Celebrating the Ordinary

This past week consisted of snowday after snowday, with much mopping, shoveling, and graceless ice-slipping occupying most of those days. After receiving 35+ inches of snow courtesy of Winter Storm Jonas, Frederick has remained in a state of snow emergency all week. City workers have labored unending shifts to clear our main roads, while heavy equipment has been brought in to remove the dirt-tinged snow-mountains that now dominate the street corners and curbs. Meanwhile, by order of the mayor, our cars must remain in downtown parking garages until the crews clear enough to allow street parking once more. The glistening snow-globe universe of the weekend has melted into one big, time-consuming mess.
Being stuck indoors, though, has been an enjoyable experience. Rather than going or eating out, Mark and I have been cooking more-- breakfast, lunch, and dinner--and finding creative ways to entertain ourselves. Netflix and video games figured into our forced house-arrest, of course, along with spontaneous cookie baking and impromptu snow-fort building. We played games and read books together on the couch. In some cases, we just talked, swapping stories and sharing memories with each other. We didn't do anything earth-shattering; we really didn't do much at all. We just enjoyed each other's time and talked. 
Those four days of home-bound solitude made me realize how much I should cherish the ordinary: just spending a day with my husband at home. Social media so often focuses on the big moments in our lives: our weddings, our children, our vacations, our promotions. Even in this space, I mainly discuss our home renovations, work goals, and major experiences. How often do I celebrate the ordinary? The everyday, this-is-real-life moments? Because, I think when I look back someday, those simple, little things will be what stands out the most. Those days that don't seem like much when you're in them--just another day. But I know that someday, I'll probably give anything to go back to the winter of 2016, curled onto that couch with Mark, just talking and doing nothing much. 
Some recent favorite reads from around the web: 
In case you missed my excitement on Instagram, our master bedroom makeover made it into Apartment Therapy's Before & After section. You can see the article here! 
3 reasons to exercise that have nothing to do with weight
A suggestion I may have to try: wearing silk camisole rather than a cotton camisole.
This article from Darling Magazine perfectly captured what I've been trying to say for the past month:  "A life of over-consumption is self-centered; it takes more than it gives. A life of contribution is an outward-focused life; it creates more than it takes. I believe we have been wired to contribute more than we consume. If you feel worn out from the barrage of messages urging you to consume more, I encourage you to take a step back and mindfully entertain the possibility of living a simpler and more creative life."
Lastly, I have to brag on my friend Whitney's beautiful weaving which now hangs over her bed.  You may have spied it in our inaugural "A Peek Indoors" post this week! 
What are you grateful for this week? What ordinary thing in your life deserves a little celebration?
Have a lovely weekend!