhD thing and I’m at the point where I’m evaluating programs, getting materials together, etc.

Anyway, the whole process has really got me thinking on how thankful I am that I have these opportunities for higher education. And with school starting up for many of you over the next few weeks, I thought this would be a good time to reflect on our education experience and give thanks for the opportunities we’ve been fortunate enough to receive. I think it’s easy to forget all of that when we’re cursing our annoying professor or cramming for an exam, but this week, think about all you’ve learned in college or high school and how it’s helped you develop.

See, I’m one of those nerds that has always LOVED school. The thought of shopping for school supplies with my mom still makes me smile – new pencils, shiny folders, bright highlighters - I loved it all (ladies- remember Lisa Frank?!) The theme continued when I went to college and I got more and more excited with each new text book I picked up from the book store (I know, I have issues – like I said, BIG dork!). Anyway, ‘school’ has always held a special place in my heart and I can’t wait to one day work at one! (remember, I want to be a college professor…)

And while we’re on the topic, I’d like to give a big shout out to all the teachers out there (love you, Mom!) who go to work every day with the intent to develop young (or old!) minds. You really have one of the most important jobs on this earth. Thank you.

Miss G, Miss D, Mr. Curtiss, Dr. Sabbath, and Prof. Stashower: thank you for everything, you have no idea how big of a part you played in my life. You are why I one day want to teach.

image credit: kernpc.org

Your turn — what teacher or professor would you like to thank, and why?

Take a moment to think about what Memorial Day is really all about.

Then go outside with your kids, take a walk with your mister or sip some lemonade on the porch.

Nope, no blogging today

For many of us, our moms have always been there. Loving us unconditionally no matter what idiotic stunts we pull, telling us everything will be OK (even if they aren’t entirely sure if it will be) and being there at the drop of a hat when we need them. They’re the ones we want most when we’re sick and the face we always look for when we do something fantastic.

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.  ~Tenneva Jordan

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.  ~Honoré de Balzac

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being.  I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune.  ~Graycie Harmon

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.  ~Washington Irving

A daughter is a mother’s gender partner, her closest ally in the family confederacy, an extension of her self.  And mothers are their daughters’ role model, their biological and emotional road map, the arbiter of all their relationships.  ~Victoria Secunda

One of the very few reasons I had any respect for my mother when I was thirteen was because she would reach into the sink with her bare hands – bare hands – and pick up that lethal gunk and drop it into the garbage.  To top that, I saw her reach into the wet garbage bag and fish around in there looking for a lost teaspoon.  Bare hands – a kind of mad courage.  ~Robert Fulghum

A mother understands what a child does not say. ~ Jewish proverb

Mom, I owe so much of what I am to you and today I am truly thankful…

…because you danced around the room with me to Ann Murry’s Christmas album
because you always told me “all the nos were no”
because you let me cut the feet off of my pajamas
because you took me on adventures and always made me and Justin a priority
because you love Dad so much
because you carted me all over town between dance, karate, play practice, modeling, etc.
because you kept our pantry stocked with diet Snapple
because you helped me write papers that I hadn’t yet started by 1 am and were due by 8 am
because you call me ‘missy girl’
because you let me cry and complain when I got terrible haircuts
because you made me practice my voice tape
because you would call the pizza place, doctor’s office, etc.,etc. when I was too chicken
because you keep me looking fashionable
because you let me drive 6 hours and stay with the Mister every other weekend when I was only a senior in high school (you must of known it was true love)
because you never actually never called the police when I was mouthing off
because you let me be me
because you never tried to hold me back
because you embraced my colorful personality
because you let me sing in the car….always
because you put up with me
because you were (and still are) my biggest fan
because you didn’t freak out when I called you on my first day of college to tell you I was dropping my major
because you’re always the one to break any bad news to dad
because you love the Mister
because you made sure I had the wedding of my dreams
because you share your Burberry and Coach purses with me
because you share your clothes with me
because you don’t kill me when I return those clothes with stains on them
because you are my partner in crime
because you are my best friend

I love you, Mom. Happy (early) Mother’s Day.

Me and Mama

Wedding day

How are you all celebrating Mother’s Day?

