5 Things I'm (not so) thankful for by Lisa

Happy November! Or in my house, Movember! It's a month of thanks and I have so many wonderful things to be grateful for. From my family to my friends, I could make a list a mile long. But I thought I'd have a little fun and share some of the things I am (and am not so) thankful for. Because sometimes, they go hand-in-hand.

1. I am thankful that...

Not only am I an anal retentive organizational be-yotch, but I married a man who likes shit just as buttoned up as I do. Take for example, our holiday bins. Yes, we have holiday bins. You should see them. They are glorious! From Thanksgiving to St. Patrick's Day and everything in between, every special occasion has its own clear plastic home, labeled and stacked accordingly.

Not so thankful for...

The fact that I walked into our workout room after hours of organizing our holiday bins and found myself momentarily confused. I said to the hubs, "What is this place?"

2. I am thankful for...

Blowouts...because they are just, well, the key to a happy life. (If mama's hair is happy, everyone's happy, right?)

Not so thankful for...

The hubs' reaction when I told him I hadn't washed my hair in six (okay, 7) days because I had gotten such an amazing blowout, er, that many days before.

3. I am thankful for...

Family game night. It's fun, it sparks my (uber) competitive side and I can drink wine while doing it.

Not so thankful for...

My inability to win. I can't even claim victory in Memory or Battleship. I am even embarrassed to admit I can't excel at Chutes & Ladders. (Hmm...maybe I should blame the vino?)

4. I am thankful for...

Mani pedis because they just feel so damn good. (Extra massage, please!)

Not so thankful for...

The fact that I cannot remember the last time I had one. Enter gnarly toe nails so bad they conjure the image of a wildebeest's hoof. I always said I would not be that mom whose "upkeep" would become virtually non-existent (the blowout was a fluke y'all!). But here I am--toe nails for days, a workout room I don't recognize and no one to blame (publicly) but myself.

5. I am thankful for...

My lifelong friendship with Liz and that I get to write books with her... But I'm most grateful for the fact that we do not look like this anymore! (See photo.)

Not so thankful for...

The fact that I only see her a few times per year. *Cue sobs. No wait, I don't cry. I'm a robot, remember?*

But seriously, VERY thankful this month--and always--and plan to appreciate it all--the good, the bad and the ugly! (Although I draw the line at my wildebeest feet!)

What are you thankful (and not so thankful) for?

24 Hours: A lesson in thankfulness and a giveaway by Liz

Life is busy.  So busy, in fact, that I often find my self rushing from task to task, never stopping to stop and smell those freakin' roses everyone is always talking about, never stopping to even BREATHE.  I often worry, am I racing through life so fast that I'm not enjoying any of the things in it? Do I work my ass off to achieve things,  not taking a hot minute to bask in the satisfaction?  Do I ever take a minute to be THANKFUL? This past Saturday, I had to work. (Remember, when I told you about my day job?) The forecast predicted 80 degrees and my close-to-mid-life crisis convertible purchase was going to sit in the garage, unused, as I sped off at 5:30am to work a booth at a conference in downtown San Diego, missing my son's first baseball game.  I was NOT feeling thankful.  But as sped down the freeway, I had a thought.  What if I WAS?  What if I found something to be thankful for in every situation for 24 hours?  And not just the obvious stuff, like losing two pounds for no reason or when someone tells me my shoes are cute.  What if I spent the day turning every negative into a positive?

So, that's what I did, yo!

Waking up at 4:45 on a Saturday?  Finally!  No line in the Starbucks drive thru!  And were you aware that calories consumed before 6am don't count? #hellocrumbcake

No one is stopping by the booth that I'm giving up my Saturday for?  That's okay--I'm thankful they have free wi-fi.  I now know more about Channing Tatum than I ever thought possible. (Don't judge! #buddingcougar)

My suit feeling snug from those extra 8 pounds that just won't come off? I'm thankful most of the fat seems to have gone to my boobs. #majorcleavage

Missing the kid's softball and baseball games? I'm thankful the hubs is blowing up my phone with a play by play of the action, even detailing their snack bar purchases. #snackbarTMI

Not outside soaking up the rays on the warmest day in months? I'm thankful that I won't get hat hair from shielding my face from all that gorgeous sunlight. Plus, isn't ghost white skin the new tan? #letsstartatrend

Stressed about all the writing I need to get done? But, I get to write!  And I get to do it with my best friend. These are problems to have! So STFU and be thankful.

You see? It's not that hard if you put your mind to it. They say being thankful brings positive energy your way--and who couldn't use a dose of that?  Even if you are having what you think is the worst day EVEH, try not to wallow in the negativity--find little ways to find happiness. Like maybe you're having a horrendously shitty day at work, but hey, you're thankful that job pays your bills.  Or if all the crazy political people on Facebook are driving you crazy with their tirades, try to be thankful that we live in a country where everyone gets an opinion without getting thrown in jail.

Sometimes, I have so many balls in the air that I forget how hard I worked to get all the balls up there in the first place.  And I never want to look back at my life and realize that I never took the time to be thankful for the things in it.  As I get older, I'm finally understanding that things don't have to be perfect--that it's in those moments where it's most important to find the good.  To put down our phones, log off our computers and take a deep breath.  Ahhhhh.  Now, didn't that feel good?

And you know what? My 24 hours of thankfulness turned out pretty good-the conference got out earlier than expected and I was able to race home and enjoy a slice of the sunlight-I even had time to test out my mom's new chi machine(long story!) and watch a movie with my husband that didn't star an animated character or a animal or Selena Gomez.  That was easy to be thankful for.

Tell me one thing you are thankful for and I'll enter you to win a MYSTERY stack of  15 books!  (And you don't end up liking all of them, you'll just have to be thankful you won, okay? lol)  Leave a comment here and you'll be entered to win.  I'll choose the winners on Monday, March 11th after 8am.