TGIF: 5 Things To Be Thankful For This Friday

Finally! Summertime...

1. Summer officially starts on June 21.

I can hardly wait to slather on some sunscreen and spend a day outside lounging in the sun! The water is still much too cold here to swim in but at least the weather is warm and sunny right now and I can spend lots of time outside.

Scarves are the perfect summer accessory

2. Lightweight summer scarves.

Although the weather is nice here in Michigan the air can still be a little cool at times, especially when there's a cold breeze blowing. Breezy summer-y scarves in fun colors and patterns are the perfect solution, they make a tank top or sleeveless dress a little bit warmer to wear while providing a bit of fashion-forward panache to any outfit. Even better, they can be worn year round - not just in the summer - and can be mixed with winter clothing to add some much needed spice.

Flowers are the most beautiful thing in nature

3. Flowers!

I spent most of my free time this week planting flower seeds and now I can hardly wait until they sprout. When they finally start blooming my entire yard and chicken coop should be a riot of beautiful flowers in every color of the rainbow.

Man's (and woman's) best friends

4. The unconditional love of pets.

There's nothing more soothing than being able to come home after a hard day at work and curl up with the furry friends who love us more than anything. I always feel so at peace when I'm playing with my dogs or doing chores out in the chicken coop. I think there's something about animals that soothes our souls in the perfect way.

The perfect place to find inner peace

5. Outdoor yoga.

I try to do at least a half an hour of yoga every morning, it helps put me in a great mood for the rest of the day and does wonders for my back, legs, and neck. Now that the weather is good enough I've started doing yoga outside whenever possible. It's so peaceful to be able to watch the sun rising and listen to birds singing and the breeze rustling through the leaves of the trees while I'm moving through my yoga routine. I always feel more clear headed than when I started and I know that the fresh air and exercise is good for my health - mental and physical.