A New Years Eve Post

In middle school and high school, I developed this kind of twisted New Years Eve tradition. I would write down on a sheet of paper all of my regrets from the year -- every chance I didn't take, every awkward thing I'd said, every time I had disappointed someone -- and I would find a way to destroy this terrible list just before midnight. Sometimes I would burn it and flush the charred bits down the toilet. Other times I would simply tear it to pieces and then flush it down the toilet. There was usually a toilet involved.

This act was supposed to signify some kind of renewal. By eliminating this list, I was symbolically keeping its contents from following me into the next year. I don't practice this tradition anymore largely because I think it's pretty unhealthy. My desire to perform this heavy-handed, symbolic gesture says so much about the things that plagued me then and still do to this day. 

I am a person who is often regret-filled, regret-focused, and regret-driven. I am always looking for a do-over, frequently afraid to have the same hiccup twice. Even now, I am tempted to make New Years my new start, to pretend that this new year is like Groundhog Day for Bill Murray -- a supernatural chance to redo all of the things I couldn't get right last time. 

But the truth is January 1st is just another day. There's nothing special about it except that some people eat black eyed peas and the gym is a little more crowded than it was the day before. January 1st doesn't erase any day that came before it. It doesn't have that power. We honestly give it way more credit than it's due.

If you are a person who regrets, if you've had a year that you would just like to flush down a toilet, these might be sad words to hear. It might be tough to be reminded that your hurts and brokenness from 2013 could likely follow you into 2014. That's, like, the worst news ever. 

Honestly, though, while we obsess over the newness of a year, I kind of feel like we are giving honor to the wrong increment of time. Living our lives with a year-to-year mindset is a sure-fire way to accumulate a ton of regret. What if instead we looked at every moment as a chance to restart? What if January 2nd had as much meaning as January 1st? 

Comedian Tig Notaro, who has a podcast called Professor Blastoff that I listen to semi-religiously, describes her approach to life with the following words: "Why not now? Why not RIGHT now?" 

New Years often feels like it's designed to reveal our failures. We make resolutions. We break resolutions, and so begins the fantastic cycle of regret with which we are so familiar. But why do we need to wait until the top of a year to make life great? Why not now? Why not RIGHT now? (Bad example because RIGHT now the ball is 5 minutes from dropping in Times Square, but read this a couple of days from now, and you'll know what I mean.)

2013 was the year I quit two jobs in the span of three months. It was also the year that I was late to everything, and I forgot to call my mom on her birthday. If I was still making my list of regrets, I'd have several.

But looking back, 2013 was also the year in which I discovered my true passions, the year in which I tried more things than I turned down, the year in which I became truly invested in a community I love, and the year that I will hopefully look back on as the start of many wonderful things to come.

It's about to be 2014, and that's great and all, but tomorrow will be another day just like the day before it -- a day full of decisions, a day full of chances to start fresh. And heads up, you will probably mess up immediately. You will probably say the wrong thing, or eat the wrong food, or take the wrong train. It's going to happen. So knowing that, stop collecting your regrets and whatever you do, don't wait to give yourself a second chance. Life is happening now, RIGHT now. So why wait?

Pretty Damn Good DIY Christmas Gifts

This year, Daniel and I decided to give our families a little bit of handmade goodness for Christmas. Over the last month, we have been crafting various gifts inspired by Pinterest for all of our loved ones. We thought it would be a fun and inexpensive way to really give everyone something special.

In some cultures, these projects are called do-it-yourself, or DIY. However, if you know anything about me, you would know that I struggle with the Y aspect of DIY. I'm more like a DIFM (do it for me) kind of girl. I have nothing against crafting or hand-making. I simply lack all the necessary crafting sensibilities. My friend, Kaley, once showed me how to put thread in a sewing machine and I literally had a brief thought that she might be a witch. I just don't get these things.

But I challenged myself this Christmas, and now that it's all over, I'm happy to share what we created. After making these gifts, I must say, I got a little attached. They became my precious babies, the fruits of my labor, and they were hard to give up. I'm really glad to hand them over to the people I love the most. Take a look.

Warning: several of these projects feature plastic toy dinosaurs, all of which were harmed in the making of these gifts. 

1. Dinosaur Mason Jars

original inspiration via Mason Jar Crafts Love

I mean, seriously, shouldn't everyone own a set of these?