So I was browsing some of my other favorite blogs yesterday, drooling over some of your scrumptious looking dishes and tasty snacks when it hit me – I am so lucky. For the most part, WE are so lucky. The fact that I am even able to have an opinion on these healthy delicious foods means that I have ACCESS and the ability to PURCHASE these foods. This week, I am thankful for access to healthy, fresh and for the most part, organic foods.

I too often take for granted that I have the opportunity to choose between fresh asparagus or bright, plump tomatoes. I have the option, while some don’t even have access.

Take a moment to review this quick survey.  Isn’t it amazing, when you actually sit and think about it, how lucky most of us are? Imagine having to answer the questions differently. What if your biggest concern was HOW you would get fresh produce on the table instead of “organic baby carrots or locally grown beets?”

But why do certain communities have limited access to healthy food? Well, think about it — where are your local supermarket or organic chain grocery stores? The inner-city, back country or at fancy, suburban strip malls? In researching the topic, I came across a fantastic report, explaining that “over the last 40 years, supermarket chains have made decisions to close inner-city stores. While this disinvestment began with stores following out-migration to the suburbs, it also resulted in a new model of grocery store, one that required a much bigger store ‘footprint’ and included such services as banking and pharmacies on-site, all surrounded by acres of parking. This new model worked well in terms of maximizing profits on a per-store basis and served suburban customers well. But it is not a model that fits into the built environment of cities.”

As a result, the out-migration of supermarkets has left many inner-city residents dependent upon corner markets for food purchases. “Many of these stores, which in the pre-supermarket era carried a wide variety of foodstuffs, have become purveyors of primarily higher-profit goods such as alcohol, cigarettes, and nonperishable foods of limited nutritional value.”

Well, because small stores must maximize the profit on each product in order to remain viable, prices tend to be much higher in these corner stores than in larger markets. So families with less money to begin with have to spend more for the same products found in suburbia.

In addition, many lower-income communities have no stores that sell healthy food. According to a 2002 report issued by The Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College, “middle- and upper-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles had 2.26 times as many supermarkets per capita as low-income neighborhoods did.” One might argue that the reason for this disparity is that low-income households don’t have enough money to support a profitable local supermarket, “but a number of recent supermarket projects developed in low-income urban neighborhoods have proven to be among the most profitable in their regions.” In fact, many lower-income areas offer significant advantages, including convenient central locations, lower land costs, fewer retail competitors, and higher household densities, all of which should make them attractive locations for food retailers.

But this problem extends far beyond inner-city areas. Food deserts, exist in both rural areas, where the nearest supermarket is miles away, and urban areas, where the only food available within walking distance is at fast-food joints. As explained in this article from Today’s Dietitian, ”food deserts are places where supermarkets or farmers’ markets offering healthy and affordable foods are located too far away. Individuals who live in a food desert have poor access to a variety of healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables, while fast-food restaurants and gas station convenience stores are often abundant.”

The article used East Palo Alto, Calif, as an example explaining that “while the region hasn’t had a supermarket in almost 40 years, it has two McDonald’s, a Pizza Hut, and a Taco Bell. To obtain fresh fruits and veggies, residents must travel outside the city; thus, they often rely on fast food for their meals.”

These food deserts span across the nation. The article cited the same problems near Seattle, Washington D.C, Vermont, Massachusetts, the list goes on…

According to Cuyahoga County Board of Health, A balanced food environment is an important key to community health. Factors affecting public health include access to markets and the balance of markets to fast food. A food desert is an area with no or distant grocery stores. Living in food deserts can mean higher obesity rates, premature death, and a lower quality of life, especially for mothers and children.

A common misperception is that fruits and vegetables are expensive; however, according to the Economic Research Service, a consumer can get an average of seven servings of fruits and vegetables per day for just 64 cents.

So what’s the problem? Well, how often do you see a commercial for a carrot or an apple? Exactly. Things are looking up however, as new guidelines have been put in place for marketing food to children.

While there is no easy solution, there are organizations with plans of action. Among the list are The Food Trust and D.C. Hunger Solutions. For more information on these organizations, visit their Web sites, which I linked in the previous sentence

But we can do little things in our own communities, too. Support you local Farmer’s Market, participate in the community garden and keep doing what you can to promote and support local gardeners.

Eat your fruits and vegetables! (image credit: localecology.org)

Take a moment for reflection: what are you thankful for this week? Have you entered our Fashion Friday contest? Need a quick overview of the rules? Click HERE.