Remembering To Be Thankful During This Busy Holiday Season

I was inspired by another blogger to write this one. Her name is Ashley and she writes over at www.theashmoreblog.com. She was chatting on her Instagram stories the other day about not having the “perfect” home and the perfect christmas tree. It made me feel just so much more “normal” to know that I am not the only blogger out there that doesn’t have this ideal home! She made jokes about getting her christmas tree from Wal-Mart and that it wasn’t some giant perfectly flocked tree. Her ornaments didn’t match and she didn’t care.

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It can be SUPER intimidating, especially as a blogger, to post any photos of your home. Especially if you are like me, and live in a rental still so there just isn’t much you can do to fix the place. But here’s the thing- my mom says it best- you have to remember to appreciate all the little things and live to the fullest each day. Be proud of where you are at in life. Be thankful to how far you may have come.

When we had Liam, we were BROKE. And not like a I-am-so-broke-while-sipping-on-my-Starbucks-coffee-broke… I made minimum wage at a coffee shop and Nathan was a car washer at Lexus. We lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment in Denver. We didn’t have real furniture until almost a year after moving out here. We dumpster dived in Boulder and brought home a broken futon that was our couch. We slept on a blow-up mattress that had a hole in it for over 8 months. I got sick constantly when I was pregnant because everyone on our floor smoked inside and our only neighbor that didn’t smoke inside their apartment made BOK CHOY for dinner every night. ( I am literally getting nauseous thinking about that apartment)

The craziest part?That was the happiest and most care-free year of my life. We had NO money to go do anything. So we sat at home in front of our tiny sooty fireplace and played Uno for days. We listed to records, played games and made art. We worked at low stress jobs so we left our work at work. We had one car so I had to ride my bicycle almost two miles to work everyday. Pregnant.

When we had Liam, he didn’t have a nursery. He didn’t have a pack and play or anything. We couldn’t even afford to get newborn photos done.

Thinking back, you would think we were miserable. But we weren’t! We were just so grateful to be finally living out in Colorado, we really didn’t care. And once Liam came into our lives I didn’t think we could ever be happier. (sleep deprived, yes, but happy)

Fast forward six years and here we are. Living in the burbs. We have three working vehicles, a 5 bedroom rental, Nathan has a great job with a really amazing company, and we go out ALL the time. We go out to dinner, see movies, go to museums and zoos and trampoline places.

We have nice furniture that actually kind of matches. We have entertaining dishes and extra wine glasses. I have a craft room full of supplies !

You would think now that life is pretty great for us , right?!

Well, I find myself WANTING WANTING WANTING more. I scroll through Pinterest and Instagram and see beautiful stockings hung under a beautiful barn wood mantle. I see bright white walls and brand new kitchens, and I just start to feel bad. I feel envious and dream about our someday home.

I don’t think I am the only one that feels this way, right? It’s pretty damn easy to get caught up in it all.

I have to slow down and be very mindful when I start to think this way. I physically say out loud how grateful and blessed I am. I thank God for it all and remember that there are millions of people in the world that don’t have a 1/4 of what we have.

During this Christmas season, I think it is just so important to remember how blessed you are. Not just of material things, but the things that matter most. Your health, your family, your faith and your attitude towards life is what it is all about anyways.

So gone are the days that I don’t post that cute photo of Liam playing or helping me bake because I am embarrassed what my house looks like. I want to remember every single little thing because I know it can be too easy to forget those small moments over time.

SO here are some photos of Liam and I (Ok, mainly me) decorating our imperfect Christmas tree. It’s not the perfect tree but the memories made going up to the mountains to hunt and chop one down was pretty priceless.

Thank you to PinkBlush for the sweater! All opinions are my own! 

Sweater// Leggings

Remembering to be thankful during the holidays can really relieve some stress and help you see what your priorities are. Spend time with your family, cherish those little moments, and ENJOY it !

Merry Christmas !