 2. Wood-burned State Cutting Board 

This one inspired a lot of questions, and rightfully so. When I bought this, it was folded, and it appeared to just be a small run-of-the-mill cutting board. Upon opening it, we realized it had this hinge which revealed the circular indentation. Feeling too frazzled to care, we went ahead and wood-burned it anyway, but does anyone know what specific use this object has? Either way, there is a Texas shape on it, so I think it's cool. 

3. Gold Dinosaur Magnets 

original inspiration via The Yellow Spoon

We gave these little guys away this Christmas like they were candy. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of all of the magnets we made, but many of them featured dinosaur butts, which was a real win in my book.

4. Wood-burned Recipe Cutting Board

original inspiration via Nutfield Geneology

This is my dad's famous chili recipe wood-burned onto a cutting board. If you're lucky, maybe I'll post the whole thing for you one day.

5. Chevron Clock 

Buy your own clock kit on Amazon

Paint it, tape it, paint it, untape it, clock it. There were numbers we could have added, but we liked the minimalist look of it.

Bonus: The picture in that frame is a childhood photo of my boo and his baby brother, Nick. 

6. Framed Glitter States

original inspiration via The Effortless Chic

We made these to go in the nursery of our soon-to-arrive niece! Her mama went to school in Virginia, but of course, her heart is in Texas.

7. Painted Wine Glasses

original inspiration via Radical Possibility

I decorated these with metallic sharpies and baked them for good measure. According to the internet, the paint should stay.

8. Book Art

original inspiration via Ruffles and Stuff

How many times have you seen silhouette prints on book pages and loved them? Did you know you could just PRINT THEM FROM YOUR PRINTER? Well, you do now.

9. Citrus Body Scrub

recipe via Marta Writes

This stuff smells delicious and I hear it works wonders on super dry feet. I'll be making some for myself here shortly because my husband complains that I scratch him with the soles of my feet in my sleep. Disgusting.

10. Photo Coasters

original inspiration via She Hearts It

I made a set like these two Christmases ago for my mama-in-law, so this year I decided to make some for my side of the family. These are coasters, but my mom has opted to display them as pictures on her mantle. Pictured (from left to right): Amelie (my niece), Jo (my sister), My mom and Dad, Missy (my sister), and obviously, Daniel (my hubs) and myself.

11. Dinosaur Jewelry Hanger

original inspiration via Make Dreams Come True

This one was probably my favorite to make. We saw something like this being sold on Etsy and while it is definitely impressive, we wondered if by chance, we could make something similar. AND WE DID. It was fairly time-intensive, but we're pretty jazzed about the finished product.


All-in-all this was a fantastic experience for Daniel and I. It really allowed us to think on the people in our lives and what makes each of them special. I've tried to convince Daniel to quit his teaching job and open an Etsy shop with me, but he's being totally uncool about it. Lame.

Let me know what you guys think! If any of these have you feeling inspired, feel free to pin them on Pinterest for the next time you feel compelled to give a handmade gift.

You guys are awesome. I hope you had a very, very happy holidays!

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

Today, I dedicate to you, my readers, the following song:

But seriously, have I told you lately that I love you? Well, darling, I'm telling you now.

We are nearing the end of the year, and when I look back on my slew of joys from the past twelve months, you guys are damn near the top of it. That might seem a strange thing actually. I mean, several of you I have not even met, but believe it or not, you have played a pivotal role in the direction of my life this year. Seriously. Is that weird?

It started in February when I wrote a post about things I wish I had done differently at my wedding. Suddenly, overnight, my blog went from being a place for my family and friends to check in on my life to a place where thousands of people were reading my writing on a daily basis. To this day, that post still gets a ridiculous number of hits, and I'll be honest, I think a lot of people probably just read it, chuckle a little to themselves, and move on to niche wedding blogs. A totally respectable choice in my mind. 

But what I have been so humbled by this year is that a miraculous handful of you have stuck around. You have interacted in the comments section, provided advice for me and my husband, sponsored my endeavors, and shared your stories. Your interaction in this place called Avoiding Atrophy has given me confidence to call myself a writer and to make big decisions for my future that I never thought I would make. 

