Top Ten Thursday - Stop and smell the Gingerbread

Welcome to Top Ten Thursday!

It is the time of year when things may be getting hectic in your life. Don't forget to stop and smell the gingerbread, though. List 10 things that made you smile, relax, be mindful,... these days.

An afternoon at Colin's dentist's. While this doesn't sound like the favorite activity of anyone, let me explain: Usually I pick up Colin at 3pm from school and we directly head to hockey practice. This is why I arranged school pick up for 2pm in order to make the dentist's appointment at 2:30. Cutting class is always a win, right? 

Side note: When I made this appointment I didn't have the November schedule yet. As it turned out, this Monday (unless every other Monday basically all season long) there was no practice, so all of the sudden we had all the time in the world!

We proceeded to pay the toy and the book store down the street a visit and go grocery shopping together, something we don't get to do often anymore these days. 

Remember there was no hockey practice, meaning our dinner was not going to be sandwiches on our ride back home. I had to cook. That's were above purchased groceries came in. 

Baby spinach salad with blue cheese, chicken, pears, dried cranberries and balsamic vinegar.

I decorated my home office with colorful fairy lights. They are so pretty and make me smile every night I turn them on. 

Elf on the Shelf fun: I'll post a review of Cookie's first week's adventures at the Gerber's house tomorrow. She's certainly making our mornings exciting.

Quality PJ time Colin hasn't been feeling well. So much so that I got a call from school Friday before lunch, and I had to go and pick him up. He needed some Mommy and me time all weekend, and we talked about parenthood, babies and Christmas gifts ;-)

Day at the mall - courtesy of teachers' being away for a day of advanced training. Also my first day off in two weeks as my coworker was back from vacation. 

Taking pictures for next week's Photo Scavenger Hunt, this one isn't technically part of the challenge, but I figured it was snap-worthy!

Baking some yummy chai spiced pecan muffins. Can you smell them?

Sunday it was Colin's and his buddy's turn to escort the big players' top scorers onto the ice and fist / glove bump them for good luck. 

We stayed to watch the game, and I observed the players' parents in the audience. "They have been at it for a while" I said to my fellow hockey mom friend. "Do you think we'll still sit here in ten years' time?"

I was just gonna drop Colin at hockey practice when I noticed how gorgeous the early evening sky was getting by the sun slowly setting, and I was lucky enough to snatch a parking spot, so I took a short walk by the lake and decided that I was going to come back here anytime I might feel stressed out.

I am so happy how this post turned out because it reflects that I had a good time even though I had to work as full time as possible for a while. 

How have you been these days? Busy? Calm? Let me know down below or better yet, link up your own post!

Next Thursday - that's December 6 -  let's do another Photo Scavenger Hunt. Since 'tis the season, why don't we make it a Christmas themed one? Take pictures of the following items and complete them with back stories, captures,... Sign up here.

1. Coca-Cola Christmas Truck
2. Beautifully wrapped gift(s)
3. Ornaments
4. Stockings
5. Christmas Tree
6. Gingerbread Man
7. Santa
8. Candle(s)
9. Fireplace
10. Cookies

December 13 I'd like us to write a Holiday Story using the following ten words: 

1. Cards
2. Decoration
3. Elf
4. Jolly
5. List
6. Miracle
7. Rudolph
8. Snowflakes
9. Traffic
10. Wrapping paper

Do you feel inspired? Sign up here.

Photo by Leo Cardelli from Pexels, Graphics from pngtree.com