Let’s face it // Mondays stink. Or at least we typically expect them to stink. That is why, every Monday, I post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what I have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.
1. Organization Frenzy. Isn’t that a paradox? Probably. Over my ten years of teaching, I have accumulated paper. Lots of paper. I went on a paper tossing binge (don’t worry — I recycled!), and I’m on the move to storing everything “on a cloud” and aiming for clutter-free. There is not much more therapeutic than ripping up and tossing away what’s old. Or is that just the OCD Virgo in me??
2. I Could Get Use to This. Wednesday was a long day, so I asked my boyfriend for a hug. That’s all I expected, but I got a home-cooked meal (and the hug) fully prepared by him. I feel so spoiled that I might just have a long day at least once a week. Ha! He grilled pork-chops, broccoli, and sweet potatoes, and we shared a good bottle of wine. I could totally get use to that.
3. Who Would’ve Thought That Would be Fun? My boyfriend and I have regular conversations about how we hate grocery shopping, partly because it’s challenging to know how much to buy for one person to have enough for the week but not have too much that it spoils too quickly. It’s also navigating a large store with a gigantic cart, dodging crying babies and the spatially unaware, waiting in lines, and carrying groceries up multiple floors. It’s exhausting just thinking about it. However, Friday, he and I went together to prepare for a long weekend together at my parents’ vacation home. I don’t know what it was — maybe it was the distraction, but it was the most fun I’ve ever had in a grocery store. Ha! I think it also had something to do with us being so happy that it was the start of the weekend, and we were looking forward to spending the time relaxing together. We were slap-happy and successful in our shopping excursion.
4. It’s All Good at Poodies. Despite the fun we had at the grocery store, we got back to the lake-house and were too exhausted to cook (go figure!), so we went to a local BBQ joint called It’s All Good, and ate until our stomaches challenged our waistbands. Then we went to a dive bar a block away, Poodies, where Willie Nelson famously played and enjoyed a really good Americana band with a couple of brewskys.
5. Staycation. The next morning, we made a big breakfast (I’m proportionally challenged, okay) and hung out on the wrap-around porch. Once we lolly-gagged enough in the morning, we took some water tubes down to the lake, floated a bit, listened to music, and laid out under the sun. At night, we teamed up to prepare dinner whilst dancing and listening to music, and then we wound down the night next to a bonfire. It was the perfect, relaxing weekend to get me through the rest of the school year. Twenty-seven more workdays!! But who’s counting…
6. Lessons in Humility and Golf. My boyfriend is one of those guys’ guys who can pick up any sport and excel at it. So when he offered to teach me how to swing a golf club, I took full advantage of it, instead of my typical scoffing when someone wants to school me on something (I can be an ass). My parents’ lake-house is connected to a golf course, so I borrowed my dad’s clubs (the boyfriend is a lefty), and took my best shot at it. Pun fully intended. There was none of that, reach around, romantic “here let me show you” going on that you see in the movies. Oh no. The boyfran was a master teacher, and somehow got me to feel confident enough to enjoy it and want to continue learning. Surprisingly, it’s a bit addicting.
7. Everybody Wants Some!! After our staycation and being around each other for an extended period of time, I was happy enough that I didn’t scare away my boyfriend or annoy the sh*t out of him, so when he asked me to see a movie with him Sunday night, it was a relief. Ha! This new Linklater film was a terrific character study with totally likable studs, laughs, good music, and nostalgia.
I hope to inspire you to reflect on all you have to be grateful & that your week brings you even more positivity + balance + bliss! Feel free to share your seven with me as well / or even just a couple!
Have a wonderful week!
xo,
Lauren