But it's not just about the things you have done for me. I love you for other reasons, don't you worry. Recently, my friend Lauren asked me what is one of my favorite compliments that I've ever received. The honest truth is that I love receiving comments where readers say things along the lines of, "I think we would be great friends!" because A) that means that hopefully I've communicated my thoughts in a fun and interesting way, and B) I TOTALLY think we would be great friends too!

Each time I read your hilarious observations on life, I am positively tickled. TICKLED, y'all. So not only do I have readers who interact with my writing and make me feel like my dreams can come true, but also, I actually like you guys. I mean, that's rare, right?

A page from Sandol Stoddard Warburg's  adorable book, "I Like You"

Anyway, the New Year is coming up, and I'm one of those old softies that makes resolutions. Given the fact that you all have been such a strong presence in my life in 2013, I have resolved to give back to you guys much more in 2014. Last week, I did my first giveaway, and I'll definitely continue doing more of those while also finding other ways to make Avoiding Atrophy a place that serves its readership. 

Again, I really like you guys, and I want you to really know that. In the meantime, while I'm shy of ideas, I made you this card:

Get it?! Because he's sitting in front of LOADS of laundry!

.......

...don't worry...I'll think of something better next time.

My Message to Bloggers (and writers, and basically anyone, I guess)

I was always the one with my hand in the air when the teacher asked for a volunteer to read aloud in class, especially if it involved reading my own writing. I would lean over my desk with my arm raised high and make piercing, almost threatening eye contact. The teacher would look around the room and say, "Anyone else?" When no one would respond, she would release a small sigh, gesture to me and say something like, "Fine, go ahead" and I would clear my throat, sit up straight, and proceed to take my class on yet another one of my seven-page journeys.

I have only recently realized how irritating this practice must have been for my teachers and peers. Sorry, teachers and peers.

This is pretty much what I looked like, only not as cute. (via)

Needless to say, I loved writing. I loved it from the moment I could do it, and I remember elementary school classrooms being a place where this passion was very well-nurtured. At that age, I was daily encouraged, as we all were, to imagine, to dream up realities and find a way to convey them to the rest of the world.

Second grade, for whatever reason, especially stands out to me as a time where I grew significantly in these abilities. Before class every day, my teacher (shout out to Ms. Lopez!) would write a prompt on the board, and when we arrived, we would pull out our journals, write, and then have some sharing time (otherwise known as The Christy Show). These prompts would sometimes be as simple as, "What is your favorite food, and why?" but others would require deeper, more critical thinking. I especially loved the ones along the lines of, "Write a letter to the President and tell him what you think he needs to be focusing on right now." I was all over a prompt where I got to tell someone what to do.

There were some days where Ms. Lopez would forego a prompt and instead just tell us to do some "free-writing" where we could write about basically anything. I remember hating this. I'd look around the room at everyone's quick-moving pencils, their minds clearly racing with ideas while mine was despicably empty. I'd watch Ms. Lopez at her desk, bleary-eyed and obviously in no condition to come up with a decent prompt, and I would resent her for it. I wanted a prompt, damnit, not some willy nilly free-for-all.

While writing is something I love, something I'm good at, generating ideas is really challenging for me. I consider myself to be creative, but I am the type of creative who innovates preexisting concepts. I need just a little something-something to get me started. I guarantee you that in my lifetime I will never be an inventor of anything.

This is an interesting challenge for me as a blogger. Since so much of what I now write goes directly out to the world, I always feel a pressure to produce really solid, unique content on a regular basis. Sometimes blogging feels a lot like free-writing in Ms. Lopez's class. It's simply too much freedom. I could write anything: a list of all of my favorite fruits and vegetables, a review of a movie or book or salad dressing, a post with pictures of my eyebrows before and after tweezing. I need direction. I need limitations or my brain just breaks and I sit there entranced by the flashing cursor on an empty screen. It happens a lot.

Knowing this about me, Daniel bought me a really great gift recently.

This, friends, is a book full of prompts, and if you're anything like me, I suggest you go get one for yourself right now.

Like Ms. Lopez's prompts, some are simple...

Except, what the hell? Beat(nik) soup?

Others require a bit more critical thinking...

Also, some of them are flat weird. 

But I love this big, fat book. It's gotten me through some tough days, both as a writer and as a person, and it has served as a reminder of what makes writing really great -- ideas and imagination. That's it.

