THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

I can finally put an end to my Peony pity party this season. Yay! I was elated to find these beauties waiting for me at the HEB.

THANKFUL FOR: This is going to sound dramatic, but Amazon Prime has completely revolutionized the Swell Rio experience for us. Don't get me wrong, I'd still warmly welcome a Target (or any other snazzy amenities), but I think you catch my drift. When we lived here a few years ago, it didn't exist, and we were happy to receive packages in the usual five to seven business days. Upon finding out that we'd return to Laughlin AFB, we knew we needed to sign up and stat. Now I can get just about anything my heart desires thanks to Amazon's complimentary two-day shipping. Have you used it?! It's crazy cakes good and incredibly convenient! Though this is starting to come across as a silly sponsored post, I can assure you it's not. I guess I just marvel at the fact that I received a crib mattress, some pregnancy cream, and Glucosamine for the pups last week—all in ONE shipment. Amaze balls!

EATING: Mama knows best, and my mom has never steered me wrong. Last weekend, she told me about her most recent find at Trader Joe's and I feel like it's my duty to pass this lil' nugget of info along. Have you ever tried their It's A Grand Slam Snack? According to my mom, it's the MOST delicious caramel corn ever. Oh yeah, and there are also peanuts, almonds, cashews, and pecans involved in this bag of sweet madness. Holy deliciousness! Is it crazy that I want to make the 2.5 hour trek to San Antone just to stock up and I've NEVER even tried it?! My mom doesn't rave about much, but when she does she means business.   

WATCHING: What I've been doing is probably more like staring, but for the sake of NOT sounding like a creeper—we'll just call it people watching. Yes, I've DEFINITELY been people watching. These days, I find myself closely examining parents and the ways in which they handle their little ones and interact with them. I've found you can learn a lot about parenting at the base pool on a weekend afternoon (um, yikes!), or at your local supermarket checkout lane. I can assure you this latest "hobby" doesn't come from a judgmental place, I'm just really curious about what life will be like when I'm in their shoes. I like to feel prepared and as nutty as it sounds, my social experiment allows me to run through the scenario and consider how I might handle things. Mind you, I'm aware that I'll probably throw all of this out the window when he actually arrives, but for the sake of feeling at ease now, it helps. 

FEELING: I was bummed to find out Flyboy would be out of town again this weekend. I know I don't have much room to complain and I should cherish what time we DO have together, but I'm really looking forward to our next weekend together. The long hours he puts in during the work week makes Saturdays and Sundays that much sweeter. Sometimes I feel like I only see him at breakfast and when we meet again at the dinner table around 8:30 pm. In fact, it doesn't feel all that different from Hawaii, except this time I don't have the beach or J.Crew to frequent whenever he's away. Ha! I'm trying to make the most out of the options available, but it's nice to break up the monotony whenever we get a chance. I sometimes question how I survived this madness the first time around, and I can't help but think I was spoiled with endless options and amenities in HI. I wonder if I'm any good at this military spouse gig and how I'll last three years here. That's when I channel the Little Engine That Could, "I think I can. I think I can."

THINKING ABOUT: In an effort to focus on the positive, I'm planning weekend getaways to Marfa and Austin. I'm still not sure when they're going to happen, but my tentative itineraries are going to come in SUPER handy. Type-A(shley) strikes again! When we visited Austin in April, I picked up this handbook and it's just as helpful as it is adorable. I hope to put it to work and stat!  

LISTENING TO: My mazel of the week goes to our air conditioner. I hear the whirring sound of it working overtime, and I tip my hat. Yesterday's high was 106 degrees and today we're looking at 111 degrees. I can't even believe it. I checked a few different weather sources just to see if my iPhone was going bonkers, but I think it was really just wishful thinking on my end. 

READING: Let's be honest, there's a lot of crafty crap out there. I don't know about you, but I've wasted too much time sorting through eons of blogs and tutorials. I truly thought I'd seen it all. Much to my surprise, Domino Magazine recently shared 17 of the BEST DIY blogs out there. Wasn't it sweet of them to do the dirty work for us?! Out of the 17 listed, I ended up adding three of them to my blogroll—Vintage Revivals, Almost Makes Perfect, and House Tweaking. Be sure to check them out!

LOVING: I bought my first pair of cycling shorts a little over six years ago. It's not something I'm proud to own, but it was necessary for the sake of m' bum. Because spinning helps keep me sane and I've got the energy to workout right now, I try to fit in a sesh at least three to five times a week. It wasn't until I recently started to feel pain near my tail bone that I realized the padding on my old shorts was non-existent. You guys, I feel SO legit! I'm not athletic, and I would have never guessed in a gazillion years that I could wear out workout gear or equipment. I felt so proud of myself, but I also needed to put an end to my aching caboose. Naturally, I put ol' Amazon Prime to work once again, and I ordered a new pair of cycling shorts. Y'all, the padding is HEAVENLY!

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!