Spontaneous Gratitude for holiday baking

Today is baking day. Well, I mean, today is baking day this year... because I don't really bake. At all. I haven't even attempted to bake my own bread since this summer. The thought makes me a little crazy as I have a highly unreliable oven and feel sick when I eat too much starch and sugar (so the combo isn't great) and so I don't bake. But this year, in a remarkable moment of insanity genius, I decided to 'save money and time' I would bake this holiday season for gifts instead of sending purchased or 'made' gifts. (As if cookies are not made or take effort, esp for those of us that do not enjoy baking... but whatever. That epiphany didn't strike me until I had asked the husband to pick up extra sugar and flour from the store.)

Yep. I'm NUTS! This has been crazy stressful and not at all the relief I was hoping for.

However! The gift tins are BEAUTIFUL. Decorated with elegance (I will show you when they are finished) and filled with goodies that I made or chose specifically for each special person on our list. But did it relieve stress? Awww, heck no!

So I felt the need to count my blessings this afternoon.

The history of spontaneous gratitude can be found here.

Today I am grateful for:

More adorable handmade ornaments (these are from last year).

How all of our cookies were made with eggs from our chickens.

Rose Sunday. :)

Willing helpers who are better at baking than I.

Sweet napping friends (this is where Bo (the cat) always sleeps right now... how cute is that?)