10 Reasons I’m Grateful to be a Scottsdale Mom!

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 Halloween is officially over! You’ve had your 24-    hour grace period to allow the candy –corn-comas  and tantrums from exhausted out-too-late-trick-or-  treating-children to wear off. Now, it’s time to  take down the friendly ghosts and faux  spider webs and move on the next holiday  in line…Happy Thanksgiving!

For me, this next holiday season couldn’t have come at a better time. Sometimes, especially this time of year when I am craving a real fall experience, I tend to think about all that I want, rather than the multitude of blessings surrounding me. Call it human nature or my own personal flaw, but unless I really force myself to focus on how much I have to be thankful for, I tend to forget about all the blessings in my life both big (healthy children, a great marriage, a nice home to live in) and small (my kindle, hulu.com, a great list of reliable sitters) So… to get us all in the mood for the season of Thanksgiving, I have put together a quick, helpful little list of 10 reasons for a Scottsdale Mom to be thankful.

1. Curbside pickup at LGO. What? I can just call in my order and not have to stand in line trying to keep a 3-year-old-child from being sucked away forever into the candy and toy section? Genius! Delicious food AND I don’t have to take two children out of car-seats! Lunch anyone?
2. Parenting Groups. From Moms of Multiples to all the great local MOPS groups to Scottsdale Parenting Group to the SMB playgroup…there are so many ways for moms in this city to connect. I have been a member of North Central Parenting Group since my oldest was 6 months and have loved it! So grateful for the wonderful friendships and helpful guidance I’ve received there. Which, of course reminds me that I am also so grateful for mom friends! Sure, I guess I would make mom friends in any city, but my mom friends live here…and they’re awesome.
3. The Christmas season is just around the corner, which means it’s time for the fabulous annual winter family events of Zoolights at the Phoenix Zoo and Holiday Lights at the Railroad Park. Our family has had a wonderful time attending these events in the past! (okay, truthfully, I have no desire/plans to go again. I’ve now been a stay-at-home-mom for almost 4 years and this is the stuff I do all day, every day with my children. I’m tired and my baby becomes an exhausted mess at 6:30pm on the dot. There is just no way I am going to add evening events (that don’t involve wine and a cheese assortment) to my schedule…and I’m grateful that I feel zero guilt about it! However, if you haven’t taken your children yet, I would highly recommend it. Great family fun for the holidays!
4. Ideal Weather for Stroller Strides. My personal favorite is the Desert Ridge Class…I get a good workout, a Starbucks, and a trip to Target all before I have to be back for preschool pickup…it’s not glamorous, but let’s be honest, that may be the “Perfect Mom Morning.”
5. The Michaels’ Phone App. Here’s the problem: I refuse to buy anything at Michaels without a 40% off coupon…but I never seem have one with me. Hello wonderful free iphone app! Now, I pretty much always have new coupons whenever I pull out my phone! (OK- I realize this one is not exactly specific to Scottsdale Moms but I am grateful to have discovered this extremely handy information and for all the useless junk beautiful crafts I will now create!)
6. Traffic is getting worse. Sure, this may not sound like a reason to be thankful, but really think about it. The roads are only getting busier because everyone wants to visit our gorgeous climate all winter…and we get to live here!
7. Not every city has a Trader Joes. Scottsdale has several and I am grateful for that! Thank you Joe, for your little carts that are so fun to push, your pre-washed bags of Kale, your applesauce crushers, and your delicious freeze-dried banana chips! How would I ever pack picnic lunches without you?
8. Winter clothes… or lack thereof. I’ll admit I’m a little sad that they’ll be no storybook white Christmas or snowmen built in my front yard… but I am very grateful that I don’t have to mess with real cold weather. In my house, it’s a huge struggle to dress my son in a lightweight sweater. I cannot imagine having to coerce toddlers into gloves, hats, coats, and scarves! Thanks goodness for mild winters!
9. Daylight savings time… Who needs it? Not us apparently! How lovely that it is still light out until late in the afternoon? I am grateful for 4:30 bike rides and walks with our neighbors!
10. It’s almost time to board the train! In an unexpected twist of fate and geography, there is a non-stop, direct railway route to the North Pole that begins just a few hours away in Williams, Arizona! What are the odds! (And, yes, this is a subtle reminder that it is already November 2nd and if you haven’t booked your Polar Express tickets yet, you are way slacking on your mom duties☺) So grateful for all the fun memories we’ve had riding this magical train…still pretty embarrassed I was talked into wearing my pajamas in public…
So that’s my silly little list to start off November with a new sense of gratitude! I recommend you make a list yourself. Do it! I promise you’ll be thankful you did!

3 COMMENTS

  1. I am laughing out lout at this for a number of reasons (1) I avoid crowded nighttime light-up festivities like the plague…I like my children in bed by 7:30 and I turn into a pumpkin at 9:00pm. Amen. (2) Michael’s app = AWESOME (did NOT know about that!) (3) Literally JUST returned from TJ’s and bought kale in a bag for the first time (have bought it at the farmer’s market previously).

    You and I have so much in common and yet somehow you also have educated me on a whole bunch of things I was not aware of! GREAT post!! 🙂

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