Happiness in small things.

I've been trying to soak in life lately.

I know, it sounds pretty cheesy.

Give me a second.

You know what I'm talking about here, taking a minute to simply appreciate the moment. With this baby coming in less than 11 weeks, I always find myself looking ahead to the next week or milestone and never really stopping to appreciate today. It's kind of like working all week just to get to the weekend, but never stopping to enjoy the week itself. I know Monday isn't all that pretty, but there has to be something you enjoy about the day, right?

Right.

It's the small things that make the day special.

And it's those same things that will make your life infinitely more enjoyable, well once you start recognizing them anyway.

So slow the heck down and take a minute to enjoy yourself, be grateful for this moment, love what you're doing and find happiness in simple things.

Here are some of my favorite things that happen almost everyday: Putting sweats on when I get home. Drinking warm coffee on a cold morning. Waking up to clear skies and sunshine. Coming home to the Hubs after a day at work. Watching Wheel of Fortune while cooking dinner. Feeling the baby move and kick. Looking at the Rocky Mountains on a clear day. Text messages from the Hubs. The smell of my fireplace running. Watching the local news while getting ready for work. The smell and feel of clean sheets on the bed. The energizing buzz of a new day. Reading a Bible passage before going to sleep. AND my nightly piece of dark chocolate.

Now you go. Whatcha got?

Educating Girls in Afghanistan

I've been making a lot of changes to Sis Hope lately. If you're interested in reading about women's equality, head on over and take a look. My most recent article features an interview with the co-founder of Help Women Heal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing scholarship funding to Afghan girls in medical school.

My frugal self. And why it rocks.

I've noticed my frugal side growing lately. A lot. It's kind of getting out of hand.

I don't want to pay for anything and if I do have to pay, I want it as cheap as possible. I worry about how much everything costs, from a box of cereal to a tank of gas. I hate paying for things I can do myself, so I do my own highlights and cut my husband's hair. I even cut my dog's hair, although it doesn't always look pretty. But I seriously can't justify spending $40 for some lady to trim his bangs. Nope. Not gonna happen, sorry Chubs.

We usually only go out to eat once a week and even then we go to the most affordable place we can find. We never get dessert and pretty much always drink water.

Most of the furniture in our house is used, either from a friend/family member or something I purchased at a yard sale.