Happy Friday friends. I thought it would be fun to periodically do a segment called Friday Favorites. It will be a total mix of random things and not always home decor related. I find the more we share things we love the more we learn about new things, right! In turn you may even learn something new about me.

I would love for you to share something in the comments that is your favorite this week. It can be totally random like mine. Maybe a new outfit, a new purchase, a favorite book, a trip you are planning, absolutely anything!

Let’s get started with my 5 Friday Favorites for this week

1. First off I have to share this awesome cookie jar I purchased awhile back. I had it personalized with our names Nana and Papa just what our grand kids call us. I bake cookies alot so it is so perfect for us. But, if I don’t have fresh cookies baked the cookie jar is always filled with Oreo cookies. Yup….always! Little secret here my hubs is an oreo addict! I know…..so unhealthy but I cannot break him of it along with Pepsi! (yuk)

So our cookie jar is greatly loved. The farmhouse style also fits in so nice with my decor. Isn’t it adorable!!

I bet many of you have a grandparent or even parent that is hard to buy for at the holiday. How cute would this be to fill with cookies and have their names personalized on it. It really is so perfect for any family name….click on the link and see their samples. It is the perfect size and seals so nice. I also love supporting other makers so here is the link. (note: this price is the very best I found online)

It would also be a great house warming gift, right! I mean ideas are endless but I think with the upcoming Christmas holiday it would be a super cute unique gift!

2. A friend posted this on facebook and it really touched me. Since it has gone viral I am sure some of you have seen it but if not get your kleenex ready. I watched it the other day and seriously got through only 30 seconds before sobbing and I mean literally sobbing!

Just another reason to treasure the time you have with loved ones here on earth. Like the saying goes tomorrow is never promised! But boy, these brothers did an amazing job!

TEARJERKER ALERT: During the father/daughter dance portion of this bride’s wedding, all five of her brothers took turns dancing with her to the song “Fathers & Daughters,” which had clips of her dad’s voice from home movies edited into it. Their father passed away suddenly in 2015. Click here to read more and watch the amazing video or click the image below.

3. I really want to spread the love of my hairdresser as I am grateful for her. She not only keeps me from going grey (lol) but she is so sweet and kind hearted. I have been with her about 13 years now and she was always at a salon in Menomonee Falls very close to home. In September she decided it was time to spread her wings and open up her own business in Jackson, WI. I was so excited for her but it meant a longer travel for me. The decision was not hard and made in 3 seconds I would continue to follow her. 

She rents a space at Desire 2 Inspire and her business name is Hair Therapy. So, for all you local peeps if you are in need of a hairdresser I highly recommend Jessica. Here is her new facebook page and be sure to stop over there and give her some love! I also linked the photo below and Jessica is the first beauty on the left! 

4. For my fourth Friday favorite I want to share how much I love Thieves cleaner. My daughter introduced me to it earlier this year and oh my goodness it is amazing. You know all the hype with essential oils well this is in the same category! It is made by Young Living so its all natural and so safe for all of us and our fur babies. But the smell is seriously so fresh and awesome. No more harsh chemicals in my home.

Here is a bottle of it along with one of my spray bottles I use. You mix it with water and it lasts for so long. I use it on my floors, counter tops, appliances, bathrooms, toilets, dusting, seriously every where. I have many spray bottles on each story of my home so they are handy whenever I need to clean up. You can buy it from a Young Living distributor or my favorite place right here on Amazon! 

5. My last favorite this week is sharing the love of podcasts. Do you listen to them? I play them all day while working and I have been hooked on many investigative series lately. But I also enjoy some business related ones as well. If you decide to give one of these a try always start at season 1 episode 1.  Here are some of my favorites.

~Somebody knows Something. This one investigates true cold cases of missing people and searches for answers.

~Serial. Here the host unfolds one story- a true story- over the course of the season. Many twists and turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

~Leap in the Dark. This is also about cold case investigations.

~Missing and Murdered Finding Cleo. Another true story about siblings who were taken away from their mother and later adopted and separated. The search to find Cleo unfortunately had a tragic ending.

~Joel Osteen. This podcast is a christian pastor in Houston,Texas that I find his sermons to be so uplifting.

~The Goal Digger Podcast. Business Management and Marketing is the category here and I really enjoy listening to Jenna as she is so inspirational on all business related matters.

I recently heard about a podcast called “Happier” by Gretchen Rubin but I have not listened to it yet. But also sounds interesting! It appears to be in the self help category and who doesn’t need that, right! lol

Those are my 5 Friday favorites for this week… would love to hear some of yours in the comments!

My thoughts on gratitude!

In closing I want to share some thoughts I had this week about gratitude. I feel it really is so connected to our happiness. I mean when you think about it the more grateful we are, the happier we tend to be. Right?! It is pretty obvious, but I do think we really need to search for things to be grateful for throughout each day. Aside from the really big important things like our family or our homes for example. I’m talking about the small things too, like simple moments that we often take for granted or don’t fully appreciate.

For me, it’s simple things like waking up each day. ~Seeing the birds on the feeder knowing I am helping them with a meal. ~Or the way my granddaughters love to face time me to tell me something and sometimes they call for no reason at all. ~A bouquet of fresh flowers or a plant sitting on the table given to me just because.

~A special client who gives me such a sweet card each time with her payment. ~Seeing the sun shine in my office each day at 2:00 pm. ~The way my fur baby is my shadow throughout the day. ~Just seeing my hubby walk through the door after his long day at work. Simple things. I feel the more I acknowledge those small things and their impact on my day, the happier and more grateful I feel. I’ve realized that it’s these simple moments, many of which I take for granted, that truly bring me the most joy each day.

But be careful….

If we aren’t actively searching for these small things, I think sometimes we can easily start to focus more on the negative. Which in turn your mind can start to drift towards complaining about this or that and it just brings your mood down really quick. Like the saying goes–negativity breeds more negativity.

In reality every time we do this, we’re sacrificing our own happiness by putting our attention on the bad instead of the good. Right?! So, it’s really up to us, individually, to intentionally look for the little moments, soaking them in and really appreciating them to the fullest. Looking at everything with a positive, grateful attitude, certainly makes a huge difference in our day.

God really put that little lesson on my heart this week, so I am trying to focus on it more. I hope it will resonate with you too, because in the end you will always be happier and more grateful.

In closing…

There ya go my friends I hope you enjoyed my first Friday Favorites and got a little something out of these random tidbits. I also hope you go out today and really soak in those little things as they will truly heighten your gratitude. Trust me it will be a total game changer! Enjoy your Friday!