Positively Friday

One day last week, I was home with the TV on the background tuned in to PBS. I heard a man talking about how to be happier and more positive in our daily lives. Of course, my ears pricked up upon hearing the topic. Who doesn't want that?

I stopped what I was doing to have a sit and find out what else Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, had to say.

One of his five steps to happiness, mentioned in the program, is this:

"Write down three new things you are grateful for each day...Research shows this will significantly improve your optimism even six months later, and raises your success rates significantly."(source) 

Shawn confirms for me what I already know is true: focusing on the positive things about your day or week - not just thinking about them, but writing them down - really does make for a happier and richer life.

Positively Friday has a purpose for me. But what I really want is for it to have a purpose for you, too. I want to know what's been positive about your week. Just one thing or ten things. It doesn't matter. Write it down and get it out there. I promise, you'll be glad you did.

Here are just a handful of things that have been positive about my week:

~ Tori has been nominated for Homecoming Queen at her high school! We will find out next week if she will be crowned. Bill and I are very excited for her, but not all that surprised.

Tori has so many friends, is kind and generous to everyone she meets, makes excellent grades and is heavily involved in school activities. As always, her dad and I are very proud of her, Homecoming Queen or not.

~ I finally located my ideal pair of oxford shoes. And they didn't cost $400! It seemed all the cute oxfords I liked were a fortune until I saw these beauties on Zappos. They are made by Born and I love them. Comfortable and feminine, the color is rich and the leather soft.

I plan on wearing them with boyfriend jeans, khakis, shorts, long skirts, and maybe even dresses this fall. They are my favorite color for shoes, belts, bags and other accessories.

Last night, I wore them out to dinner with Bill's family. I wore them with a pair of khaki Old Navy shorts, a cognac belt from Large Leather, a white button down (thrifted) and a grey Old Navy cardigan.

Tori and I got in a quick a photo in before we left for dinner. She wore a maxi skirt her aunt made for her over the summer. Isn't it cute?

~ Tori and I spent Wednesday night without Bill because he had an evening meeting. We had a delicious eggplant dish that she sort of made up, based on this recipe. She skipped rolling up the eggplant in favor of layering it and added a wonderfully huge amount of cheese and tomato sauce.

We had a great conversation about upcoming Homecoming festivities, school, and some writing that I've been doing which led to me telling her some things about my past that she didn't know. Nothing too terribly sordid, but things that are not exactly my life's shining moments, if you know what I mean. At nearly 18, she is old enough to hear them. And seemed rather delighted to finally get a little dirt on me.

 ~  What's more positive than having a good laugh? My friend Erin, who write the blog The Bright Owl, sent me this darling photo because she knows of my low-carb love for all things cauliflower. From pizza crust to crackers to 'potatoes', cauliflower is the vegetable I reach for most. But I have yet to create art with it.

Source

I'm not sure why, but I found this picture much funnier than it probably is to most people.

So tell me: 

What's been positive about your week? 

Have you told your older children tales that
might put you in a not-so-positive light? 

Bought any great shoes lately? 

Happy Friday! 

XO, 

Adrienne