Day 4 - Getting Out of the House!

I have been battling "the crud" for a couple of weeks now.  I even broke down and went to a walk-in clinic earlier in the week to see if I could get some help with shaking this awful congestion before Thanksgiving.

However, I am my own worst enemy when it comes to taking care of myself.  I always feel the need to Go, Go, Go - even when I should slow down and get some extra rest so my body can heal.  It became very apparent to me yesterday that I had overdone it and I ended up in my jammies, curled up in bed and dozing, by 3:00 pm!

All that extra rest had me feeling much better this morning!  The challenge was to avoid overdoing it today and ending up back in that same spot.  So, I took the day a little easier....

I hadn't been in the car since Wednesday afternoon and was feeling a bit of "cabin fever" this afternoon.  So, after showering and bundling up against the cold north wind, I decided to head out for a little bit.  After stopping at Sonic for a coke and some tater tots (instant energy!), I went out to WalMart with a short shopping list.  Lo and behold!  The parking lot was half empty!  Not what I was expecting, at all.  I guess everyone had shopped themselves into exhaustion on Friday and Saturday and it was actually quite pleasant not to have to fight a crowd.

I picked up eggs and some other necessities - had everything on my list within a few minutes.  So, I headed over to look for a new bedskirt.  (Pepper chewed the front side of ours up something awful a few days ago.  Sometimes, I don't know what gets into that pup!)   While I was cruising bedding, I found a whole new comforter set in just the colors I was envisioning for our bedroom.  And, get this, the entire set was only $48!  Whoever said "If you can't get it at WalMart, you don't need it", wasn't kidding.   I grabbed that bag up and was out of there in a snap. 

Feeling pretty stoked, I decided to stop at Old Navy on the way home.  There, I stumbled upon the clearance section and found two terrific sweaters - one in black, one in brown - both marked WAY down.  Total for the two cardigans - $38, including tax. 

After only an hour out of the house, I had scored some great bargains and was headed back home, still feeling pretty good.  And very proud of myself for not "overdoing" it.

Now, I have the new linens on the bed.  Loving it!  Of course, those fantastic new 1,500-thread count, Egyptian cotton sheets in a lovely shade of terra cotta, which I bought three weeks ago (and that are "to die for" soft), don't really "match" the new bedding.  But, that's okay.  And the stripe in the fabric which looked brown at the store is really purple.  But, that's okay, too.  I'm still feeling the love.

As the day winds down, I've made a batch of oatmeal cookies, chocked full of tiny M&M's and chopped nuts, and am about to sit down and just chill with the dogs.

All in all, it's been a very good day.  I felt good and I didn't try to do too much.  I didn't get chapped about the little things - that don't really matter, by the way.  I hummed Christmas songs the entire time I was out and about and didn't get too many strange looks for doing so. 

So, today I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to get out and do a little shopping.  I'm thankful that I didn't push myself too hard and I didn't even make a "to do" list.  I'm thankful that I found some things we needed and didn't blow the budget.  This day was nothing short of a blessing.

I hope you've had a blessed day today.  Look for the gifts in the little things....

Jane