I'm a fan of stuff like this because somewhere along the path of my education, prompts stopped being as much of a thing. Suddenly, in high school I was practicing writing for standardized tests instead of creating worlds and impossible realities. I was drafting college essays and cover letters, things that have a discernible weight of anxiety attached to them, instead of writing fake letters to the president. Writing stopped being a place to imagine and it turned into a place to accomplish. I feel that tension in my writing to this day.

The thing is, while I'm no longer begging a teacher for attention with my arm raised in the air, I'm still that annoying kid who just wants to have my words heard. That's what this whole blogging thing is about on some level. Every blogger was that weird kid in elementary school class who always wanted to read aloud. There, the secret's out.

And most of us want to be successful, which is not inherently a bad thing. I would caution bloggers, however, as I would caution myself, that in the pursuit of finding some variation of achievement, we cannot lose that heightened sense of creativity that we experienced during 2nd grade journal time. I am not saying that we should set our blog posts in mythical realms or spend time inventing new bands of superheroes (though if you are doing that, please tell me because I want to read your blog right now). What I mean is that we should be thoughtful enough to this process of writing to really say something with our platforms, even if that something is "I made a sweater" or "Here's why I love french bulldogs." Whatever you're saying, it should be authentically you and it should be executed creatively.

What I feel like we often do instead is frantically look around at our neighbors to see what they are doing. Just like me on free-writing day in 2nd grade, we panic in finding what to write about while the rest of the world seems to be on the right track. We start to look at the success of fellow bloggers, and we try to imitate their same formula. 

I'm going to get real here, and it might sound catty, but please trust my intentions. There are some majorly popular, majorly boring blogs out there. Yeah, I said it. I've seen blogs, and I'm sure you have too, with thousands of followers, but that lack a real sense of purpose or ingenuity. Maybe a recipe here, maybe an embedded YouTube video there, but at the end of the day, it's nothing to write home about.

And I think these blogs are dangerous because A) they expect no inkling of intelligence from their readership and B) they make the rest of us feel like we need to alter everything we are doing. When I start to discover the recipe for this kind of blogging success, it is so tempting to want to follow a similar path. I am constantly checking myself -- is this really what I want to write, or is this what I think people want to read?

It's a battle, and I am not always winning it, but when I'm absolutely not sure, I go to my prompts. I pretend I'm seven again. I write from the heart, and I see what comes out. I think blogging can be this simple, and I would challenge all of us to take the pressure off of ourselves, and do what we do best -- write. Screw those other guys. They probably have, like, I don't know, a fungus or something. We don't want to be like them anyway.

I wrote this more for myself than for anyone else in particular, but if this is ringing true for you, I would love to hear some of your thoughts. How do you stay honest in your writing?

Brooklyn O'Shoney Christmas Traditions + CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

Daniel and I are celebrating our third married-Christmas, and while we are still new to this whole marriage thing, we're already starting to develop some lasting traditions. Some of them were carried over from our upbringings. Daniel's family especially has some great traditions when it comes to setting up their tree that we have adopted. Other Christmas traditions have just been bred organically, either by accident or by necessity. 

Either way, we're pretty proud of them. Here's our list so far:

1. The Christmas tree must be real, and it must be bigger than the tree which preceded it. 

I'm not sure how sustainable this tradition really is given how long we hope to be married, but so far it has proven true. Growing up, my family always had a fake tree that we would dangerously lug down from the attic. My dad would put it together and my sisters and I would fluff out the branches. Daniel's family, on the other hand, always ventured out to a Christmas tree farm to cut theirs down. 

The Brooklyn O'Shoneys (that's Daniel and I, by the way) have met somewhere in the middle in that we walk about 7 blocks to pick our Christmas tree out from whoever happens to be selling trees in our neighborhood. Daniel walks it back, and I stop at a bodega to buy a bottle of Sprite (did you know that your tree will last longer if you use Sprite to water it on the first day?). 

2. We must listen to Motown Christmas at some point while decorating the tree.

This tradition comes from Daniel's family, and I am honestly happy to oblige because my family would always listen to Mannheim Steamroller whilst setting up our tree. Motown Christmas is an obvious upgrade. The Texas O'Shoneys also listen to the SheDAISY Christmas Album (which, shockingly, has 77 customer reviews on Amazon). We've continued this part of the tradition only as a joke, but it has continued nonetheless.

