Things I Love Thursday // 2.20.20

• Thoughtfulness - My birthday happened last month. Should be no new news for those who read along regularly --as I remind people as often as possible leading up to and then for the entire month of January that we have reason to celebrate. HA! Unbelievably, today was the first opportunity I had this year to spend some time with one of my favorite people. Sara presented me with a gift she'd been hanging onto since early January. And it was THIS. Come on. Stop. It's perfection. Love the sentiment, love the little foxy's face, love that the fox reference calls back to an amazing friendship weekend spent with dear girlfriends (#foxtribe), and I especially love the thoughtful selection and time she put into making me this sweetest gift. Love. (If you happen to be in Charlotte on March 9th and want to learn how to cross-stitch, one of my favorite companies, Skillpop, is offering a beginner workshop and as of this morning, there are 4 seats left.)
  
  
  
  
  
• Talking Teenagers - We're in the thick of it: 7th grade and 8th. (Enjoying almost all of it so far.) The hubby travels, the squirrels have many after-school activities and a lot of homework. Plus they have a growing social life to live with their friends on and offline. We try to sit down to dinner when it's possible and we're grateful that it happens 1-2 times a week. We have an unspoken "no devices during family dinner" policy and look forward to checking in and catching up. Just the other day, our youngest brought out her Chat Pack (which we hadn't used in a long time) and we were all reminded what a fun and useful tool this little box of wide-ranging questions can be. I pulled out 3 cards by chance to set up this photo. They read, Whenever you are having a bad day, what is the best thing you can do to help cheer yourself up?, If rain could fall in any scent, what scent would you want it to be?, and Most people have a favorite story or experience that they love to share with other people. Here's your chance: What's your story?. You can see from this random sampling that the questions are sometimes silly and sometimes door-opening to an actual conversation. It's interesting and sometimes eye-opening to discover where the prompt leads. If family dinners are impossible, these might also be a fun thing to keep in the glove box for moments between here and there or on the nightstand for an exchange before bedtime.
  
  
  
  
  
• Amazon Fresh - I mentioned this a couple weeks ago as "Amazon Prime" but have come to distinguish that the service I am in love with is actually called Amazon Fresh. If you're logged onto your Amazon account (and it is set up like mine is) then under the search bar in a tiny font on the left, there is a drop down option called "Fresh" --THIS is what you're looking for (if you like fresh groceries delivered to your doorstep in paper bags within the 2-hour free delivery window of your choosing, that is). With a Prime membership, there is no delivery fee; however, Amazon will add a suggested tip which you can choose to edit or remove (I do hope you'll not remove it completely). 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• JR Watkins Dish Soap - Remember when I changed my toothpaste and I was all jazzed about making little changes like this to get out of possible "ruts" we might not even realize we're in? Well... still good advice BUT I have learned that not every change is a good one. I tried a new dishwashing soap and it was no bueno. The dishes were still getting cleaned but my sponge was so stinky! Ew. Not all dish soaps are created equal. I am back to my favorite and I will not be straying anytime soon. J.R.Watkins is where it is at.
  
  
  
  
  
• My Bed - Listen, I loved the opportunity to get away with Mr. Jones last week and am so very grateful for our annual trip to Cancun with some of the most fantastic folks from all over the country and all the many parts of our 22-year-life with his amazing company. But... damn. MY bed is cozy and it felt so very delicious to fall into it on Thursday night last week! If you're considering a "mattress in a box" --we definitely recommend them. We bought one years ago for the guest bedroom and after enough people raved about it, we spent a night on it ourselves. The next day, we ordered one for our bedroom and following that, when the girls traded up their twins for queens, we bought the same type. (All of ours are from Costco. I think we have 2 Novaforms and a Simmons version.) Even if you're not shopping for a new mattress, I hope you treat yourself to some quality sheets, perfect-for-you pillows, and your personal winning combination of blankets/comforters/quilts. Cheers to a blissful bed!