• Best Thing Ever,  Confessions,  Working On My Fitness

    If You Give A Melisa A Fitness Tracker…

    I started wearing a fitness tracker on Sunday. I never had plans to get one, even though approximately 7.6 out of every 10 of my friends are using them to track their daily steps. Then Jim, who uses one himself, ordered one (the not-technically-released-yet Garmin Vivofit 2) for me. Note: This post is not sponsored. Jim used real money to pay for my fitness tracker; I just assumed that if I didn’t mention which one I got, somebody would ask. I adore it. I adore my husband for many reasons too but in this case it’s because he’s a genius, and here’s why: He knows that I am extremely competitive…

  • Best Thing Ever,  Blessings,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    Hugs

    I think about hugs a lot. That seems like a ridiculous statement, especially for a post-opener. My blog, my rules. Hugs, real, live, in-person ones, can be so healing. They can fill you up a little bit (or a lot) if you’re feeling empty. They can reassure you, warm you up, and make you feel more loved in that moment than in all the other non-hugging moments of that entire day. Hugs are magical, especially the ones that linger just a couple of seconds longer than you expect. Virtual comments on Facebook or texts that say “Hugs!”? Well, the jury is still out on those but I choose to believe…

  • Best Thing Ever,  My Kid Has Mad Skillz,  Proud Moments

    Passing My Gifts On To The Next Generation

    Presenting the special people in my life with gifts is one of my very favorite things to do in the entire world. I mean, you have no idea. Last year I wrote about the method behind my gift-giving madness: “I’m the type of person that will remember something you casually mention you like for ten full months until your birthday so I can get it, wrap it in pretty paper, and present it to you as if I bought it on a whim. I have bookmarked things online that family and friends share because they think they’re cool, pretty, awesome, or whatever, for later gift consideration. I will buy something…

  • Amazing People,  Best Thing Ever,  Family Fun,  Something That Could Change Your Life,  Travels

    Neverland

    This was originally going to be a Throwback Thursday post but as it turns out, yesterday was a crazy work day and two things happened since then which will help this be a better post. It’s all good. First, last night, many of my friends were watching “Peter Pan Live” on NBC, which is something I probably would have tuned into if our antenna would allow the Peacock Network, but it doesn’t and so I lived vicariously through everyone else. I enjoyed reading everyone’s tweets and Facebook posts, and thought fondly about Peter, Tinkerbell, and the rest. It’s a great story. Second, this morning, I overheard part of a conversation…

  • Best Thing Ever,  Family Fun,  Food,  Fun in Chicago

    How To Have The Perfect Thanksgiving*

    Going along with my family’s method of sticking to “new old traditions“, we did Thanksgiving our way. Perhaps you might want to change it up sometime, too? Here’s how. 1. The very first thing you do is make reservations at your favorite Brazilian steakhouse, which is also known as a churrascaria. 2. Start talking excitedly about “Meatsgiving” and make comments about the stretchy pants you’ll need to wear after it’s all over. Also, debate whether it’s best to starve yourself during the hours leading up to dinner or if it’s best to continue normal eating practices, thus keeping your stomach in practice. 3. Spend Thanksgiving Day completely relaxed and smiling.…