New Things I LOVE

There are some things in life that aren't that important in the big picture....but I must say there are some things that just make my day a little better. My step a little lighter. The crumbs in my fork, knife and spoon organizer less noticeable. The dust on the carpet floor boards a little less dusty. You get the picture.

So recently I've discovered a few things that I just really, really appreciate.

Pandora - this is an awesome website if you love music. You type in a music genre you like, or your fav album and the software creates a continuous playlist of similar music for hours of listening enjoyment.

A few weeks ago I typed in "Jump Van Halen" and can I just say the tunes keep rolling out that I love. I found myself rocking out tonight while working on a little project in the office; all of my favorite 80s Big Hair band tunes filled our home. How can that not be bliss! And the best part....it's free.

MSN Calendar - so can I just say that Dr. Tom and I have been discussing for about a year what we could do to get better organized. This free calendaring system has saved us time and time again. We love it and I'm so glad we found it. It's super easy to use since we both have hotmail email addresses. We view one calendar but all our different categories are marked with different colors:

Thomas school calendar

Thomas church calendar

Social calendar

Kristyn calendar

Birthday calendar

Holiday calendar

And we can add more if we want. In addition, each night we add in our daily to-dos. We can send us email reminders for to dos and items on the calendar. And the best part is just knowing what time is available.

For example, the missionaries called a few days ago to see if they could drop by this week. I said, "Just one minute, let me check my calendar." All I had to do was log in and see if Thomas had entered anything that would conflict with their visit. The day was open and we set the appointment. No more having to check with Thomas first and then call them back.

I'd say our marriage is at a whole new level. We're TOTALLY SYNCED now!

And finally...

Matrix Shampoo and Conditioner. Yes, the good kind direct from the salon. Over the last while I have tried to cut back on a lot of expenses so we're saving more and spending less. As a result I strayed from my regular brand, which was hard to do. I'm really brand loyal when it comes to cosmetics and personal care products.

As you may know, salon shampoos and conditioners aren't exactly cheap. So I tried some "in the middle" brand. Didn't like it. When I couldn't stand it any longer I went and bought something new. I've liked the brand's hairspray for a long time, but I'd never tried their shampoo/conditioner, and I hated it! My hair felt dirtier after washing it than before I washed it.

And let me just say, there is nothing worse then feeling like you look like a witch; that your hair is gross and stringy or full of static and limp. And might I add that I just know those crumbs in my utensil organizer are so much more noticeable when I have a bad hair day.

So after weeks of bad hair, I gave up and went and bought what I love. And there's a reason why I love it. My whole outlook on life has changed thanks to good shampoo.

So my dear friends - my words of advice to you today is to discover something you love and enjoy it to the fullest. We all deserve to spend our days and moments being happy because there's certainly plenty out there to fill our lives with gloom and frustration.

So enjoy life today. Find something that's simple or inexpensive or not time consuming and let it put a smile on your face because....you deserve it!