3. We must have AT LEAST one argument over the use of ornament hangers. 

Daniel vehemently believes that ALL ornaments, regardless of whether or not they have pre-attached strings, should have metal ornament hangers attached to them. To him, this makes the ornaments last longer because he lives in an alternate reality where gravity does not exist. 

This is an absurd notion to me for several reasons. #1. SCIENCE...attaching the hanger to the string causes it to become taut from bearing the weight of the ornament. It then causes said string to wear down faster over time than if it were able to rest on a wide branch. #2. Aesthetics...it just looks odd to me to have ornaments hanging so much lower than the branches they are placed on. It's MADNESS, really.

Please weigh in on this debate in the comment section. I don't often exploit our marital disputes, but I feel like this one is far too important. 

4. We must wear our Christmas garb whilst decorating the tree.

This vest is very easily the best purchase I have ever made. I bought it at No Relation Vintage in the East Village way back in 2010 while I was here in NYC for an internship. I was so drawn to it that I bought it in October, before a hint of Christmas was even in the air. I love it because it is both tacky and utterly flattering. If I could wear it every day, I would, but instead I dawn it while decorating the tree and also to any Holiday event that follows. Daniel wears a santa hat that we bought at a dollar store. 

5. We must assess our mental health of the previous years by judging our ornament choices.

The above ornament was purchased as a white elephant gift by me and Daniel for a party we threw back in 2011. We loved it so much that we made sure that one of us ended up with it by the end of the night. It's apparently a depiction from Alice and Wonderland, but we just loved it because it looked like an absolute hot mess.

Each year when we look through our ornament box, we can't help but wonder what was wrong with us when we made the decision to buy these things. Like...guys...we've got some weird ones. We're even getting to the point where we can't remember where we got some of them, and when that happens, we just try to blame the ugly ones on friends or relatives (sorry, friends and relatives, I'm sure it wasn't you that got us the sad one-eared bear). 

6. We MUST MUST MUST have a fabulous photo shoot after we are done setting up the tree. 

And we have to capture everything...

even to the point of exhaustion...

...because, damnit, how often do we get to stand in front of such a beautiful backdrop?

We value traditions in our marriage, and we're still willing to add some new ones for Christmas this year. That's where you come in....

Comment with a Christmas tradition that YOU think we should adopt! It can literally be anything -- a tradition from your family, something you saw on Pinterest, or just something crazy that you make up 
-- whatever the case, we want to hear it.

We'll consider all of them, and not only will we add a few to our yearly set of traditions, but you'll also enter for a chance to
WIN A FREE SET OF ORNAMENTS handmade by ME
(and the hubs).

These ornaments will be homemade.
They will be sentimental.
They will most definitely be strange on some level 
(in the best way possible).
You know you want 'em.

Everyone is eligible, so start commenting!

Today I am excited to introduce you to Marney over at Sunshine and Monograms!

Etsy Shop -- Blog -- Facebook

First things first...that dog. Can we all just take a minute to appreciate how precious that little guy is? His name is Coconino and he looks like he loves cuddling, and I just want to give him all the treats.

Okay, now down to the real matter at hand. 

Marney creates personalized embroidery pieces, and it appears that this woman can basically embroider anything! Check out her Etsy shop to see what exactly I mean, but real quick, here is a sample of what you'll find there:

There is something about baby girls and dinosaurs that just works in my mind. If the same is true for you, snatch up one of Marney's customizable onesies! 

And if you're looking for some behind the scenes action, head to her blog where she showcases some of her favorite pieces and even gives delicious cooking tutorials. Plus, if you want to see more of Coconino, her blog is the place to be.

It's the holidays, y'all, so if you're looking to get something personalized for a friend or loved one, consider Sunshine and Monograms. Obviously, Marney is willing to work with you on a variety of customizable options, so check her out and tell her I said hey!

Sunshine and Monograms is featured today as one of Avoiding Atrophy's sponsors. If you are interested in advertising your blog or business here, head on over to my advertise page. I offer a variety of ad spots, including guest posts and giveaways as well as sponsor spotlights like you've seen here today. 

20 Things I'm Thankful For AFTER Thanksgiving

How good was that turkey, guys? I mean, seriously. I feel like I've been in a tryptophan-induced hibernation since last Thursday, and I have to say, I am a little disoriented coming out of it.

