It happened again this week. I kept having moments of “I really love this” and “man, I love this thing” so instead of just whispering it to me, I thought I would shout it loud for all to hear. And by that, I mean blog about it 🙂 So, without further ado, the 5 things I am loving this week…..
1. Warm Running Gear
I really don’t like running on the treadmill, but with temperatures in the 20s to the 40s in the early morning hours, I have two options: suck it up and run on the treadmill or bundle up and run outside. I got these warm running leggings from Kohls and the hat and gloves from Target. They are all active wear gear and are supposed to keep my sweat from drenching me and the gear. And man, do they work! I have told Ed quite a few times “My feet got cold but not my legs, hands, or head.” I am so thankful for warm running gear that actually works.
2. FitBit
Speaking of fitness, my sweet, sweet neighbor Denise gave me her old Fitbit when she got a new one. Her old one wasn’t staying charged the full time it was supposed to, so Fitbit sent her a new one that stayed charged. Meanwhile, I benefitted by getting her old one. For someone who was hesitant about getting one, I have to say that I really like it. It has made me more conscious about getting steps and trying to stay active, which is super helpful with trying to lose weight.
3. Kanki Japanese Restaurant
Today is my birthday, so happy birthday to me. To celebrate, we went out last night as a family to one of my favorite types of restaurants – Japanese. Let me be real for a second – I am not picky about a lot of things and can go with the flow most times, but when it comes to Japanese restaurants, I am very, very, very selective. I grew up going to a really, really great one that gave consistently great food time after time, gave you lots of food for a great price, and delivered great entertainment. If I am paying this much for food, it had better be good.
The whole time we were in Kentucky, I never found one that I liked enough to go back to again. When we moved to Raleigh, the search began again. I have tried a few here in Raleigh and the only one that I really like is Kanki. It is a little pricier than the one I grew up going to, but we have had great food and entertainment every time we have gone. And great Yum, Yum sauce, which is a must for a Japanese restaurant.
My kids love this restaurant too. Emerson kept saying “This is so fun”, and Kinsley wants her next birthday party there. I am glad they love it – I may have to ship them off if they didn’t 😉
After eating at Kanki, we went to the mall and let the girls visit the Lego Store, the Disney Store, play in the kids area, and went to Gymboree for clothes. They had a blast and it was a great birthday celebration for me – to see my kids happy, having fun, and for us to enjoy spending time with each other.
4. USAA Insurance Company
Last week, I got a call from Ed that I have always dreaded. “I haven’t made it to campus yet, because I got in an accident.” What?!?! Thankfully, he was okay, the other guy was okay, and the cars were driveable. But, Ed’s rear bumper from the guy hitting him in the back was pretty dented. So we called our car insurance company, USAA, and man, they did an awesome job! They are easy to contact and deal with, have had great communication, have got us a rental car super easily, and even waived our deductible because we met certain criteria. I seriously don’t think this process could have gone easier or faster up to this point. Ed’s car is in the shop as I write, so the process is still ongoing, but up until now, they are doing a great job!
5. “Uprooting Anger” book
Ya’ll, this book has rocked my world. A counselor recommended I read this because of some hard stuff I have been dealing with related to all the changes in our life this past year. The Lord has used this book to allow me to process why I get angry, to show me what is really going on deep down in my heart and lies that I was believing about the Lord, and help me to change from the inside out with the Lord’s help rather than just “trying harder” to not get angry, not yell, not get frustrated, etc.. It has rocked my world in almost every area of my life and while I am still a work in process, it has changed me. I am so thankful to the Lord for leading people to write books like this that He uses to sanctify us and make us more like Him. I could go on and on about what the Lord has taught me about this book, and I may in a later post, but for now, I think this book is a must read for everyone!