Thankful Thursday

Hey there! For this weeks Thankful Thursday here are 30 things that I'm thankful for (In no particular order) 


1. God


2. A loving and devoted husband


3. My beautiful son

4. A close relationship with my parents


5. An improving relationship with my inlaws


6. Siblings- We haven't always gotten along but I'm thankful that there are two people out there that will always have my back, no matter what.


7. Great friends


8. My church family


9. My furry friends, Jasper and Coco. They make me feel not so alone at night.


10. Pictures! I just spent 15 minutes looking through pictures of Braden since he was born. I can't believe how he's changed! 

11. Iced Coffee

12. Fresh fruit and veggies

13. Chocolate ice cream

14. A warm bed to sleep in

15. A car that runs

16. Concealer

17. Mascara


18. Contacts


19. Yoga pants


20. The beach


21. Sunrises

22. Sunsets


23. My health


24. A good book


25. Dishwashers


26. Movies

27. Music


28. A good haircut


29. Sleep


30. Love

What are you thankful for?

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Thankful Thursday

Hello all!

Are you thankful for the little things in life or do you gloss right over them? Do you dwell on the negative? This week I want to encourage you to look on the bright side and be thankful for even the most basic things in your life. 

I am trying to start off each day being thankful, starting when I wake up in the morning. This is proving to be a little difficult, as I am NOT a morning person. Take a moment to be grateful to be awake. It may be 7:00am but at least you woke up today! Give thanks that you get to go to school, work, or whatever else gives you purpose. I have been in the position of having no job, no school, no real reason to get out of bed. Let me tell you, it isn't as great as it may sound. 

Do you pray or give thanks before you eat a meal? If you have internet access and are reading this, I assume that you don't have to worry about where your next meal is going to come from. I am so very thankful that there is food in my fridge and in my cupboards. I have never had to worry about having enough food and it's one of those basic things that I take for granted. It may not be the best food but at least my belly is full. There are many that do not have that luxury. 

Do you have a hunk of junk in your garage, driveway, or your yard (haha) ? I may not have the nicest car, but I am so glad to have something to take me from point A to point B. I live close to a very busy four lane road that I would have to cross in order to walk most places. Over the summer I saw a woman with a small child and a baby in a stroller, crossing this road and remember feeling extra thankful to have a car that day. 

Lastly, I have thankful to have a roof over my head and a warm place to sleep at night. Lately we have been having issues with some neighbors (oh the joys of apartment living!) and I've been complaining a lot about where we are living right now. As the weather is turning colder I am grateful that I don't have to be cold. In fact, the heat in our apartment seems to be always on, no matter what it's set at. We sleep with our window cracked open most nights! While I am looking forward to moving out of here, I am thankful to be where we are. We don't have much room, but it is enough, we have our own washer and dryer, and we were able to keep our pets when we moved in. 

So, when your day just isn't going right and you feel like the world is against you, think about some of the very basic blessings in your life. I think that once you remember all the good things that you DO have, the things that you don't have aren't that big of a deal.

Thanks for reading!

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Thankful Thursday

Every Thursday for the month of November I'm going to do a 'Thankful Thursday' post. I have a few Facebook friends that are doing status updates everyday about something they are thankful for. I thought I'd use that idea, but do it as a weekly blog post. Here goes!


The holiday season is rapidly approaching and I have caught the 'gimmie gimmie's', just like a child does. I'm looking at sale ads, online stores, blogs, videos..looking for things that I may want, just like I did as a child. I am my nine year old self, scouring through the Toys R Us ad, circling all of the things that I want. 
Last night as I was lying in bed, thinking about what my 'thankful' blog would be about, I realized how ridiculous my wants are!

I want and Ipad even though I have a smart phone and a laptop that do basically the same things an Ipad does.
I want a new camara I have not one, but two digital cameras. One of which hasn't been used in years. 
I want a new Ipod I already have one that works perfectly fine and I hardly use it.
I want a new TV for the bedroom Again, I already have one that works fine and doesn't get used that much.
I want this, that, and the other thing I literally have everything that I could possibly need and don't appreciate it as I should. 


How silly, right?! Instead of dwelling on all of these things that I think would make me happy, why not try loving and appreciating all that I already have?! 


I have a loving husband who has stuck with me for nine years(dating for six, married for three). He gets me like no one else. He works so hard to support us, financially, spiritually  emotionally. He does it all. Teddy is my husband and my best friend. He has seen me at my absolute worst and continues to love me anyway. I am so thankful and blessed to have him as my partner to get through this life. 

I have a beautiful son. A little boy that loves me and lights up my life. He's the blessing that I never knew I wanted. My little boy has done so much for me just by being here. I thank God everyday that I get to be his Mommy. 

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I am incredibly thankful to have love and am thankful for my little family. They matter more to me than any 'thing' ever could! :)


Sorry for the seriousness of this post. This is something that has been weighing on my heart lately. We all have much to be thankful for but we seem to forget it sometimes. I'm trying to make a conscious effort to remember my blessings and not be consumed by the 'gimmie gimmie's' :)


Thanks for reading :)
xo, Jaimee

I'd Rather be a Whale...as Long as I'm a Healthy One.

I recently came across a little story featured on this blog and found it interesting.

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, very thin and tanned woman appeared in the window of a gym. It read:

“THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?”

A middle aged woman, with children all grown, and a life well-lived, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They are powerful and wise. They have a fabulous social life, stuffing themselves with shrimp as they frolic the sunset hours away. Whales play and swim in the seas, visiting amazing places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. They speak and sing to each other in a language no one else has been able to master. Whales are wonderful musicians and are featured on many recorded CDs. They have an active sex life - both for pleasure and procreation - and birth adorable whale babies. Whales are incredible creatures and have virtually no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids do not exist.

But if they did, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis: Fish or human? They would the kill men who came too close, have no sex organs, and be unable to bear young. Yes, they would be lovely, but potentially lonely.

The choice is perfectly clear to me - I want to be a whale.

We are in an age when media instills in us that the only beautiful people are the skinny people. That those who carry around an extra ten pounds are lazy, dumb and unattractive. Yet, I prefer to enjoy an ice cream now and then with my kids. I love a good dinner with a partner who makes me shiver, and a drink out with my friends. With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom - our heads cannot hold anymore and it simply must be distributed to the rest of our bodies. See, I am not heavy... I am enormously cultured, educated, and happy. I am fit. I am strong. I am healthy. But I will never be skinny.

And beginning today, when I see my curves in the mirror I will tell myself, "My goodness! Look at how amazing I am!"

It is unknown if this actually happened and the writer of the letter is unknown as well.
"I am fit. I am strong. I am healthy, but I will never be skinny." is what I think we should take from this. It doesn't matter if you are 'fat' or 'skinny' so long as you are healthy. This reminds me to embrace what I am now, while still working towards being fit and healthy.

What do you think of this story? Which would you rather be, a whale or a mermaid?

Thanks for reading!
xoxo, J

Beautiful YOU!

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.”
― Audrey Hepburn

 I have wanted to write a blog about inner beauty and self worth ever since I started beauty blogging. I just haven't been able to find the words to express what I feel. Here are my best musings on the subject. :)