Thanksgiving was honestly almost too lovely. The food, the friends, the wine, the even more wine -- it was so good that, by comparison, it made today look like a big ol' bucket full of snakes. Why a bucket full of snakes? I don't know. It's basically the worst thing I could come up with, and somehow I feel like it just fits. Don't over-think it.

I mean, would you want to carry that bucket around? No? Me neither, but that's what my day felt like.

Did anyone else experience this? Did anyone wake up this morning feeling like...oh crap...I have to actually work now, and I don't want to, and everything is terrible because there is no more pie?

If you didn't wake up feeling like that this morning, you're one of the good ones. You're probably the person who remembers to be thankful on days that aren't Thanksgiving. I admire you, and I would really like to go grab coffee with you soon if you're up for it.

For me, gratitude does not come naturally. I learned this recently during a chat hosted by Altitude Design Summit on Twitter. Each week, they put out a series of questions and a bunch of us eager blogger types answer them and favorite all of each others' posts. It's wonderful. It's called Alt Chat. You should join us.

Last Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, they asked...

It's time for #altchat! Q1: IS GRATITUDE SECOND NATURE FOR YOU OR HAVE YOU WORKED TO DEVELOP IT?… http://t.co/ppNILHJCI5

— Alt Design Summit (@altsummit) November 27, 2013

I realized in that moment that not only is gratitude NOT second nature for me, but I am not sure I am even working to develop it. I tend to be an anxious Chicken Little-type, constantly screaming, "The sky is falling!" or "Life is like a bucket of snakes!" That's how I roll, and it definitely creeps in on my thankfulness game.

I mean, let's be real...it's easy to be thankful when you have all of this right at your fingertips:

The gorgeous Thanksgiving Day spread put together by my friends Lauren, Kaley, Monike, Spencer, and Janine. I honestly didn't lift a finger.

But on days that are less pie-filled and more just regular stuff-filled, I've got to be honest, I really suck at being thankful.

And thankfulness is really important, guys. Throughout AltChat, the women I spoke with cited gratitude as one of the most important things you could ever pass on to your children. After all, a thankful child becomes a humble, caring adult. Envision a world where people didn't think their own needs were most important, where people rejoiced over the very small things they had and helped anyone who had less. Imagine if that were the norm. It would be pretty great.

So now, on the rude awakening that is the Monday after Thanksgiving, I'd like to work on my gratitude by sharing some things for which I am thankful. Some are big, some are small. All of them mean something to my life, even on days that aren't Thanksgiving.

1. Netflix...because remember Blockbuster?
2. The people who read this blog...because seriously, you could be doing literally anything else. Like, seriously. Why are you even here? You're amazing.
3. Google chats with my sister...because every time I see that she's available to chat, I do a little happy dance that she doesn't know about.
4. Pinterest...because DIY Christmas gifts are happening this year, and they are going to be amazing. 
5. My hubs...because he's the kind of person who gets excited that his birthday falls on Thanksgiving. 
6. My cat, Frasier...because when he snuggles, I know he means it...because he almost never snuggles.
7. My church, OSNY...because it's a community based in the things that actually matter.
8. Diet Dr. Pepper...because it hasn't failed me yet.
9. This Vine of this baby...because it also hasn't failed me yet.
10. My Brooklyn neighborhood, Ditmas Park...because she's a treasure. 
11. My parents...because of everything. Seriously everything.
12. So many wonderful people living in Texas (and sprinkled elsewhere throughout the US)...because you guys are my heart.
13. So many wonderful people living in NYC...because you guys are my life-preserver.
14. Boots...because they make me feel like a badass when I'm walking to the subway.
15. My in-laws...because they taught me the phrase "Cool it, Quentin" and I love them dearly for that and so much more.
16. Good advice...because I need a lot of it.
17. Grace and forgiveness...because I need a WHOLE LOT of it.
18. My sisters...because they gave me deodorant at an early age when I didn't even know I needed it.
19. SMAC...because they make the best macaroni and cheese the world has ever known.
20. Writing/blogging...because it's my favorite.

This week, even though life may feel like a big, fat bucket-o-snakes, let's make a pact to practice the thankfulness that comes so easily when our faces are being stuffed with turkey. Let's keep this thankfulness train going forever until the world is a way better place.

Start now. In the comments, share your post-Thanksgiving gratitude list!