{day TEN} federal HOLIDAYS

My husband works in finance and, therefore, gets all federal holidays off.  It's wonderful!

This weekend is a three-day one for Dustin since it's Veterans' Day on Sunday.  We see so little of each other during the week that I enjoy all of our weekends, but it's extra special when we have one extra day to spend with each other and not worrying about work.

Another great thing about federal holidays is that they seem to come around so often and so fast.  I think there are at least 7 or 8 a year, and since time flies for me it seems as though these fun freebie days are always right around the corner.

I imagine some people who have to work on federal holidays {I've definitely been there} probably are annoyed by them, or at least find them inconvenient if you find yourself needing to go to the post office or bank.  But, in our household they're golden.

Okay, a tad cheesy, but it's late and I'm gearing myself up for the drama that always ensues when it comes to putting my daughter to bed.

Anyway, thanks again federal holidays!

{day NINE} my BREAD WINNER

It's been almost a month since I quit my job.  There have been plenty of days that have caused me to remember why I enjoy working so much.  Going to work added a bit of diversity to my life that I don't normally get otherwise.  I was able to socialize and rub shoulders with my co-workers, and I miss that.

Nowadays, I spend most of my time with Isabelle and her friends.  And, I'll admit, sometimes I just want a break from the usual that comes from being a stay-at-home-mom.

However, despite how mundane my days can seem, I am grateful that I'm able to stay at home.  And that is only possible because Dustin is such a hard worker and takes his responsibility as our primary bread winner very, very seriously.

I used to work part-time at an event's center, and too many of my co-workers were women who worked multiple jobs because their husbands couldn't find "the perfect job." Instead, these "men" opted to not work at all, not seeming to mind that their wives worked on their feet all day long.

Over the years, Dustin has taken jobs that he knew he wouldn't like, but he tolerated them while he looked for something better.  The idea of not working just because the greatest job wasn't falling into his lap was never an option.  And, eventually, his patience and endurance paid off because now he has a great job.

Yesterday, Dustin worked 14 hours.  The day before that he worked 12.  And the day before that he worked 9.  Who knows how long he'll work today.  He works so, so hard because that's the type of person he is.  He has a great work ethic, and even though I know the pressure of being our primary bread winner is great he never fails to go to work every day.

I often ask him how I can make his days easier, to lighten his load.  And his answer is always, "Having dinner ready for me when I come home means so much."

So, not only is he a hard worker, he's pretty easy to please.

{day EIGHT} SEWING skills

I can't sew to save my life.  I had to take a TLC class back in junior high and I still don't know how I passed the sewing portion of the class.

Over the past few months I've become more grateful for those people in my life that have sewing skills. Mainly, my mother-in-law Roberta.  She is so talented when it comes to her sewing machine.  She made my daughter's blessing dress.  She made my daughter's favorite blanket.  She has fixed holes in my daughter's favorite blanket.  And most recently, she took in my daughter's favorite Rapunzel dress - a dress that has always been too big for her and now fits perfectly.

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Roberta's skills have left a lasting impression on my daughter as well.  Whenever she see's a shirt with a small hole in it or a string dangling from a pant cuff, she very confidently states, "Don't worry, Mom.  Grandma Berta can fix it."

I've since come to realize that I probably should learn how to sew.  It really seems to be a handy skill. For the time being, though, I'm just grateful for Grandma Berta always coming to the rescue.

{day SEVEN} TWITTER

I rarely use Twitter, but when I do it is usually to tweet my distaste for a certain company.  Whether I am the victim of bad customer service or a business just does something that I think is wrong, I tweet about it.  

Sure, I'm limited to a certain amount of characters, and when all is said and done, nothing is resolved.  But I get a kick out of how fast the company responds because they know bad news spreads fast - especially when bad news is posted on social networking sites.

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Of course, I don't limit my complaints to just Twitter.  I take advantage of surveys that company's put on their receipts, "contact us" emails company's post on their websites and so forth.  It's a great way for me to vent my frustrations without having to actually talk to someone.  And, honestly, I usually always get a response back and more often than not I am sent coupons for free stuff as an apology.

There really isn't any excuse for poor customer service these days, so if you're not sending e-mails when you're treated poorly be sure to start!  You'll be surprised what company's will do to keep your business.

{day SIX} ONLINE banking

Or, should I say online credit union-ing since I prefer them over banks?

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Nevertheless, online financing is one of the greatest things of all time.  I remember as a young, dumb teenager my financial institution asking me if I wanted to sign up for an online account.  For some reason I thought it would cost money, so I always declined.  Then I grew a brain and have never gone back!

When Dustin and I first got married, it was very clear we managed our finances differently.  I checked my online account frequently and always had a good estimate in my head of what was available.  I always managed to mess up the math on my register, and eventually just gave up.

He, on the other hand, was very strict with keeping a register and the thought of me spending any money without writing it down was really frustrating.

We attempted having one, joint account and that lasted an entire two seconds.  We are definitely a dual-account couple, and it works for us.

But, getting back to the point, the convenience of online financing is so amazing.  Need to transfer money from checking into savings?  With two clicks it's done!  Running low on your checking account?  No problem, do a transfer from savings to checking in no time at all.  Want to pay a bill without mailing it?  Snap!  You've got a bill pay option!

The possibilities are endless.

{day FIVE} JIMMY JOHN'S delivery

There have been quite a few times in recent memory that I have totally and utterly craved a Jimmy John's sandwich but had no way of getting to one.

Insert Jimmy John's delivery service.

This was the answer to all of my crazy, pregnant woman needs.  I probably ordered them at least once a week for a month.

Are they over priced sandwiches?  Yes.

Is it stupid you have to pay extra for cheese?  Definitely.

But, hello, they are delish sandwiches and I may just have to order one tomorrow.

{day FOUR} NATURAL light

One of the first things I do when I wake up in the morning is open all of my blinds.  I love the way natural light makes my house feel.  Everything seems so fresh and clean when the sun is shining into the family room.

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I used to live in a house that had close to 20 windows on the main floor, 9 of which were basically floor-to-ceiling.  It was AWESOME!  I hope I can live in a house that allowed so much light to come into all the rooms.

If you're not already, open your windows everyday!  The sun really does make such a difference.