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About Nikki
    Our DIY Wedding
Nikki by example - Just a girl trying to lead by example
  • Home
  • Style
  • Health
  • Motherhood
  • Travel
  • Extras
    • DIY
    • Food
    • Music
  • About Nikki
    • Our DIY Wedding
Life

Gratitude

November 3, 2020 by Nikki No Comments

November is National Gratitude Month.

I feel like gratitude is one of those buzzwords that people like to throw around when they’re trying to be endlessly positive and you just want to tell them to shut up. But I get how important it is to be thankful for/appreciate all the good stuff in life, especially when it’s so easy to get bogged down in the everyday minutiae. Plans go wrong, mistakes happen, messes are made, and sometimes life just seems unfair, but it’s always a good idea to pause each day and think of even one little thing that has gone right or is just plain good. In fact, experts have found that practicing gratitude not only make you happier, but it can make you healthier, too.

Expressing our gratitude enhances our moods, decreases our stress, and thus improves our overall health and wellbeing. Grateful people tend to have fewer stress-related illnesses, experience less depression, are more physically fit, and have more satisfying relationships. Those are all compelling reasons to focus on the good instead of getting lost in the bad.

Cultivating gratitude is easy; it starts with noticing the goodness in life. I think we can all agree that this year has been a doozey, and I personally haven’t been very good about appreciating the good things I have. And because the benefits of gratitude are accrued over time, I’m going to make it a month-long (and hopefully beyond) endeavor to try to be more positive and practice gratitude. Each week during the month of November I’ll describe all the things I’ve been grateful for.

And, look, I know it sounds easier than it really is. A while back I had a coworker who came to the office one morning with a rubber band around her wrist. When I asked about it, she said she was trying an experiment; she was using the rubber band as a tool to literally snap her out of her negative thoughts. Each time she had a negative thought, she would snap the rubber band. When I told my therapist about it later that week, she helped me reframe this way of thinking. You see, by snapping for the bad thoughts, we become focused on the negative. It’s more likely to make us ruminate on the bad. Instead, my therapist suggested that I do the opposite and add a rubber band or bracelet to my wrist each time I had a good thought and to try to accumulate at least 3-5 bracelets per day. It was pretty brilliant but needless to say, I didn’t stick with it long. It’s hard to see the good sometimes, I get it. But we shouldn’t let that stop us from trying!

I hope you’ll consider joining me in cultivating gratitude this month and beyond. I’d love to hear about some of the things you’re grateful for, but the best part about gratitude is that it works whether you share it with others or keep it to yourself. If you want to share, please do so in the comments. I can’t wait to learn about all of the good stuff that is happening out there. If you’d rather do it on your own, I feel you and support you. But whatever you do, try to find something each day that you can give thanks for.

 

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Life•Wedding

Cheers to 9 Years! A Love Letter to My Husband on our Anniversary

October 1, 2020 by Nikki No Comments

You know those cute little elderly couples you see on the news or social media who dress in matching outfits and are unknowingly photographed doing little things to demonstrate just how much they still love each other after all these years? I used to read about those couples and wonder if it was true. It seemed like over time love would eventually fade away or get lost between deepening wrinkles. It just seemed to make sense that you would probably get to so used to being together that the other person became nothing more than a presence. People grow apart, after all, and there are countless books written and movies made about escaping loveless marriages with boring partners. Could you really could fall in love with someone and stay in love with them for the rest of your life?

The answer is yes.

I know this because in August 2003, I met the man who has proven to me time and time again just how true it is. And today we’ve been married for 9 phenomenal years!

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

My amazing husband, Nick.

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Fashion

WFHW: Joggers

September 28, 2020 by Nikki No Comments

Here’s the next outfit in my Work-From-Home Wardrobe Series where I display the cute outfits I’m wearing while working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Joggers are probably THE BEST work-from-home wardrobe piece out there. They’re incredibly comfortable for sitting but can be dressed up for those Zoom video calls. Case in point: these comfy joggers that pair nicely with this pretty Loft blouse. In fact, I think this is my new favorite outfit. Everything about it just works!

Blouse: LOFT via thredUP | Joggers: Old Navy

Since I didn’t really leave my house the day I wore this outfit, I didn’t put on shoes. But if I had, I would have a lot of options to choose from depending on where I was going and what look I was trying to achieve. A pair of flats (black or a nice statement color) or loafers would be cute for a business casual feel while heels would elevate it into an outfit I could wear out for a drink or two (sigh, I sure miss those days!). If I wanted a more casual look, perhaps to run errands, I would grab my cute new white lace-up sneakers.

Also, I’m wearing my dissent collar earrings inspired by RBG–may her memory be for a blessing–that Nick purchased for me last month.

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Fashion•Health•Life

Life Lately: All Moved In

September 25, 2020 by Nikki No Comments

Hi, friends!

It’s been a hot minute but we’re finally all moved in. The boxes are unpacked and almost everything has a found a place in the new house. We’re well on our way to being completely settled. We’ve had a chance to meet our super nice neighbors, and we’re looking forward to when we can all safely gather and be more social. We’re excited to get to know them better and really become part of the community.

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

Welcome home!

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Life

Wordless Wednesday

July 15, 2020 by Nikki No Comments

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About Me

Hi, I’m Nikki. This is where I blog about my life and personal style. I’m a wife and mom, public health professional, sushi lover, wine enthusiast, and coffee snob. Welcome to my little corner of the world where I try to lead by example!

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