3 Things I Learned in January

On this final day of January, I'm linking up with Emily P. Freeman to share what I learned this month.

I feel like I'm finally growing little millimeters at a time into the kind of person who is better at letting go of my expectations and being grateful for little things. These three items represent the micro-strides I've made. :)

1. Use the nice teacups.
Early this month, some friends of ours told us, "We use the china and silver every day. If you don't enjoy it, why have it?" I've discovered that simply having my morning tea in a beautiful cup instead of a practical mug changes my entire outlook on the day. It gives me a chance to thank God for little bits of beauty and to take a moment to enjoy them.

2. Say "yes" to the dress, er, dress-up.
A week or so ago Ginny was crying that her big sisters didn't want to play with her. Having deep empathy for the plight of the middle child, I said, "Oh, Ginny, I'll play with you!" Little did I know... ten minutes later she was sorting through dresses in my closet, and finally insisted I wear "the fancy red one." With a tiara. Every practical part of me rebelled. But my inner 4-year-old said, "Yeah, what do you have fancy dresses for if you don't wear them every day??" And I'm so glad I did...'cause you just can't put a price on that girl's smile.

3. The Great British Baking Show is a lot happier than American food competitions. (And I bet you thought I was going to keep being saccharine and philosophical!)
Anyway, it's better for those of us highly sensitive to conflict. Mark and I love learning about food and cooking from food shows, but the not-so-reality-TV element gets on my nerves. In TGBBS, any in-fighting and snide comments are kept strictly off screen. Maybe English people are just more courteous. Either way, I'm a big fan.
Also, I decided I need to master layer cakes, at the very least.

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